2009 U.S. Women's Open

[CG031]

Will anyone be attending this year?

I am going to try and make it for a practice round on Tuesday, and at least one of the tournament play rounds.

The course is just 35 minutes from my house, and the ticket prices seem reasonable, so I figured it'd be my chance to check out a major, even if it is a Women's major - still a U.S. Open venue which should be pretty cool!

Few questions:
Will I be able to walk up to the gate and get a practice round ticket on Tuesday? Or will this need to be purchased ahead of time? What about the tournament round, say, the final round on Sunday? Will I be able to go to the course and buy one there?

[RCF]

Tickets can be bought at Wegmans or online. From the website:

Thank you for your order. Beginning June 24, all ticket orders will be placed at Will Call. Will Call is Open July 2-5 and the week of the Championship. Please contact the Championship office at 610-814-6104 for Will Call hours and access directions. Thank you.

[sonicblue]

I, my wife and another couple friend of ours are all going on Saturday. The course is only an hour from us.

[JGulkCG]

i just got back from todays practice round. had saucon creek club tickets. that tent is nice.

[CG031]

i just got back from todays practice round. had saucon creek club tickets. that tent is nice.

Was it (is it going to be) crowded during the Practice Rounds?

I'm going to try to head up there tomorrow for the practice round, I'll probably leave early at 6 a.m.

[CreamerFan]

On another note, What about next weeks US Open with no Michelle Wie or Gulbis. I was shocked that Natalie didn't make it. I'm not sure why the USGA changed the exemption rules down to the top 10. I know it now matchs the mens open, but mens golf is way deeper than womens.

[Elvisliveson]

On another note, What about next weeks US Open with no Michelle Wie or Gulbis. I was shocked that Natalie didn't make it. I'm not sure why the USGA changed the exemption rules down to the top 10. I know it now matchs the mens open, but mens golf is way deeper than womens.

But the top 50 world ranked men get an exemption into the Open, the USGA doesn't do that fr the Women. If they did, Wie, Gulbis and 7 other top notch players would be in.

[JGulkCG]

no, not real crowded at all...can easily check out all the golfers

[CG031]

no, not real crowded at all...can easily check out all the golfers

Ok, great, I'm hoping for limited traffic and be able to see the players easily...sounds good, thanks.

[CreamerFan]

But the top 50 world ranked men get an exemption into the Open, the USGA doesn't do that fr the Women. If they did, Wie, Gulbis and 7 other top notch players would be in.

This is straight from the us womens open website: 1. Winners of the U.S. Women's Open Championship for the last 10 years (1999-2008). 2. Winner and runner-up of the 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship (must be an amateur). 3. Winners of the LPGA Championship the last five years. 4. Winners of the Ricoh Women's British Open Championship the last five years. 5. Winners of the Kraft Nabisco Championship the last five years. 6. 15 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 15th place from the 2008 U.S. Women's Open Championship. 7. Top 50 money leaders from the 2008 final official LPGA money list. 8. Top 10 money leaders from the 2009 official LPGA money list, through June 1. (Must have filed an entry by May 6). 9. Winners of LPGA co-sponsored events, whose victories are considered official, from the conclusion of the 2008 U.S. Women's Open Championship to the initiation of the 2009 U.S. Women's Open Championship. 10. Top five money leaders from the 2008 Japan LPGA Tour, Korea LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour. 11. Special exemptions selected by the USGA. Natalie's best chance to get in would have been to be in the top 50 on the money list last year, but she played really poor last year due to injuries. Wie only real chance was to get in through qualifying.

[RCF]

Here's a course map.

http://www.uswomensopen.com/course/

[Elvisliveson]

Natalie's best chance to get in would have been to be in the top 50 on the money list last year, but she played really poor last year due to injuries. Wie only real chance was to get in through qualifying.

She was 43 on the2008 money list when she had to shut it down in August. had to shut it down completely in August, so she would have made it had she been able to play at all after that. That's what's wrong with the USGA's system; by not taking more players from the current year's money list, it ignores players who were injured in the prior year and rookies who may be playing great golf in the current year and therefore have a better chance to contend in the current year's open. Or, if the USGA just took the top 50 from the world rankings, which is based on sustained performance of several years, you wouldn't have these glaring omissions of deserving players like Gulbis who hasn't missed an open since she was 16.

[iacas]

Wie only real chance was to get in through qualifying.

I think her best chance was to qualify, but she had other really good opportunities too, including these:

3. Winners of the LPGA Championship the last five years.

I included 3 and 5 because she came very close only a few years ago to winning those. She missed out on that one playoff on the 18th because she basically three-putted from the fringe.

She's been around 16th on the money list most of the year, despite not playing very many events, so she could have almost made the top 10. She's currently 12th (too late anyway even if she was third this week). She could have also won a few tournaments by now. I included 11 because I think it's stupid of the USGA not to give her and Natalie Gulbis and maybe even Wendy Ward special exemptions. I know they're not common, but they could certainly cite "fan interest" at the very least for giving them. Why'd Nick Faldo get one in 2002? He wasn't playing much then. So it's not like it's always used simply for playing ability (which Wie, Gulbis, and Ward have ALSO demonstrated).

[CreamerFan]

Yeah, I thinks it's curious that the one special exemption they gave was to Laura Davies, who's not playing well now, but I suppose is more to honor her years of great play.

[JGulkCG]

just went again today....left right before they evacuated the course because of a storm nearby. Some nice scenery.

[CG031]

just went again today....left right before they evacuated the course because of a storm nearby. Some nice scenery.

Yeah I didn't end up going. Saw the possible chance at a storm, and also overslept (my alarm clock didn't work!!!) so I just said 'ah well.' Still going to try to make it this weekend for a regular round though.

[Elvisliveson]

I included 11 because I think it's stupid of the USGA not to give her and Natalie Gulbis and maybe even Wendy Ward special exemptions. I know they're not common, but they could certainly cite "fan interest" at the very least for giving them. Why'd Nick Faldo get one in 2002? He wasn't playing much then. So it's not like it's always used simply for playing ability (which Wie, Gulbis, and Ward have ALSO demonstrated).

Spot on, but probably too sensible and practical for the USGA.

They also could have simply made a decision to go back to the old rule of allowing the top 35 on the current year money's list (Wie Ward, Gulbis and one other would be in). Lastly, even if they felt giving yet another exemption to Wie would be met with outrage, they could have still slipped Gulbis a special exemption, citing her injury shortened season and the fact that she had earned performance exemptions for her entire 7 year playing career before it (and qualified the year b4 as an amateur).

[RemyM]

There are 70 players exempt under the current format which I'm sure is a number the USGA is comfortable with. The USGA has announced that they are scrapping local qualifying starting next year for the Women's Open. They will have just 36 hole sectional qualifying but it will be spread out over a 3 week period to give players more options on when and where they can attempt to qualify.