Women's British Open

Women's British Open
Tournament information
Location  United Kingdom
Established 1976, 42 years ago
Course(s) varies Woburn Golf and Country Club (in 2019)
Little Brickhill, England
Par 72 (in 2019)
Length 6,744 yards (6,167 m) (in 2019)
Organized by The R&A
Tour(s) LPGA Tour (1984, 1994–)
LET (1979–)
Format Stroke play
Prize fund $3,250,000
€2,775,905
£2,497,889
Month played August
Tournament record score
Aggregate 269 Karrie Webb (1997)
269 Karen Stupples (2004)
To par −19 Karrie Webb (1997)
−19 Karen Stupples (2004)
Current champion
England Georgia Hall
2018 Women's British Open

The Women's British Open is a major championship in women's professional golf. It is recognized by both the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour as a major. The reigning champion is Georgia Hall, who won by two shots at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2018 to earn her first major title.

Usually played in late July, the 2012 edition was scheduled for mid-September, due to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The 2013, 2017 and 2018 events were played in early August and the 2014 event in mid-July, the week prior to the Open Championship.

Since 2007, it has been called the Ricoh Women's British Open, for sponsorship reasons. The previous twenty editions (1987–2006) were sponsored by Weetabix, a breakfast cereal.[1]

History

The practice green at Sunningdale Golf Club in 2008.

The Women's British Open was established by the Ladies' Golf Union in 1976 and was intended to serve as the women's equivalent of The Open Championship. At first, it was difficult for the organisers to get the most prestigious courses to agree to host the event, with the exception of Royal Birkdale, which hosted it twice during its early days — in 1982 and 1986. After nearly folding in 1983, the tournament was held at the best of the "second-tier" courses, including Woburn Golf and Country Club for seven straight years, 1990 through 1996, as well as in 1984 and 1999.

As its prestige continued to increase, more of the links courses that are in the rotation for The Open Championship, such as Turnberry (2002) and Royal Lytham & St Annes (1998, 2003, 2006) hosted the tournament, in addition to Royal Birkdale (2000, 2005, 2010). In 2007, the tournament took place at the Old Course at St Andrews for the first time.

In the 2010s, two additional Open Championship venues became first-time hosts for the women's event: Carnoustie (2011) and Royal Liverpool (2012). The tournament has yet to be played at four Open Championship courses: Muirfield and Royal Troon in Scotland, Royal St. George's in southeastern England, and Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

Unlike its male counterpart, the Women's British Open has not adopted a links-only policy. This greatly increases the number of potential venues, especially the number close to the major population centres of England.

Through 1993, the tournament was an official stop only on the Ladies European Tour, with the exception of the 1984 edition, which was co-sanctioned by the LPGA Tour. Starting in 1994, it became a permanent LPGA Tour event, which increased both the quality of the field and the event's prestige. It has been an official LPGA major since 2001, when it replaced the du Maurier Classic in Canada. In 2005, the starting field size was increased to 150, but only the low 65 (plus ties) survive the cut after the second round. In both 2007 and 2008 the prize fund was £1.05 million. Starting in 2009, the prize fund changed from being fixed in pounds to U.S. dollars, and is now $3.25 million.

Tied for most victories in the Women's British Open with three each are Karrie Webb of Australia and Sherri Steinhauer of the United States. Both won the tournament twice before it became an LPGA major and once after. Yani Tseng of Taiwan and Jiyai Shin of South Korea are the multiple winners as a major championship. The other multiple winner is Debbie Massey of the U.S., with consecutive wins (1980 & 1981) well before it was an LPGA co-sanctioned event.

Winners

LPGA major championship

Winners of the championship as an LPGA major (2001–present):[2]

YearDatesChampionCountryVenueScoreTo parMargin
of victory		Runner(s)-upPurse
($)		Winner's
share ($)
2018Aug 2–5Georgia Hall EnglandRoyal Lytham & St Annes271−172 strokesThailand Pornanong Phatlum3,250,000504,821
2017Aug 3–6In-Kyung Kim South KoreaKingsbarns270−182 strokesEngland Jodi Ewart Shadoff3,250,000504,821
2016Jul 28–31Ariya Jutanugarn ThailandWoburn, Marquess Course272−163 strokesSouth Korea Mirim Lee
United States Mo Martin		3,000,000412,047
2015Jul 30 – Aug 2Inbee Park South KoreaTrump Turnberry - Ailsa276−123 strokesSouth Korea Ko Jin-young3,000,000464,817
2014Jul 10–13Mo Martin United StatesRoyal Birkdale287−11 strokeChina Shanshan Feng
Norway Suzann Pettersen		3,000,000474,575
2013Aug 1–4Stacy Lewis United StatesSt Andrews280−82 strokesSouth Korea Na Yeon Choi
South Korea Hee Young Park		2,750,000402,583
2012Sep 13–16Jiyai Shin South KoreaRoyal Liverpool279−99 strokesSouth Korea Inbee Park2,750,000428,650
2011Jul 28–31Yani Tseng TaiwanCarnoustie272−164 strokesUnited States Brittany Lang2,500,000392,133
2010Jul 29 – Aug 1Yani Tseng TaiwanRoyal Birkdale277−111 strokeAustralia Katherine Hull2,500,000408,714
2009Jul 30 – Aug 2Catriona Matthew ScotlandRoyal Lytham & St Annes285−33 strokesAustralia Karrie Webb2,200,000335,000
2008Jul 31 – Aug 3Jiyai Shin South KoreaSunningdale270−183 strokesTaiwan Yani Tseng2,100,000314,464
2007Aug 2–5Lorena Ochoa MexicoSt Andrews287−54 strokesSweden Maria Hjorth
South Korea Jee Young Lee		2,000,000320,512
2006Aug 3–6Sherri Steinhauer United StatesRoyal Lytham & St Annes281−73 strokesSweden Sophie Gustafson
United States Cristie Kerr		1,800,000305,440
2005July 28–31Jeong Jang South KoreaRoyal Birkdale272−164 strokesSweden Sophie Gustafson1,800,000280,208
2004July 29 – Aug 1Karen Stupples EnglandSunningdale269−195 strokesAustralia Rachel Hetherington1,600,000290,880
2003July 31 – Aug 3Annika Sörenstam SwedenRoyal Lytham & St Annes278−101 strokeSouth Korea Se Ri Pak1,600,000254,880
2002Aug 8–11Karrie Webb AustraliaTurnberry Ailsa273−152 strokesAustralia Michelle Ellis
Spain Paula Martí		1,500,000236,383
2001Aug 2–5Se Ri Pak South KoreaSunningdale277−112 strokesSouth Korea Mi Hyun Kim1,500,000221,650

LPGA event

Winners as a co-sanctioned LPGA tournament, but not an LPGA major (1994–2000):[2]

YearDateChampionCountryVenueScoreTo parMargin
of victory		Runner(s)-upPurse
($)		Winner's
share ($)
2000Aug 17–20Sophie Gustafson SwedenRoyal Birkdale282−62 strokesUnited States Becky Iverson
United States Meg Mallon
Sweden Liselotte Neumann
England Kirsty Taylor		1,250,000178,000
1999Aug 12–15Sherri Steinhauer United StatesWoburn, Duke's Course283−51 strokeSweden Annika Sörenstam1,000,000160,000
1998Aug 13–16Sherri Steinhauer United StatesRoyal Lytham &
St Annes		292+41 strokeUnited States Brandie Burton
Sweden Sophie Gustafson		1,000,000162,000
1997Aug 14–17Karrie Webb AustraliaSunningdale269−198 strokesUnited States Rosie Jones900,000129,938
1996Aug 15–18Emilee Klein United StatesWoburn, Duke's Course277−117 strokesUnited States Amy Alcott
United States Penny Hammel		850,000124,000
1995Aug 17–20Karrie Webb AustraliaWoburn, Duke's Course278−106 strokesSweden Annika Sörenstam
United States Jill McGill		600,00092,400
1994Aug 11–14Liselotte Neumann SwedenWoburn, Duke's Course280−83 strokesSweden Annika Sörenstam500,00080,325

Earlier tournaments

Winners before the tournament became an LPGA tournament (1976–93):

YearChampionCountryVenueScoreMargin
of victory		Runner(s)-upPurse
(£)		Winner's
share (£)		Ref
Weetabix Women's British Open
1993Karen Lunn AustraliaWoburn, Duke's Course2758 strokesUnited States Brandie Burton300,00050,000
1992Patty Sheehan United StatesWoburn, Duke's Course2073 strokesAustralia Corinne Dibnah300,00050,000
1991Penny Grice-Whittaker EnglandWoburn, Duke's Course2843 strokesSweden Helen Alfredsson
England Diane Barnard		150,00025,000
1990Helen Alfredsson SwedenWoburn, Duke's Course288PlayoffZimbabwe Jane Hill130,00020,000
1989Jane Geddes United StatesFerndown2742 strokesBelgium Florence Descampe120,00018,000[3]
1988Corinne Dibnah AustraliaLindrick295PlayoffUnited States Sally Little100,00015,000
1987Alison Nicholas EnglandSt Mellion2961 strokeEngland Laura Davies
United States Muffin Spencer-Devlin		100,00015,000[4]
Women's British Open
1986Laura Davies EnglandRoyal Birkdale2834 strokesUnited States Peggy Conley
Spain Marta Figueras-Dotti		60,0009,000[5]
Burberry Women's British Open
1985Betsy King United StatesMoor Park3002 strokesSpain Marta Figueras-Dotti60,0009,000[6]
Hitachi Women's British Open
1984Ayako Okamoto JapanWoburn, Duke's Course28911 strokesUnited States Betsy King
Scotland Dale Reid		160,00024,000[7]
Pretty Polly Women's British Open
1983No tournament
1982Marta Figueras-Dotti (a) SpainRoyal Birkdale2961 strokeUnited States Rosie Jones
England Jenny Lee Smith		23,000(6,000)[8]
1981Debbie Massey United StatesNorthumberland2954 strokesScotland Belle Robertson (a)19,0005,600[9]
1980Debbie Massey United StatesWentworth2941 strokeSpain Marta Figueras-Dotti (a)
Scotland Belle Robertson (a)		15,0004,500[10]
1979Alison Sheard South AfricaSouthport & Ainsdale3013 strokesEngland Mickey Walker10,0003,000[11]
1978Janet Melville (a) EnglandFoxhills3102 strokesScotland Wilma Aikten (a)(1,000)[12]
Women's British Open
1977Vivien Saunders EnglandLindrick306CountbackEngland Mary Everard (a)500210[13]
1976Jenny Lee Smith (a) EnglandFulford2992 strokesRepublic of Ireland Mary McKenna (a)(210)[14]

In 1992 the second day was washed-out and the event reduced to 54 holes. In 1990 Alfredsson won with a par at the fourth extra hole. In 1988 Dibnah won with a birdie at the second extra hole. The 1984 tournament was co-sanctioned by the LET and LPGA Tour. Prize money for this event was in US dollars; £ values here are based on an exchange rate of $1.25=£1. The 1977 event was decided on "countback". Saunders won the title because she had a better last round; 76 to Everard's 79.
(a) denotes amateur

Major champions by nationality

This table lists the total number of titles won by golfers of each nationality as an LPGA major (2001–present).

NationalityNumber
of wins
 South Korea6
 United States3
 England2
 Taiwan2
 Australia1
 Mexico1
 Scotland1
 Sweden1
 Thailand1

Future sites

YearEditionCourseLocationDatesPreviously hosted
201943rdWoburn Golf and Country ClubMilton Keynes, EnglandTBD1984, 1990–1996, 1999, 2016
202044thRoyal Troon Golf ClubTroon, ScotlandTBDNever

Source:[15]

Smyth Salver

The Smyth Salver is awarded to the leading amateur, provided that the player completes all 72 holes, for one year. The winner also receives a silver medal. The salver was donated by Moira Smyth, a past president of the Ladies' Golf Union.[16]

References

  1. ↑ "Championship History". Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Ricoh Women's British Open Past Winners". LPGA. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  3. ↑ "Descampe charges but Geddes is champion". The Glasgow Herald. 7 August 1989. p. 18.
  4. ↑ "Nicholas breaks through at last". The Glasgow Herald. 3 August 1987. p. 10.
  5. ↑ "Laura outscores foreign invaders". The Glasgow Herald. 13 October 1986. p. 10.
  6. ↑ "Miss King begins a new reign". The Glasgow Herald. 7 October 1985. p. 8.
  7. ↑ "Dale deserves prize for her lone battle". The Glasgow Herald. 8 October 1984. p. 17.
  8. ↑ "Professional win for a new Spanish graduate". The Glasgow Herald. 2 August 1982. p. 15.
  9. ↑ "Debbie pulls away from the field". The Glasgow Herald. 3 August 1981. p. 15.
  10. ↑ "Belle second with a 69". The Glasgow Herald. 28 July 1980. p. 13.
  11. ↑ "Birdie finish gives Alison British title". The Glasgow Herald. 30 July 1979. p. 15.
  12. ↑ "Janet in youngest British champion". The Glasgow Herald. 29 July 1978. p. 15.
  13. ↑ "Vivien's title on last 18". The Glasgow Herald. 3 September 1977. p. 16.
  14. ↑ "Sandra's hopes dashed". The Glasgow Herald. 4 September 1976. p. 14.
  15. ↑ "Royal Troon to host Women's British Open in 2020". ESPN. Associated Press. 3 August 2018.
  16. ↑ https://issuu.com/lgucl/docs/lguyearbook2016 LGU 2016 Yearbook
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