Whoa Nelly! USGA Lifts U.S. Women's Open In Big, Bold Ways

The USGA billed it as a major championship announcement and the hyperbole matched the depth of the news announced Friday.

The U.S. Women’s Open purse goes to $10 million, world class venues like Riviera and Interlachen were added, Pinehurst will host another back-to-back men’s/women’s Open, and a presenting sponsor (ProMedica) is announced.

I cover it all and analyze at The Quadrilateral. Everyone can read a preview here. (More here on The Quad and plans for 2002, including increased women’s major coverage.)

Here is the official press release:

USGA Significantly Elevates U.S. Women’s Open with Addition of its First-Ever Presenting Partner – ProMedica  

Purse raised to $10M with plans to grow to $12M; future venues to include “cathedrals of the game” 

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (Jan. 7, 2022) – The USGA and ProMedica today announced a long-term partnership that includes presenting partner rights for the U.S. Women’s Open, notably elevating the championship through a $10 million purse, additional host sites that include some of the most esteemed courses in the U.S., and increased charitable support, to ensure that its life-changing impact continues to set the standard in the women’s game. 

ProMedica, a mission-based, not-for-profit integrated health and well-being organization that serves communities in 28 states, becomes the newest partner in the USGA’s global program, which is designed to extend the reach of the Association’s mission to champion and advance the game of golf. In addition to the U.S. Women’s Open presenting sponsorship, as part of the long-term relationship, ProMedica becomes the official health and well-being partner of the USGA.  

The U.S. Women’s Open has led the way for more than 75 years and is already considered the world’s premier women’s golf championship. To retain and enhance its standing, most immediately and beginning with the 2022 championship that will be conducted June 2-5 at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., the purse will nearly double, increasing from $5.5 million to $10 million, the highest in women’s golf and among the leaders in all of women’s sports. The USGA also announced a commitment to raise the Women’s Open purse to $11 million and then $12 million over the next five years. 

“The USGA prides itself on conducting championships that not only provide an incredible stage for the athletes, but also give younger players something to dream about,” said Mike Whan, USGA CEO. “For more than 75 years, the U.S. Women’s Open has been the one that every little girl, in every country around the world, has dreamed of winning. This partnership with ProMedica allows us to substantially grow the championship in every way, from its purpose, to its purse, to the places that host the event. While I’m incredibly proud of what we are announcing today, I know this is just the beginning, as together with ProMedica, we’ll push to change the game and what it means to young women worldwide in order to reach new heights every year.” 

Key to the partnership is a joint commitment by the organizations to highlight the importance of addressing health inequities across the United States, which will include sharing the personal stories of golfers and USGA competitors nationwide who have used golf as a means to a healthier lifestyle.  

ProMedica will also utilize the global stage the U.S. Women’s Open provides to generate charitable dollars for its ProMedica Impact Fund, which will become the official charity of the U.S. Women’s Open. The ProMedica Impact Fund is committed to raising more than $1 billion over eight years to strategically invest in grants, impact investments, and research and learning activities, all designed to improve individual and community health. The partners will conduct fundraising to support social determinants of health (SDOH) initiatives and other programs in championship communities. 

“With this unprecedented partnership, both organizations are breaking new ground,” said Randy Oostra, ProMedica president and CEO. “ProMedica will benefit from taking its work in social determinants of health onto a national stage, while the USGA will benefit from the opportunity to embrace a not-for-profit organization whose mission and support will elevate its signature women’s event.

“You simply cannot talk about improving the health and well-being of all individuals without talking about the disproportionate impact of social determinants of health on women. The U.S. Women’s Open is a perfect platform for bringing this message to a much broader audience,” said Oostra. 

As a piece of the partnership, ProMedica will provide on-site medical services at several USGA championships, as well as deliver health and well-being experiences for fans on-site and throughout host communities.  

The USGA today also named five additional U.S. Women’s Open host sites: The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. (2026); Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio (2027); Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in Village of Pinehurst, N.C. (2029); Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minn. (2030); and Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (2031 and 2042). The championship is set to visit some of the game’s iconic venues over the coming years: 

2022 Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club

2023 Pebble Beach Golf Links

2024 Lancaster Country Club

2025 Erin Hills

2026 The Riviera Country Club

2027 Inverness Club

2028, 2038 Oakmont Country Club

2029 Pinehurst Resort & Country Club

2030 Interlachen Country Club

2031, 2042 Oakland Hills Country Club

2034, 2046 Merion Golf Club

The Riviera Country Club, designed by George C. Thomas Jr. and William Bell and opened in 1926, will host its fourth USGA championship. Ben Hogan won the first of his four U.S. Open Championships in 1948 at Riviera. The club, which was most recently redesigned in 1992 by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, has also hosted the 1998 U.S. Senior Open and 2017 U.S. Amateur.  

Inverness Club is located in Toledo, Ohio, home of ProMedica, and has previously hosted eight USGA championships, including four U.S. Opens. Inverness was founded in 1903 and its current course was designed by Donald Ross in 1916. Among its historic moments, Inverness is where four-time champion Bob Jones first competed in a U.S. Open, and it most recently hosted the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur and the 2021 Solheim Cup. The club will also host the 2029 U.S. Amateur. Andrew Green completed a restoration of the Ross design in 2018. 

Pinehurst No. 2, site of the 2024 and 2029 U.S. Open Championships, will host its second “back-to-back” championships in 2029. This will be the second U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst, with Michelle Wie West earning her first major championship there in 2014. Pinehurst, which was named the Association’s first anchor site in September 2020, has hosted 10 USGA championships, and is set to host five additional U.S. Opens over the next 25 years. 

Interlachen will host its second U.S. Women’s Open and sixth USGA championship overall. The 2030 U.S. Women’s Open will be played on the 100th anniversary of Bob Jones’s U.S. Open victory at Interlachen, where his victory set the stage for Jones to secure the Grand Slam later in 1930 at Merion. The club has also hosted the 1935 U.S. Women’s Amateur, the 1986 U.S. Senior Amateur, the 1993 Walker Cup and the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open, won by Inbee Park. Interlachen has retained Andrew Green to do restorative work to its Donald Ross design beginning in 2023. 

Oakland Hills will host its 12th USGA championship and first U.S. Women’s Open. It will become the fifth club to have hosted a U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur, with Pebble Beach set to do so in 2023. The South Course, which has hosted six U.S. Opens, was designed by Donald Ross and opened in 1918. It was renovated by Robert Trent Jones (1950), Rees Jones (2006) and Gil Hanse (2021).  

The U.S. Women’s Open is one of 15 national championships conducted annually by the USGA. The championship began in 1946 and its winners include Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Betsy Rawls, Mickey Wright, Hollis Stacy, Amy Alcott, Meg Mallon, Annika Sorenstam, Se Ri Pak, Juli Inkster, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer, Inbee Park and Michelle Wie West. Showcasing the world’s best players on the greatest stage in the game, the U.S. Women’s Open welcomes the global golf community to participate in and experience America’s national championship. 

About the USGA 
The USGA is a nonprofit organization that celebrates, serves and advances the game of golf. Founded in 1894, we conduct many of golf’s premier professional and amateur championships, including the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open. With The R&A, we govern the sport via a global set of playing, equipment, handicapping and amateur status rules. The USGA campus in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, is home to the Association’s Research and Test Center, where science and innovation are fueling a healthy and sustainable game for the future. The campus is also home to the USGA Golf Museum, where we honor the game by curating the world’s most comprehensive archive of golf artifacts. To learn more, visit usga.org. 

About ProMedica 
ProMedica is a mission-based, not-for-profit health and well-being organization headquartered in Toledo, Ohio. It serves communities in 28 states. The organization offers acute and ambulatory care, an insurance company with a dental plan, and post-acute and academic business lines. The organization has more than 49,000 employees, 12 hospitals, 2,500+ physicians and advanced practice providers with privileges, 1,000+ healthcare providers employed by ProMedica Physicians, a health plan, and 335+ assisted living facilities, skilled nursing centers, memory care communities, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, and hospice, palliative and home health care agencies. Driven by its mission to improve your health and well-being, ProMedica has been nationally recognized for its advocacy programs and efforts to address social determinants of health. For more information about ProMedica, please visit