COURSE SETUP
Woodmont Country Club will be set up at 6,561 yards and will play to a par of 36-36–72. Based on the setup, the Course Rating™ is 78.4 and the Slope Rating® is 134.
WOODMONT COUNTRY CLUB HOLE BY HOLE
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Total
Par 4 3 5 4 5 3 4 4 4 36
Yards 392 148 484 332 510 183 395 360 421 3,225
Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Total
Par 5 4 4 3 4 5 3 4 4 36
Yards 552 341 376 132 428 528 187 391 401 3,336
(NOTE: Yardages subject to change.)
ABOUT WOODMONT COUNTRY CLUB
While Woodmont traces its roots to 1913, it moved to its current location in 1950. Alfred Tull designed the North Course with input and assistance from Woodmont member Leopold Freudberg and superintendent Rudy Will. In 1999, the course underwent extensive renovations by Arthur Hills that included work on bunkers and teeing grounds. In 2007, Hills completed further work, replacing all 18 original greens, rebuilding greenside bunkers and installing a new irrigation system.
Led by Joel Weiman, Woodmont recently completed a two-year renovation project on the North Course. The work included a new 18th hole, as well as restored bunkers that are not only eye-catching, but also strategically placed for today’s golfer.
The club in suburban Washington D.C. has hosted U.S. Open sectional qualifying 32 out of 33 years since 1986 and was a U.S. Women’s Open sectional site from 2010 to 2012. Woodmont has been the site of numerous state and regional events, including 12 Maryland State Golf Association Open and amateur championships as well as the Bobby Gorin Memorial, a prestigious Washington Metropolitan Golf Association junior tournament, for 58 years.
ENTRIES
The championship is open to female amateur golfers who have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 5.4. The record for entries was set in 2018 with a total of 1,468. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 championship features a fully exempt field.
QUALIFYING
Due to health and safety concerns, qualifying was not conducted for the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur. The field has been filled entirely through exemptions.
CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD
The U.S. Women’s Amateur, typically played with 156 golfers, will be limited to a field size of 132 in 2020 to align with health and safety guidelines.
Following 18-hole rounds of stroke play on Aug. 3-4, the field will be cut to the top 64 players for match play. Five 18-hole rounds of match play will determine the finalists who will square off in a 36-hole championship match on Aug. 9.
EXEMPTION CATEGORIES
Players in the following categories are eligible for exemption into the 120th U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship:
Winners of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship the last 10 years (2010-2019)
Runners-up of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship the last three years (2017-2019)
Semifinalists of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship the last two years (2018-2019)
Round of 32 from the 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship
Any player who qualified for the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open Championship
From the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, winners in 2016-2019; runners-up in 2018-2019 and Round of 16 in 2019
From the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, winners in 2016-2019; runners-up in 2018-2019 and semifinalists in 2019
From the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, winners in 2016-2019 and runners-up in 2018-2019
Winners of the 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship
Playing members of the United States and Great Britain & Ireland Curtis Cup Teams, four-year exemption once appointed to the team (2018)
Playing members of the two most current United States Women’s World Amateur Teams (2016 & 2018)
Winners of The Women’s Amateur Championship, conducted by The R&A (five-year exemption) (2016-2019)
Winner of the 2019 European Ladies’ Amateur Championship
Winner of the 2020 Women’s Mexican International Amateur Championship
Winners and runners-up of the 2020 North & South Women’s Amateur and Women’s Western Amateur Championship, and winner and runner-up (including ties) of the 2020 Ladies National Golf Association Championship
From the current Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR®, the top 75-ranked players as of June 24, 2020. Players exempt under this category must file an entry prior to the close of entries.
From the current Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking, the top 20-ranked players using the WAGR Age Filter as of June 24, 2020. Players cannot be age 19 on or before Aug. 9, 2020. Player’s WAGR profile must include date of birth to be considered for this exemption category. Must have filed an entry prior to the close of entries.
Special exemptions as selected by the USGA
NOTE: Remaining spots in the championship field will be filled using the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking®. Once the field is set, the USGA will compile an alternate list based on WAGR®.
SCHEDULE OF PLAY
Practice rounds will take place Aug. 1-2, and the championship schedule is as follows:
Aug. 3 (Monday): First round, stroke play
Aug. 4 (Tuesday): Second round, stroke play
Aug. 5 (Wednesday): Round of 64, match play
Aug. 6 (Thursday): Rounds of 32 and 16, match play
Aug. 7 (Friday): Quarterfinal round, match play
Aug. 8 (Saturday): Semifinal round, match play
Aug. 9 (Sunday): 36-hole championship final, match play
2019 CHAMPION
Gabriela Ruffels, a rising senior at the University of Southern California, became the first Australian to hoist the Robert Cox Trophy when she defeated Albane Valenzuela, of Switzerland, 1 up, in the 36-hole final at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Miss. It was the second runner-up finish in three years for Valenzuela.
Ruffels birdied four of the last five holes in the final, including a 10-foot, downhill right-to-left curling putt on the 36th hole that clinched the title. It was a putt she needed to hole as Valenzuela had stuffed her 9-iron approach to 3 feet for what would have been a likely birdie to force extra holes.
WHAT THE WINNER RECEIVES:
A gold medal and custody of the Robert Cox Trophy for one year
Exemption from qualifying for the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open
Exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Women’s Amateurs, if eligible
Exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Girls’ Juniors, if eligible
Exemption from qualifying for the next 15 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateurs, or 15 years from the time the player becomes eligible
Exemption from qualifying for the next 15 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateurs, or 15 years from the time the player becomes eligible
TELEVISION COVERAGE
In June 2020, the United States media rights for USGA championships transferred from FOX Sports to NBCUniversal effective through 2026. NBCUniversal will broadcast all four USGA championships in 2020. Broadcast schedule and details for the 120th U.S. Women’s Amateur will be announced Tuesday, July 28.
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
The U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship is one of the United States Golf Association’s original three championships. It was first conducted in 1895, shortly after the inaugural U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open. The Women’s Amateur has been conducted every year since, except 1917-18, when it was suspended due to World War I, and 1942-45, when it was suspended due to World War II.
The most decorated champion is Glenna Collett Vare, a lifelong amateur who won the Cox Trophy a record six times. Second to Vare is JoAnne Gunderson Carner, who won five U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships. Combined with her two wins in the U.S. Women’s Open and one victory in the U.S. Girls’ Junior, Carner’s eight USGA titles are tied with Jack Nicklaus and eclipsed only by Bob Jones and Tiger Woods, who have each won nine.
U.S. Women’s Amateur champions seem to possess a remarkable facility to repeat. Beatrix Hoyt, Alexa Stirling, Vare, Virginia Van Wie and Juli Inkster have all won the U.S. Women’s Amateur three consecutive times. Another seven champions – Genevieve Hecker, Dorothy Campbell, Margaret Curtis, Betty Jameson, Kay Cockerill, Kelli Kuehne and Danielle Kang – have won two in a row.
The U.S. Women’s Amateur has long identified some of golf’s greatest female players, many of whom have gone on to successful professional careers. Along with the champions listed above, Patty Berg, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Louise Suggs, Marlene Stewart Streit, Anne Quast Sander, Barbara McIntire, Catherine Lacoste, Carol Semple Thompson, Beth Daniel, Morgan Pressel and Lydia Ko have secured a place in golf history.
USGA AND WOODMONT
This is the first USGA championships held at Woodmont Country Club. Woodmont has hosted U.S. Open sectional qualifying 38 times, including 32 out of 33 years since 1986, as well as three U.S. Women’s Open qualifiers.
OTHER NOTABLE EVENTS AT WOODMONT
1956 Maryland Open Championship (Walter Romans)
1962 Maryland Open Championship (Dick Whetzle)
1963 Maryland Women’s Amateur (Mary Ann Downey)
1965 Middle Atlantic Amateur Championship (James Grant)
1968 Maryland Open Championship (Leo Wykle)
1971 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship (Wake Forest)
1973 Maryland State Amateur (Martin West)
1976 Maryland Open Championship (George Graefe)
1978 Maryland Women’s Amateur (Sally Voss)
1981 Middle Atlantic Amateur Championship (Gary Marlowe)
1981 Maryland State Amateur (Martin West)
1984 Maryland Open Championship (Gary Marlowe)
1989 Maryland State Amateur (Gary Mason)
1999 Maryland State Amateur (Brad Hastings)
2001 Maryland Open Championship (Steve Madsen)
2004 Middle Atlantic Amateur Championship (Billy Hurley)
2015 Middle Atlantic Amateur Championship (Erik Dulik)
USGA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MARYLAND
The 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur will be the 23rd USGA championship conducted in the state of Maryland. The first USGA championship in the state was the 1899 U.S. Open at Baltimore Country Club won by Willie Smith, 11 strokes ahead of three runners-up. The last USGA championship conducted in Maryland was the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club (Blue Course) in Bethesda, won by Rory McIlroy. This will be the third U.S. Women’s Amateur held in the state.
USGA Championships in Maryland (Since 2000)
2002 U.S. Senior Open: Caves Valley G.C., Owings Mills (Don Pooley)
2003 U.S. Junior Amateur: Columbia C.C., Chevy Chase (Brian Harman)
2011 U.S. Open: Congressional C.C., Bethesda (Rory McIlroy)
U.S. WOMEN’S AMATEURS IN MARYLAND
1908: Chevy Chase Club, Chevy Chase (Katherine Harley)
1959: Congressional C.C., Bethesda (Barbara McIntire)
FUTURE U.S. WOMEN’S AMATEUR SITES
Aug. 2-8, 2021 – Westchester Country Club, Rye, N.Y.
Aug. 5-11, 2024 – Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Okla.
Aug. 3-9, 2026 – The Honors Course, Ooltewah, Tenn.
USGA Tour Release, July 27, 2020
