U.S. Women’s Open: Top 5 Unbelievable Records, Ranked

The most prestigious tournament in women’s professional golf kick starts in less than a week. Allisen Corpuz heads to the Lancaster Country Club, hoping to defend her title. No one has done it for more than two decades. That’s just one of the staggering and more recent records at the US Women’s Open. Ahead of its 79th iteration, let’s look at the top five jaw-dropping records set at the national major.

Lucy Li is the youngest qualifier in the US Women’s Open history

Lucy Li became the youngest player to qualify for the US Women’s Open in 2014. Then 11-year-old Liu earned her way through the Sectional qualifier at Half Moon Bay posting 74 and 68 in the par-72 layout. Before Li, Lexi Thompson was the sole owner of that record at 12 years and 4 months. And, even before that, Michelle Wie West and Morgan Pressel held that record at 13. 

Interestingly, Li isn’t the youngest player to tee off at the US Women’s Open. That feat belongs to Beverley Klass, who played in the 1967 US Women’s Open at 10 years old. LPGA has changed the rule since then; golfers need to be at least 18 years old to earn an LPGA membership. 

Betsy Rawls & Mickey Wright share the most number of victories

Betsy Rawls and Mickey Wright remain the only two players with four titles. Between 1951 and 1964, the US Women’s Open went to these two a whopping eight times. Rawls went on a rampage in 1951, 1953, and 1957. 

Whereas, Wright started her streak in 1958, defending her title the next year. Wright came back to the winner’s circle again in 1961 and 1964. Guess who stopped her march in 1960? Yup, Betsy Rawls, with her fourth win. 

Wright also remains the first defending champion of the US Women’s Open. Since then, six others have done it, the last coming from Karrie Webb. The medal, awarded to the champion, is named after Wright.

The first and only amateur to win a US Women’s Open title

The US Women’s Open has been a launching pad for youngsters. But it hasn’t been very kind to amateurs as far as the crowning moment is concerned. In fact, only one amateur has triumphed at the grand stage, and that too, in 1967. Catherine Lacoste, famed as the Crocodile Kid, remains the only amateur to lift the Harton S. Semple trophy. Notably, Nancy Lopez, Morgan Pressel, Hye-Jin Choi, Betsy Rawls, and others have netted a solo or a tied second as amateurs.

Minjee Lee broke the 72-hole record at the 2022 US Women’s Open

The lowest 72-hole scoring record, however, came in 2022. Minjee Lee posted 13-under 271 at the par-71 Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club, breaking Annika Sorestam’s 26-year-old record at the same venue. However, at that time Pine Needles was a par-70 layout. 

Notably, the lowest score in relation to par remains at the firm grip of Juli Inkster. The seven-time major champion shot 16-under 272, at Old Waverly in 1999. The US Women’s Open has yet to see a round of 62, like the men’s major. But a 63 came from Helen Alfredsson in 1994. 

Two youngest winners of the US Women’s Open

Inbee Park watched on Television when Se Ri Pak became the first South Korean golfer to win the US Women’s Open. That was in 1998 and Park was only nine. Two years later, she traveled to Stateside to further her career goals ”“ playing in the LPGA Tour. 

She was yet to net her first LPGA Tour victory when she teed up at the 2008 US Women’s Open. It took only four rounds to change that, however. At 19, Inbee Park became the youngest winner of the National major. As fate would have it, she broke Se Ri Pak’s record from 1998. Pak was 20 years old. 

Since then Yuka Saso of the Philippines has also matched the record. Surprisingly, both Saso and Park were 19 years, 11 months, and 7 days at the time of their victories. 

The 2024 US Women’s Open can see new records being made. Nelly Korda is eying her seventh victory this season. If she can manage to lift to the silverware, it would be her seventh title in eight starts. A victory here would obviously fuel the conversation of a career grand slam in the LPGA Tour. On the other hand, a victory for Lydia Ko would open the LPGA Hall of Fame doors for the Kiwi. The US Women’s Open will tee off on Thursday, May 30.