2018 U.S. Senior Women's Open

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.[3]

1. Winners of the U.S. Women's Open (ten year exemption).

Amy Alcott (5,6), Pat Bradley (5,6), Jerilyn Britz, Laura Davies (5,6,10,11,12), Jane Geddes (5,6), JoAnne Gunderson Carner (3,6), Juli Inkster (3,5,6,10,12,13), Betsy King (5,6,12), Murle Lindstrom, Lauri Merten, Liselotte Neumann (6,11,12,13), Alison Nicholas, Sandra Palmer (5), Hollis Stacy (5,6,12), Jan Stephenson (5,6)

• Janet Alex Anderson, Kathy Baker Guadagnino, Susie Berning (5), Donna Caponi (5), Kathy Cornelius, Sandra Haynie (5), Catherine Lacoste (4), Meg Mallon (5,6), Carol Mann (5), Betsy Rawls (5), Patty Sheehan (5,6), and Mickey Wright (5) did not play.

2. From the 2018 U.S. Women's Open, any player returning a 72-hole score.

3. Winners of the U.S. Women's Amateur who later turned professional (one year exemption).

Laura Baugh, Kay Cockerill, Joanne Pacillo Foreman, Carolyn Hill

• Jean Ashley Crawford, Beth Daniel (5,6), Mary Lou Dill, Cindy Hill (11), Donna Horton White, Deb Richard (6), Cathy Sherk, and Pearl Sinn did not play.

4. Winners of the U.S. Women's Amateur who did not turn professional (five year exemption) and the 2017 runner-up.

• Mary Budke, Martha Kirouac, Patricia Lesser Harbottle, Barbara McIntire, Anne Quast Sander, Marlene Stewart Streit, and Carol Semple Thompson did not play.

5. Winners of the other LPGA majors (ten year exemption). This includes Canadian Women's Open champions prior to 2000.

Helen Alfredsson (6,10,11,12), Donna Andrews (6,12), Nanci Bowen, Tammie Green (6), Christa Johnson (6), Cathy Johnston-Forbes (11), Jenny Lidback (12) , Sally Little, Alice Miller, Martha Nause (11,12), Nancy Scranton (6)

• Jody Rosenthal Anschutz, Betty Burfeindt, Gloria Ehret, Shirley Englehorn, Marlene Hagge, Chako Higuchi, Judy Kimball Simon, Nancy Lopez (6), Mary Mills, Pat O'Sullivan Lucey, Dottie Pepper (6), Sandra Post, Kelly Robbins, Marilynn Smith, Sherri Steinhauer (6), Sherri Turner (6), Kathy Whitworth, and Joyce Ziske did not play.

6. The top 150 money leaders from the 2017 LPGA Tour all-time money list.

Kristi Albers, Danielle Ammaccapane, Judy Dickinson, Rosie Jones (12), Lorie Kane (11,12,13), Hiromi Kobayashi, Barb Mucha (11,12), Cindy Rarick, Michele Redman (11,12), Kris Tschetter

• Tina Barrett, Dale Eggeling, Ayako Okamoto, Kim Saiki-Maloney, and Val Skinner (12) did not play.

7. Winners of the LPGA Teaching & Club Professionals Championship (last five years) and the top five finishers from the most recent Championship.

Jean Bartholomew (11,12), Lisa Grimes (12), Laurie Rinker

8. Winners of official LPGA Tour events from the last five years and the current year.

9. Top five leaders of the 2017 Ladies European Tour and 2017 LPGA of Japan Tour career money lists.

10. Playing members of the last five Solheim Cup teams.

11. Low ten and ties from the 2017 Senior LPGA Championship.

Trish Johnson (12,13)

12. Top 30 points leaders from the 2016 and 2017 Legends Tour Performance Points list.

Jane Crafter, Alicia Dibos, Cindy Figg-Currier, Becky Iverson, Marilyn Lovander, Barb Moxness

13. Winners of Legends Tour events from the last two years and the current year (36-hole minimum).

14. Winners of U.S. Senior Women's Amateur from the last two years and the 2017 runner-up.

Judith Kyrinis, Ellen Port, Terrill Samuel

15. Winners of the 2016 and 2017 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur.

16. Playing members of the two most current Curtis Cup and U.S. Espirito Santo Trophy teams.

17. Winner of the 2017 Ladies' Senior British Open Amateur and Canadian Women's Senior Amateur.

Macarena Campomanes Eguiguren, Sue Wooster

18. Special exemptions granted by the USGA.

Jane Blalock, Mary Jane Hiestand[4]

Additional players qualified through sectional qualifying tournaments which took place June 4–20 at sites across the United States.[3]