U.S. Women's Open Moves To December And Will Use Both Champions Courses
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One bit of good luck in all of this postponement news: Champions Golf Club has two courses and now both will be employed to (hopefully) be able to contest the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open in December.
For Immediate Release:
LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (April 3, 2020) – The USGA today announced that due to the evolving dynamics of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the 75th U.S. Women’s Open, originally scheduled for June 4-7 at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas, has been postponed to Dec. 10-13.
“The USGA remains committed to hosting the U.S. Women’s Open in 2020,” said USGA CEO Mike Davis. “We are grateful to the LPGA and our broadcast partner FOX for their terrific collaboration in finding a new date for the championship. Our priority remains ensuring the safety of all involved with the U.S. Women’s Open, while still providing the world’s best players the opportunity to compete this year.”
To account for reduced daylight given the move to December, the Jackrabbit Course at Champions Golf Club will be used in conjunction with the Cypress Creek Course, which was originally slated to host all four rounds of championship play. The Jackrabbit will co-host Rounds 1 and 2.
U.S. Women’s Open qualifying, which is run in conjunction with Allied Golf Associations and international federations, is expected to be held on rescheduled dates and potentially some new locations. The USGA is also reviewing how the postponement will affect exemption categories, and definitive changes will be communicated when they are finalized.
“We are incredibly thankful to Champions Golf Club for its flexibility and support during this uncertain time,” said Davis. “The club, led by Jack and Robin Burke, has been such a great friend of the USGA for some time, stepping up in 2017 to host the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur on short notice after it was displaced by a hurricane, and now accommodating a significant schedule change for our premier women’s championship, not to mention allowing us to use both golf courses. We’re confident the combined efforts will lead to an incredibly special 75th U.S. Women’s Open.”
Champions Golf Club was founded in 1957 by World Golf Hall of Fame members Jimmy Demaret and Jack Burke Jr., who currently serves as president. The Cypress Creek Course, designed by Ralph Plummer and opened in 1959, has hosted four previous USGA championships: the 1969 U.S. Open, 1993 U.S. Amateur, 1998 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and 2017 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. The Jackrabbit Course was designed by George Fazio and opened in 1964.
Additional information about the postponement can be found at uswomensopen.com. The USGA will continue to rely on CDC and WHO recommendations in determining schedule considerations for the remaining 2020 championships. Decisions regarding the U.S. Open, U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Senior Women’s Open as well as the eight remaining amateur championships will be made in the near future.
