2018 U.S. Women's Open

{{use mdy dates|date=September 2018}}

{{Infobox individual golf tournament

| name = 2018 U.S. Women's Open

| image = File:USWomensOpen2018Logo.svg

| image_size = 200

| dates = May 31 – June 3, 2018

| location = Shoal Creek, Alabama

| course = Shoal Creek Club

| org = USGA

| tour = LPGA Tour

| par = 72

| yardage = {{convert|6732|yd}}{{cite web |url=http://www.lpga.com/tournaments/uswomensopenconductedbytheusga/course-info |publisher=LPGA |title=U.S. Women's Open: Course Info |access-date=May 31, 2018}}

| field = 156 players, 63 after cut

| cut = 148 (+4)

| purse = $5.0 million

| winners_share = $900,000

| champion = {{flagicon|THA}} Ariya Jutanugarn

| score = 277 (−11)

| previous = 2017

| next = 2019

| map = USA#USA Alabama

| map_relief = yes

| map_label = Shoal Creek

| map_caption = Location in the United States##Location in Alabama

| coordinates = {{coord|33.438|-86.612|type:event|display=inline,title}}

}}

The 2018 U.S. Women's Open was the 73rd U.S. Women's Open, played May 31 – June 3 at Shoal Creek Club in Shoal Creek, Alabama, a suburb southeast of Birmingham.

The U.S. Women's Open is the oldest of the five current major championships and the second of the 2018 season. It has the largest purse in women's golf at $5 million. The tournament was televised by Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports.

The championship was moved up in the schedule this year; it had been played in July for decades, with a few exceptions. Also, the playoff format was modified as part of USGA changes for the four U.S. Open championships in golf (Open, Women's Open, Senior Open, Senior Women's) in 2018, reduced from three to two aggregate holes, followed by sudden death.{{cite news |url=http://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/22586395/us-open-abandons-18-holes-2-hole-playoff |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |title=U.S. Open abandons 18 holes for 2-hole playoff |date=February 26, 2018 |accessdate=June 7, 2018}}

Ariya Jutanugarn won the championship in a playoff over Kim Hyo-joo, which ended on the fourth extra hole.{{cite news |url=http://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/23689008/ariya-jutanugarn-wins-us-women-open-playoff |title=Ariya Jutanugarn wins U.S. Women's Open on fourth playoff hole |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=June 3, 2018}}

Qualifying and field

The championship was open to any female professional or amateur golfer with a USGA handicap index not exceeding 2.4. Players qualified by competing in one of 24 36-hole qualifying tournaments held at sites across the United States and at international sites in China, England, Japan, and South Korea. Additional players were exempt from qualifying because of past performances in professional or amateur tournaments around the world.

=Exempt from qualifying=

Many players were exempt in multiple categories. Players are listed only once, in the first category in which they became exempt, with additional categories in parentheses () next to their names.{{cite web |url=https://champs.usga.org/EntryForms/womensopen_2018.pdf |title=73rd U.S. Women's Open Championship – Entry Form |publisher=USGA |access-date=March 12, 2018}} Golfers qualifying in Category 12 who qualified in other categories are denoted with the tour by which they qualified.

1. Winners of the U.S. Women's Open for the last ten years (2008–2017)

Chun In-gee (7,9,14,15), Paula Creamer, Ji Eun-hee (9,10,11,14,15), Brittany Lang (9), Inbee Park (4,5,9,10,11,14,15), Park Sung-hyun (8,9,11,14,15), Ryu So-yeon (6,8,9,14,15), Michelle Wie (9,10,11,14,15)

2. Winner and runner-up from the 2017 U.S. Women's Amateur; winner of the 2017 U.S. Girls' Junior and U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur (must be an amateur)

Kelsey Chugg (a), Sophia Schubert (a), Erica Shepherd (a), Albane Valenzuela (a)

3. Winner of the 2017 Mark H. McCormack Medal (Women's World Amateur Golf Ranking) (must be an amateur)

4. Winners of the Women's PGA Championship for the last five years (2013–2017)

Brooke Henderson (9,10,11,14,15), Danielle Kang (9,14,15)

5. Winners of the Ricoh Women's British Open for the last five years (2013–2017)

Ariya Jutanugarn (9,10,11,14,15), In-Kyung Kim (9,11,14,15), Stacy Lewis (9,11,14,15), Mo Martin (9)

6. Winners of the ANA Inspiration for the last five years (2014–2018)

Lydia Ko (7,9,11,14,15), Brittany Lincicome (9,11,14,15), Pernilla Lindberg (9,10,11,14,15), Lexi Thompson (9,11,14,15)

7. Winners of the Evian Championship for the last five years (2013–2017)

Kim Hyo-joo (9), Anna Nordqvist (9,11,14,15)

8. Ten lowest scorers and anyone tying for 10th place from the 2017 U.S. Women's Open

Choi Hye-jin (14,15), Carlota Ciganda (9,12-LET,14,15), Shanshan Feng (9,10,11,14,15), M. J. Hur (9,14,15), Kim Sei-young (9,14,15), Lee Jeong-eun (12-KLPGA,14,15), Mirim Lee (9,14,15), Amy Yang (9,14,15)

9. Top 75 money leaders from the 2017 final official LPGA money list

Marina Alex (14,15), Brittany Altomare (14,15), Nicole Broch Larsen, Ashleigh Buhai, Peiyun Chien, Chella Choi (14), Cydney Clanton, Jacqui Concolino, Austin Ernst, Jodi Ewart Shadoff (14,15), Sandra Gal, Hsu Wei-ling, Charley Hull (14,15), Karine Icher, Moriya Jutanugarn (10,11,14,15), Kim Kaufman, Cristie Kerr (11,14,15), Megan Khang, Katherine Kirk, Jessica Korda (10,11,14,15), Nelly Korda (14,15), Olafia Kristinsdottir, Candie Kung, Lee Jeong-eun, Lee Mi-hyang (11,14,15), Minjee Lee (11,14,15), Gaby López, Caroline Masson (15), Ally McDonald, Azahara Muñoz (12-LET,14), Haru Nomura, Su-Hyun Oh, Ryann O'Toole, Jane Park, Pornanong Phatlum, Madelene Sagström, Lizette Salas (14,15), Alena Sharp, Jenny Shin (14,15), Sarah Jane Smith, Jennifer Song (14,15), Angela Stanford, Ayako Uehara, Jing Yan, Angel Yin (15), Yoo Sun-young

10. Top 10 money leaders from the 2018 official LPGA money list, through the close of entries on April 25

Ko Jin-young (11,12-KLPGA,14,15)

11. Winners of LPGA co-sponsored events, whose victories are considered official, from the conclusion of the 2017 U.S. Women's Open to the initiation of the 2018 U.S. Women's Open

12. Top five money leaders from the 2017 Japan LPGA Tour, Korea LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour

Georgia Hall (14,15), Kim Ji-hyun, Lee Min-young (14,15), Teresa Lu (14,15), Klára Spilková, Ai Suzuki (14,15), Anne van Dam

13. Top three money leaders from the 2017 China LPGA Tour

Saranporn Langkulgasettrin, Lee Solar, Supamas Sangchan

14. Top 50 point leaders from the current Rolex Rankings and anyone tying for 50th place as of April 25

Nasa Hataoka (15)

15. Top 50 point leaders from the current Rolex Rankings and anyone tying for 50th place as of May 28

16. Special exemptions selected by the USGA

Karrie Webb{{cite news |url=http://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/22837515/karrie-webb-receives-special-exemption-us-women-open |title=Karrie Webb gets special exemption to U.S. Women's Open |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=March 20, 2018}}

=Qualifiers=

Additional players qualified through sectional qualifying tournaments which took place May 2–17 at sites in the United States, China, South Korea, England, and Japan.

{{div col|colwidth=30em}}

May 2 at Canoe Brook Country Club, Summit, New Jersey

:Grace Na

:Evelyn Arguelles (a)

May 2 at Indiana Country Club, Indiana, Pennsylvania

:Olivia Cason (a)

May 3 at Industry Hills Golf Club, City of Industry, California

:Patty Tavatanakit (a)

:Elizabeth Wang (a)

May 4 at Sugar Mill Country Club, New Smyrna Beach, Florida

:Kris Tamulis

:Sarah Kemp

May 6 at Ka'anapali Golf Club, Lahaina, Hawaii

:Tiffany Chan

May 7 at Dunwoody Country Club, Dunwoody, Georgia

:Christine Song

:Ssu-Chia Cheng

:Katelyn Dambaugh

:Emma Talley

May 7 at Elgin Country Club, Elgin, Illinois

:Yujeong Son (a)

:Martina Edberg

May 8 at La Purisima Golf Club, Lompoc, California

:Emily Kristine Pedersen

:María Hernández

May 8 at Ohtone Country Club, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan

:Fumika Kawagishi

:Minami Hiruta

:Kaori Takayama

:Kotono Kozuma

May 14 at Arizona Country Club, Phoenix, Arizona

:Giulia Molinaro

:Cheyenne Woods

May 14 at Contra Costa Country Club, Pleasant Hill, California

:Allisen Corpuz (a)

:Lucy Li (a)

May 14 at The Ranch Country Club, Westminster, Colorado

:Robyn Choi (a)

:Jillian Hollis

May 14 at Buckinghamshire Golf Club, Buckinghamshire, England

:Linn Grant (a)

:Catriona Matthew

:Mel Reid

:Sarah Schober

May 14 at TPC Prestancia, Sarasota, Florida

:Daniela Darquea

:Lei Ye (a)

:Daniela Holmqvist

May 14 at Dream Park Country Club, Incheon, South Korea

:Park Hyun-kyung

:Kim Hani did not play

May 14 at Stillwater Country Club, Stillwater, Minnesota

:Casey Danielson

:Celia Barquín Arozamena (a)

May 14 at Las Colinas Country Club, Irving, Texas

:Kaylee Benton (a)

:Dylan Kim (a)

May 14 at Deerwood Golf Club, Kingwood, Texas

:Kristen Gillman (a)

:María Fassi (a)

May 14 at Hermitage Country Club, Manakin-Sabot, Virginia

:Paula Reto

:Lin Xiyu

:Julieta Granada

:Gina Kim (a)

May 14 at Rainier Golf & Country Club, Seattle, Washington

:Becky Morgan

:Sophie Hausmann (a)

May 15 at Bermuda Run Country Club, Advance, North Carolina

:Nannette Hill

:Britney Yada

May 16 at Shanghai Qizhong Garden Golf Club, Shanghai, China

:Yiyi Liu

May 16 at Cape Cod National Golf Club, Brewster, Massachusetts

:Celeste Dao (a)

:Céline Herbin

May 17 at Seagate Country Club, Delray Beach, Florida

:Jenny Suh

:Dana Williams (a)

{{div col end}}

=Alternates added to field=

The following players were added to the field before the start of the tournament when spots reserved for exemptions in various categories were not used and to replace players who withdrew from the tournament.

Jennifer Chang (a), Hailee Cooper (a), Lindy Duncan, Andrea Lee (a), Lee Lopez, Wichanee Meechai, Olivia Mehaffey (a), Emilia Migliaccio (a), Song Gaeun (a), Luna Sobrón Galmés, Sophie Walker, Rumi Yoshiba

Course layout

2018 yardages by round

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

!Round!!align="left"|Hole!!1!!2!!3!!4!!5!!6!!7!!8!!9!!Out!!10!!11!!12!!13!!14!!15!!16!!17!!18!!In!!Total

align="center"|Par445435434364543443543672
1align="left"|Yards3743895054211664754221513833,2863995224291713703761995334043,4036,689
2align="left"|Yards3663875134211544884151403923,2763865264051833633741705324083,3476,623
3align="left"|Yards3803845144131774714221563843,3014074604021393793662105453943,3026,603
4align="left"|Yards3793964924301614894091493853,2904015084311723613891975314163,4066,696

  • Scoring average: 74.682
  • by round: 74.705, 75.123, 73.921, 74.318
  • Most difficult holes in relation to par: 12, 4, 18, 16

Source:{{cite web |url=http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2018/u-s--women-s-open.html#!course-stats |title=73rd U.S. Women's Open Championship – Course Stats |publisher=USGA}}

Round summaries

=First round=

Thursday, May 31, 2018

class="wikitable"

!Place!!Player!!Score!!To par

rowspan=3 align=center|T1{{flagicon|THA}} Ariya Jutanugarnrowspan=3 align=center|67rowspan=3 align=center|−5
{{flagicon|KOR}} Lee Jeong-eun
{{flagicon|AUS}} Sarah Jane Smith
rowspan=3 align=center|T4{{flagicon|SWE}} Linn Grant (a)rowspan=3 align=center|69rowspan=3 align=center|−3
{{flagicon|USA}} Danielle Kang
{{flagicon|USA}} Michelle Wie
rowspan=12 align=center|T7{{flagicon|ESP}} Luna Sobrón Galmésrowspan=12 align=center|70rowspan=12 align=center|−2
{{flagicon|USA}} Kristen Gillman (a)
{{flagicon|KOR}} Kim Hyo-joo
{{flagicon|KOR}} Kim Ji-hyun
{{flagicon|KOR}} Kim Sei-young
{{flagicon|USA}} Nelly Korda
{{flagicon|AUS}} Su-Hyun Oh
{{flagicon|KOR}} Inbee Park
{{flagicon|DNK}} Emily Kristine Pedersen
{{flagicon|ENG}} Mel Reid
{{flagicon|SWE}} Madelene Sagström
{{flagicon|THA}} Patty Tavatanakit (a)

=Second round=

Friday, June 1, 2018

Saturday June 2, 2018

Weather delayed the conclusion of the second round until Saturday.

class="wikitable"

!Place!!Player!!Score!!To par

align=center|1{{flagicon|AUS}} Sarah Jane Smith67-67=134align=center|−10
align=center|2{{flagicon|THA}} Ariya Jutanugarn67-70=137align=center|−7
align=center|3{{flagicon|AUS}} Su-Hyun Oh70-68=138align=center|−6
rowspan=8 align=center|T4{{flagicon|KOR}} Chella Choi71-70=141rowspan=8 align=center|−3
{{flagicon|ESP}} Carlota Ciganda73-68=141
{{flagicon|SWE}} Linn Grant (a)69-72=141
{{flagicon|KOR}} Kim Ji-hyun70-71=141
{{flagicon|KOR}} Kim Sei-young70-71=141
{{flagicon|KOR}} Inbee Park70-71=141
{{flagicon|KOR}} Jenny Shin72-69=141
{{flagicon|USA}} Michelle Wie69-72=141

=Third round=

Saturday, June 2, 2018

class="wikitable"

!Place!!Player!!Score!!To par

align=center|1{{flagicon|THA}} Ariya Jutanugarn67-70-67=204align=center|−12
align=center|2{{flagicon|AUS}} Sarah Jane Smith67-67-74=208align=center|−8
align=center|3{{flagicon|KOR}} Kim Hyo-joo70-72-68=210align=center|−6
align=center|4{{flagicon|KOR}} Kim Ji-hyun70-71-70=211align=center|−5
rowspan=3 align=center|T5{{flagicon|ESP}} Carlota Ciganda73-68-71=212rowspan=3 align=center|−4
{{flagicon|KOR}} Inbee Park70-71-71=212
{{flagicon|SWE}} Madelene Sagström70-72-70=212
align=center|8{{flagicon|TWN}} Wei-Ling Hsu71-73-70=214align=center|−2
rowspan=5 align=center|T9{{flagicon|KOR}} Ji Eun-hee73-72-70=215rowspan=5 align=center|−1
{{flagicon|USA}} Megan Khang72-74-69=215
{{flagicon|USA}} Nelly Korda70-74-71=215
{{flagicon|KOR}} Ryu So-yeon73-70-72=215
{{flagicon|THA}} Patty Tavatanakit (a)70-73-72=215

=Final round=

Sunday, June 3, 2018

class="wikitable"

!Place!!Player!!Score!!To par!!Money ($)

align=center rowspan=2|T1{{flagicon|THA}} Ariya Jutanugarn67-70-67-73=277align=center rowspan=2|−11align=center rowspan=2|Playoff
{{flagicon|KOR}} Kim Hyo-joo70-72-68-67=277
align=center|3{{flagicon|ESP}} Carlota Ciganda73-68-71-69=281align=center|−7align=center|349,790
align=center|4{{flagicon|USA}} Danielle Kang69-77-70-69=285align=center|−3align=center|244,704
align=center rowspan=4|T5{{flagicon|TWN}} Wei-Ling Hsu71-73-70-72=286align=center rowspan=4|−2align=center rowspan=3|182,487
{{flagicon|AUS}} Sarah Jane Smith67-67-74-78=286
{{flagicon|USA}} Lexi Thompson71-75-70-70=286
{{flagicon|THA}} Patty Tavatanakit (a)70-73-72-71=286align=center|0
align=center|9{{flagicon|KOR}} Inbee Park70-71-71-75=287align=center|−1align=center|145,919
align=center rowspan=7|T10{{flagicon|JPN}} Nasa Hataoka74-70-72-72=288align=center rowspan=7|Ealign=center rowspan=7|104,505
{{flagicon|ENG}} Charley Hull74-73-70-71=288
{{flagicon|USA}} Megan Khang72-74-69-73=288
{{flagicon|KOR}} Kim Ji-hyun70-71-70-77=288
{{flagicon|USA}} Nelly Korda70-74-71-73=288
{{flagicon|USA}} Angela Stanford73-72-71-72=288
{{flagicon|USA}} Michelle Wie69-72-76-71=288

==Scorecard==

Final round

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

!Hole!! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !!10!!11!!12!!13!!14!!15!!16!!17!!18

Par445435434454344354
align=left|{{flagicon|THA}} Jutanugarnstyle="background: Pink;"|−13style="background: PaleGreen;"|−12style="background: Pink;"|−13−13style="background: Pink;"|−14style="background: Pink;"|−15−15−15style="background: Pink;"|−16style="background: Olive;"|−13−13style="background: PaleGreen;"|−12−12−12−12style="background: Pink;"|−13style="background: PaleGreen;"|−12style="background: PaleGreen;"|−11
align=left|{{flagicon|KOR}} Kimstyle="background: Pink;"|−7−7style="background: Pink;"|−8−8−8style="background: Pink;"|−9−9−9−9−9−9style="background: Pink;"|−10−10−10style="background: Pink;"|−11−11−11−11
align=left|{{flagicon|ESP}} Ciganda−4−4style="background: Pink;"|−5−5−5style="background: Pink;"|−6−6style="background: Pink;"|−7−7−7style="background: Pink;"|−8style="background: PaleGreen;"|−7−7−7−7−7style="background: Pink;"|−8style="background: PaleGreen;"|−7
align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Kangstyle="background: Pink;"|−1−1style="background: Pink;"|−2−2−2−2style="background: Pink;"|−3style="background: Pink;"|−4−4−4−4style="background: PaleGreen;"|−3−3−3−3−3style="background: Pink;"|−4style="background: PaleGreen;"|−3
align=left|{{flagicon|AUS}} Smith−8style="background: PaleGreen;"|−7style="background: Pink;"|−8−8−8style="background: PaleGreen;"|−7−7style="background: Pink;"|−8style="background: PaleGreen;"|−7−7style="background: Green;"|−5style="background: PaleGreen;"|−4−4−4style="background: PaleGreen;"|−3style="background: PaleGreen;"|−2−2−2

Cumulative tournament scores, relative to par

:

class="wikitable" span = 50 style="font-size:85%;
style="background: Pink;" width=10|

|Birdie

|style="background: PaleGreen;" width=10|

|Bogey

|style="background: Green;" width=10|

|Double bogey

|style="background: Olive;" width=10|

|Triple bogey+

{{small|Source:}}{{cite web |publisher=USGA |url=http://www.usga.org/championships/2018/u-s--women-s-open.html#!scoring |title=U.S. Women's Open |accessdate=September 3, 2018}}

=Playoff=

In the first year of the new USGA two-hole aggregate playoff format, the playoff was held on holes 14 and 18, both par fours. Jutanugarn parred both while Kim went birdie-bogey to stay tied and it moved to sudden-death, using the same holes only. Both parred the 14th hole, but Kim again made bogey at the 18th hole while Jutanugarn made another par and won the championship.

class="wikitable"

!Place!!Player!!Score!!To par!!Money ($)

align=center|1{{flagicon|THA}} Ariya Jutanugarnalign=center|4-4-4-4=16align=center|Ealign=center|900,000
align=center|2{{flagicon|KOR}} Kim Hyo-jooalign=center|3-5-4-5=17align=center|+1align=center|540,000

References

{{Reflist}}