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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Beth Ann Nichols

Cristie Kerr headlines record number of entrants for 2022 U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles

A record number of entries were filed for this year’s U.S. Women’s Open, the U.S. Golf Association has announced. The 1,874 total narrowly tops the previous record of 1,873 set in 2015, when the championship was held at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club.

Past champions Cristie Kerr (2007) and Eun Hee Ji (2009) were among those who filed entries for this year’s championship, scheduled for June 2-5 at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina. Kerr won the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open held at Pine Needles but is not exempt this year. Last year, the former No. 1 competed on a special exemption at The Olympic Club.

Kerr, 44, is scheduled to compete in Morristown, New Jersey, on May 10, while Ji, 35, is in the Fort Myers, Florida, qualifier on May 4.

Leonie Tavares, 11, of Canada is the youngest entrant, and Denise Callahan, 61, from Canton, Ohio, is the oldest. California amateur Vanessa Wang, 21, was the last one in, beating the April 6 deadline by seven minutes.

Annika Sörenstam of Sweden plays her shot from the second tee during the second round of the 2022 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club on January 21, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

2021 USWO winner Yuka Saso and Annika Sorenstam are two of the past champions who highlight the field along with Michelle Wie West (2014), Inbee Park (2008, 2013), So Yeon Ryu (2011), In Gee Chun (2015), Brittany Lang (2016), Sung Hyun Park (2017), Ariya Jutanugarn (2018), Jeongeun Lee6 (2019), and A Lim Kim (2020).

There are 82 players who are fully exempt into the championship. That number will increase with the addition of winners from any LPGA co-sponsored event prior to the USWO as well as any player who is among the top 75 points leaders and ties from the Rolex Rankings as of May 16, who is not otherwise exempt.

Here’s the list of exempt players 2022 U.S. Women’s Open (as of April 6):

Marina Alex
Brittany Altomare
Na Ria An
Pajaree Anannarukarn
Pia Babnik
Celine Boutier
a-Blakesly Brock
a-Jensen Castle
Matilda Castren
Hye-Jin Choi
Na Yeon Choi
In Gee Chun
Carlota Ciganda
a-Anna Davis
a-Louise Duncan
Austin Ernst
Ally Ewing
Ayaka Furue
Hannah Green
Georgia Hall
Mina Harigae
Nasa Hataoka
Brooke M. Henderson
Charley Hull
Ariya Jutanugarn
Moriya Jutanugarn
Danielle Kang
Megan Khang
A Lim Kim
Hyo Joo Kim
In-Kyung Kim
Sei Young Kim
Jin Young Ko
Lydia Ko
Sakura Koiwai
Jessica Korda
Nelly Korda
Jennifer Kupcho
Brittany Lang
Alison Lee
Da Yeon Lee
Minjee Lee
Mirim Lee
So Mi Lee
Jeongeun Lee6
Stacy Lewis
Hee Jeong Lim
Xiyu Liu
Pernilla Lindberg
Wenbo Liu
Gaby Lopez
Nanna Koertz Madsen
Leona Maguire
Caroline Masson
Yuna Nishimura
Yealimi Noh
Anna Nordqvist
Amy Olson
Ryann O’Toole
Hyun Kung Park
Inbee Park
Sung Hyun Park
Sophia Popov
Melissa Reid
Hae Ran Ryu
So Yeon Ryu
Madelene Sagstrom
Mao Saigo
Lizette Salas
Yuka Saso
Hinako Shibuno
Annika Sorenstam
Angela Stanford
Ai Suzuki
Patty Tavatanakit
Atthaya Thitikul
Lexi Thompson
Momoko Ueda
Michelle Wie West
Amy Yang
Angel Yin
a-Rose Zhang

*a- amateur

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