The 120-player field competing this week at Pine Needles includes 43 fully exempt golfers, eight of whom are U.S. Women’s Open champions. In total there are 20 USGA champions in the field. Sectional qualifying, played over 18 holes, was conducted at 17 sites nationwide between April 17 and April 30. Qualifying sites were in 16 states, including The Country Club of Salisbury in North Carolina. 

Lorie Kane, who has won four times on the LPGA Tour, was the first exempt player to apply to play. She also participated in the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship.

WHO’S HERE

Among the 120 golfers in the 2019 U.S. Senior Women’s Open there are:

U.S. Women’s Open champions (8): Amy Alcott (1980), JoAnne Carner (1971, 1976), Laura Davies (1987), Jane Geddes (1986), Juli Inkster (1999, 2002), Liselotte Neumann (1988), Hollis Stacy (1977, 1978, 1984) and Jan Stephenson (1983)

U.S. Women’s Open runners-up (7): Helen Alfredsson (1993, 2008), Donna Andrews (1993), JoAnne Carner (1975, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1987), Tammie Green-Parker (1994), Juli Inkster (1992), Hollis Stacy (1980) and Kris Tschetter (1996)

U.S. Women’s Amateur champions (7): Laura Baugh (1971), JoAnne Carner (1957, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1968), Kay Cockerill (1986, 1987), Joanne Foreman (1983), Amy Fruhwirth (1991), Carolyn Hill (1979) and Juli Inkster (1980, 1981, 1982)

U.S. Women’s Amateur runners-up (1): JoAnne Carner (1956, 1964)

U.S. Girls’ Junior champions (4): Amy Alcott (1973), JoAnne Carner (1956), Laurie Rinker (1980) and Hollis Stacy (1969, 1970, 1971)

U.S. Girls’ Junior runners-up (5): Amy Alcott (1971), JoAnne Carner (1955), Amy Fruhwith (1985), Jenny Lidback (1978) and Missie McGeorge (1977)

U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champions (4): Mary Ann Hayward (2005), Martha Leach (2009), Ellen Port (1995, 1996, 2000, 2011) and Laura Shanahan Rowe (2001)

U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur runners-up (3): Laura Coble (2009), Ellen Port (2002) and Martha Leach (2011)

U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champions (3): Judith Kyrinis (2017), Lara Tennant (2018) and Ellen Port (2012, 2013, 2016)

U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur runners-up (4): Susan Cohn (2013), Judith Kyrinis (2014), Terrill Samuel (2017) and Sue Wooster (2018)

U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links champions (2): Danielle Ammaccapane (1985) and Amy Fruhwirth (1992)

U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links runners-up (1): Sue Nyhus (1999)

Curtis Cup Team Members

USA PLAYERS (9): Danielle Ammaccapanee (1986), Laura Baugh (1972), Ellen Port (1994, 1996), JoAnne Carner (1958, 1960, 1962, 1964), Joanne Foreman (1984), Amy Fruhwirth (1992), Carolyn Hill (1978), Juli Inkster (1982) and Hollis Stacy (1972)

GB&I PLAYERS (3): Trish Johnson (1986); Laura Davies (1984); Kathryn Imrie (1996)

Curtis Cup Captains

USA Team (1): Ellen Port (2014)

AMATEURS

There are 33 amateurs in the 120-player field.

Mary Ann Hayward, 59, became the first Canadian to win the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur championship in 2005. She was a semifinalist in the 2010 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. The native of Lachine, Quebec is a four-time Canadian Amateur champion, a six-time winner of the Quebec Amateur and a five-time Ontario Amateur champion.

Judith Kyrinis, 55, won the 2017 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship by defeating Terrill Samuel, 4 and 3, at Waverley Country Club in Portland, Ore. Three years earlier, Kyrinis was the runner-up to Joan Higgins in the same championship. Kyrinis also advanced to the semifinals of the 2000 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.

Lisa McGill, 59, has played in more than 35 USGA championships. She was a quarterfinalist in the 2017 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur and a semifinalist in the 2007 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. A four-time winner of the Rhode Island Women’s Amateur, she is an avid mountain climber, including having summited Mount Everest and Kilimanjaro.

Ellen Port, 57, is a seven-time USGA champion. She has won four U.S. Women's Mid-Amateurs and three U.S. Senior Women's Amateurs, the last coming in 2016. She ranks second among female USGA champions, trailing only JoAnne Carner (eight).

Terrill Samuel, 58, was the runner-up to fellow Canadian Judith Kyrinis in the 2017 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. Last year, she was a quarterfinalist in the championship. She is playing in her 18th USGA championship. The high school teacher and volleyball coach is also a two-time Canadian Senior champion (2012, 2015).

Lara Tennant, 52, won the 2018 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, defeating Sue Wooster, 3 and 2. She has played in 11 USGA championships, including last year’s inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open. She won the 2017 Oregon Senior Women’s Amateur and is a three-time winner of the Oregon Women’s Mid-Amateur.

SECTIONAL QUALIFIERS

Laura Coble, 2009 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur runner-up; Susan Cohn, a two-time U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur semifinalist; and Leigh Klasse, a 57-time USGA competitor, are among the 67 U.S. Senior Women’s Open competitors who advanced through qualifying.

USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS AT PINE NEEDLES  

The 2nd U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship will be the sixth USGA championship conducted at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club.

In 2022, Pine Needles will become the first golf resort to have hosted four U.S. Women’s Open Championships. Its first U.S. Women’s Open was in 1996, when Annika Sorenstam successfully defended her title. Karrie Webb also defended her championship in 2001, while Cristie Kerr claimed the 2007 title at the resort.

The club also hosted the 1989 U.S. Girls’ Junior and the 1991 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, won by Brandie Burton and Phyllis Preuss, respectively.

A quick glance at the USGA championships held and scheduled at Pine Needles:

1989 U.S. Girls’ Junior, won by Brandie Burton
1991 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, won by Phyllis Preuss
1996 U.S. Women’s Open, won by Annika Sörenstam
2001 U.S. Women’s Open, won by Karrie Webb
2007 U.S. Women’s Open, won by Cristie Kerr
2019 U.S. Senior Women’s Open
2022 U.S. Women’s Open                                              

USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN NORTH CAROLINA

The 2019 U.S. Senior Women’s Open will be the 31st USGA championship contested in North Carolina and the state’s first USGA Open championship since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open, won by Michelle Wie, at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club. One week earlier, Martin Kaymer won the U.S. Open at Pinehurst as the resort was the first to hold the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open in consecutive weeks.

COURSE SETUP

Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club will be set up at 6,016 yards and will play to a par of 35-36—71.

Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club Hole by Hole

Hole       1           2          3          4          5          6          7          8           9          Total

Par         5           4          3          4          3          4          4          4         4           35

Yards     456      413     128      323      168     374     381      342       368            2,953

Hole      10         11        12        13        14       15        16        17        18         Total

Par         5           4          4          3           4         5          3           4          4           36

Yards    478       339      328     157      362     476      163      373      387           3,063

Note: Yardages subject to change.

ARCHITECT

The Donald Ross course, restored by golf course architect Kyle Franz in 2017, has drawn attention from golfers nationwide and continues to host some of the game’s most prestigious tournaments.

FUTURE U.S. SENIOR WOMEN’S OPEN SITE                   

July 9-12, 2020: Brooklawn Country Club, Fairfield, Conn.

WHAT THE CHAMPION RECEIVES

A U.S. Senior Women’s Open exemption for the next 10 years or through age 65 (whichever yields the higher number of exemptions), a gold medal and custody of the U.S. Senior Women’s Open Trophy for one year.

TELEVISION SCHEDULE                                 

FS1 will televise the final two rounds of the U.S. Senior Women’s Open. All times ET.

Day                        Network                    Time                        Program

May 18                   FS1                           3-5 p.m.                    Third Round
May 19                   FS1                           3-5 p.m.                    Final Round     

CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY

The USGA’s fourth Open championship was announced in 2015 in recognition of the growth of women’s golf and the increasing number of worthy age-eligible competitors from around the world. Made of sterling silver, the trophy celebrates the accomplishments of its competitors as well as the opportunity this championship represents. Its design elements include olive leaves, which symbolize intergenerational inspiration; the USGA seal, marking the organization’s longstanding commitment to the game of golf; a pineapple crown, signifying that the championship is open to all; and round beads encircling the base that denote femininity and honor the significant role women have played in the game’s history. Designed and produced by Nicholas Winton, Ltd., of Cheshire, England, the trophy stands 22 inches tall, is 12 inches from handle to handle and weighs 13 pounds, making it the heaviest of the four USGA Open championship trophies.

SENIOR WOMEN’S OPEN BIRTHDAYS

One player in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open field will celebrate a birthday during the championship. Carolyn Barnett-Howe turns 57 on May 18.

FUN FACTS

OLDEST & YOUNGEST – JoAnne Carner is the oldest player in this year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open field. Carner, an eight-time USGA champion, turned 80 years old in April. In last year’s inaugural championship, she shot her age (79) in the first round. Leslie Spalding, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., is the youngest in the field. She turned 50 on Feb. 22.

FIELD FOR THE AGES – There are 10 players in the field who are 50 years old. Six players in the field are 65 or older. The average age of the field is 56.4.

INTERNATIONAL GROUP – There are seven countries represented in the 2019 U.S. Senior Women’s Open. The USA has 97, followed by Canada with eight. Japan and Australia each have four.

Countries with players in the field: United States (97), Canada (8), Japan (4), Australia (4), England (3), Scotland (2) and Sweden (2)

DEFENDING CHAMPION – Laura Davies, 54, of England, won last year’s inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open by 10 strokes over Juli Inkster at Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Ill. Davies is one of the most accomplished female golfers with 87 professional wins worldwide, including 20 on the LPGA Tour and 45 on the Ladies European Tour. She owns four major championships and two senior major titles. Except for 2005, Davies captured at least one title globally between 1985 and 2010, and was the first golfer ever to win tournaments on five continents in one year. Davies won the 1987 U.S. Women’s Open and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2015. Her 2018 U.S. Senior Women’s Open victory earned Davies an exemption into the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open at the Country Club of Charleston (S.C.) May 30-June 2.

DYNAMIC DUO – Martha Leach, 57, of Hebron, Ky., took home low-amateur honors in last year’s championship at Chicago Golf Club, finishing tied for 10th. She is no stranger to USGA championships, having competed in 29 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateurs, winning in 2009, and 18 U.S. Women's Amateurs. Leach was inducted into the Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 2018. Leach, the sister of six-time USGA champion Hollis Stacy, will join her sister in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open field for the second consecutive year. Stacy, 65, of Holmes Beach, Fla., is a three-time U.S. Girls’ Junior champion and three-time U.S. Women’s Open champion. Stacy, a member of the victorious 1972 USA Curtis Cup Team, was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012.

REIGNING AMATEUR CHAMP – Lara Tennant, 52, of Portland, Ore., won the 2018 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, defeating Sue Wooster, 3 and 2, at Orchid Island Golf & Beach Club in Vero Beach, Fla. She has played in 11 USGA championships, including last year’s inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open. She won the 2017 Oregon Senior Women’s Amateur and is a three-time winner of the Oregon Women’s Mid-Amateur.

HOME COURSE – Donna Andrews, 52, of Pinehurst, N.C., is the lead teaching instructor at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club. Andrews moved to Southern Pines after retiring from the LPGA Tour and has been at Pine Needles since 2006. She is a five-time Virginia State Amateur champion, six-time winner on the LPGA Tour and is competing in her second U.S. Senior Women’s Open.

THE COACH – Kelley Nittoli, 56, of San Antonio, Texas, is the assistant women's golf coach at the University of Texas at San Antonio. In her first season with the Roadrunners, she helped the team to the 2018 Conference USA title and the program's fourth NCAA postseason appearance. Nittoli is playing in her fifth USGA championship and second U.S. Senior Women’s Open.

THE AMMACCAPANE SISTERS – Phoenix, Ariz., residents Danielle Ammaccapane, 53, and Dina Ammaccapane, 50, are competing in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open together for the first time. Danielle finished fourth in last year’s inaugural championship. This year, Danielle caddied for her sister Dina at her qualifier at Briar Wood Country Club in Sun City West, Ariz.

THE ENTREPRENEUR – Maggie Will, 54, of Wake Forest, N.C., is a three-time champion on the LPGA Tour, and founded Will2Golf, a comprehensive online golf tournament search and schedule-building site for junior golfers. She also founded Get Fit For Putting, a lesson-based and putter-fitting business. Will previously served as the head women’s golf coach at the University of Richmond and was an assistant coach at both the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and North Carolina State.

ALL OF THE ABOVE – Sue Nyhus, 56, of Orem, Utah, became the first player in USGA history to qualify for every USGA women’s championship when she qualified for this year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open. She has played in each of the following championships: U.S. Girls’ Junior, U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, U.S. Women’s Amateur, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, USGA Women’s State Team and U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball. Nyhus is in her ninth season as head women’s golf coach at Utah Valley. She was the runner-up in the 1999 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links.

MAJOR WEEK – Kelley Brooke, 51, of New York, N.Y., is the director of golf at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y., which means that she will be competing in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open while another major championship is taking place simultaneously back at her home golf course. The 2019 PGA Championship is being contested on the Black Course at Bethpage, site of the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS – Amy Ellertson, 58, of Free Union, Va., is a managing director at Wells Fargo Advisors, where she handles $450 million in assets. She has competed in 11 USGA championships, a number that would be higher except that work commitments have often forced her to surrender spots in championships. Now semi-retired, Ellertson is expanding her competitive golf schedule and competing in her first U.S. Senior Women’s Open.