U.S. Senior Women's Open to bring unique viewing experience to region
By Josh Rowntree, Director of Communications • July 28, 2024
FOX CHAPEL — When searching for a venue for the 6th U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship, the USGA hoped to find a course that would provide an ultimate challenge while serving as a welcoming site for passionate golf fans.
Fox Chapel Golf Club emerged as the perfect fit.
This week, the Club will host the major — the USGA’s 1005th all-time championship — bringing in the game’s elite senior women’s players to the Pittsburgh region.
“We’re proud to showcase Fox Chapel Golf Club and the game’s best players, as they compete for the most coveted championship in senior women’s golf,” said Brian DePasquale, the USGA’s Senior Manager, Championship Communications.
Practice rounds will take place Monday through Wednesday, with competition rounds following Thursday to Sunday.
“Hosting an Open Championship is a big undertaking for a club and its membership,” said Courtney Myhrum, a member of the USGA Executive Committee and a Pittsburgh native. “I’m confident that Fox Chapel will put its best foot forward.
“It’s a field of legends. This is a very special field and a very special golf course. It’s a privilege to host a USGA championship. And I’m excited to welcome the rest of the world to this gem and to Pittsburgh.”
There are a few different separators for this major competition and other USGA contests. For starters, spectators will be permitted to truly walk the course. Ropes are only set up in the teeing and green areas, leaving the fairways open.
“It’s truly one of the only sporting events where you can be up close with the athlete and their caddy,” said Katherine Khoury, Assistant Director, U.S. Senior Women's Open Championship. “You can hear the conversations. You can hear why they’re choosing to play this club or why they’re playing that ball. It’s a unique opportunity that we don’t offer with our other championships."
A year from now, the golf world will be fixated on Western Pennsylvania when Oakmont hosts the 125th U.S. Open. But this event will serve as a marquee contest for golf lovers this summer.
“The excitement is continuing to build,” said Khoury. “This golf course and this community brings a whole other element to this championship. Being here in Western Pennsylvania, it’s truly a gem of golf, especially here at Fox Chapel.
“This place gets better and better every time I come.”
Another difference maker in this competition is the personalities of the players. They are open to interacting with fans, and showcasing personalities is strongly emphasized and encouraged by the USGA.
“One of the most attractive things about this championship is the players in the field,” Khoury said of the 120 players who qualified with a Handicap Index® of 7.4 or better. “I enjoy this group of players probably more so than any players I’ve been around.
“They are excited, they are engaging and they really get what the USGA is trying to do and what fans want to experience when they come to a championship.”
There are a handful of legends in the field, including Annika Sörenstam, winner of 72 LPGA tour events — third most all-time — including ten majors. In 2003, she famously became the first woman to play with men in a PGA Tour event since 1945 and, in 2021, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
After retiring, she returned to golf to win the 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Open by eight strokes.
She’ll be joined by 31-time LPGA Tour winner Juli Inkster, Amy Alcott and defending champion Trish Johnson, among many other greats.
“This championship is not only a major golf competition, but it’s also a gathering of lifelong friends,” said Laura Martinsen, the USGA’s Director of Championships. “It’s a celebration of career accomplishments and a who’s who of women’s golf. There’s an overall appreciation and care for one another.”
Locally, amateur legend Carol Semple Thompson, who famously buried a 27-foot putt at Fox Chapel to win the 2002 Curtis Cup, received a special exemption to the competition and will get to play in front of her hometown fans.
“I certainly hope that Pittsburgh will turn out in great numbers to see these wonderful players,” she said. “Women don’t get as much credit as they deserve. I’m hoping that the fans will come and see this beautiful place and see great golf."
General Admission tickets are available for $16 here. A hospitality option, called the Pittsburgh Pavilion, is also available for $35.
It gives fans an affordable option to come see the game’s best senior women’s players go for the ultimate prize, while walking the grounds at one of Western Pennsylvania’s premier clubs.
“We showcase the world’s best players by competing at the cathedrals of the game, the country’s best venues,” Martinsen said. “And Fox Chapel is, without a doubt, one of them.”
For media inquiries, please contact WPGA Director of Communications Josh Rowntree.
About the WPGA
Founded in 1899, the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association is the steward of amateur golf in the region. Started by five Member Clubs, the association now has nearly 200 Member Clubs and 34,000 members. The WPGA conducts 14 individual competitions and 10 team events, and administers the WPGA Scholarship Fund and Western Pennsylvania Golf Hall of Fame.