The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that four additional players have earned full exemptions into the 79th U.S. Women’s Open Championship Presented by Ally, to be contested May 30-June 2 at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club, bringing the number of fully exempt players to 87. Additionally, four alternates from qualifying were added to complete the 156-player field.
Lauren Coughlin, 31, of Charlottesville, Va., Esther Henseleit, 25, of Germany, Gabriela Ruffels, 24, of Australia, and Rio Takeda, 21, of Japan, earned an exemption based on the current Rolex Rankings. Henseleit will play in her third U.S. Women’s Open. Her previous best finish was a tie for 30th in 2019 at the Country Club of Charleston (S.C.). Takeda and Coughlin will be making their first starts in the championship. Ruffels, who made it into the field previously through qualifying, will play in her fifth U.S. Women’s Open. Ruffels’ spot goes to the first alternate from her qualifying site, giving Harriet Lynch, 23, of England, her first start in the championship.
The USGA held eight spots in the field for those players who could potentially qualify by moving into the top 75 of the Rolex Rankings, as of May 27. Since Coughlin, Henseleit, Ruffels and Takeda were the only players to earn an exemption, four alternates from qualifying were added to the field. They are Sarah Kemp, Agathe Laisne, Amelia Lewis and Stephanie Meadow.
Meadow, 32, of Northern Ireland, is a veteran of U.S. Women’s Opens. She will compete for the eighth time and posted her best result in 2014 when she finished third at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club. Meadow was the first alternate from the Scottsdale, Ariz., qualifier on May. 6. Lewis, 33, of Jacksonville, Fla., will play in her third Women’s Open. She was the first alternate from the Winchester, Mass., qualifier on May 1. Both players were in the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open field at Lancaster Country Club.
Kemp, 28, of Australia, and Laisne, 25, of France, were also alternates from qualifying. Kemp will compete in her seventh U.S. Women’s Open, while Laisne will play in her second.
