Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md., has long played a role in USGA championships. The club in suburban Washington, D.C., has hosted U.S. Open sectional qualifying 30 of the last 31 years, and was a U.S. Women’s Open sectional site from 2010-12.
Now Woodmont is getting the chance to host its first USGA championship. The 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship will be conducted on Woodmont’s North Course Aug. 3-9.
“We look forward to conducting one of the USGA’s three oldest championships at Woodmont,” said Stuart Francis, USGA Championship Committee chairman. “The world’s top female players have consistently been identified in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, and we are confident that Woodmont – a longtime supporter of the USGA’s Open qualifying process – will provide the ultimate test for the 120th U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.”
While Woodmont traces its roots to 1913, it moved to its current location in 1950. Alfred Tull designed the North Course with input and assistance from Woodmont member Leopold Freudberg and superintendent Rudy Will. In 1999, the course underwent extensive renovations by Arthur Hills that included work on bunkers and teeing grounds. In 2007, Hills completed further work, replacing all 18 original greens, rebuilding greenside bunkers and installing a new irrigation system.
“It is an honor for Woodmont Country Club to have been selected to host the 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur, and to bring this distinguished championship to the nation’s capital,” said Barry Forman, president of Woodmont Country Club. “We have a long history of hosting U.S. Open sectional qualifying in addition to numerous other golf tournaments and championships. Hosting the 120th U.S. Women’s Amateur is an exciting advance in our efforts to support the broader golf community, and our membership is excited to welcome the best female amateurs in the game to our club and the Washington area.”
In addition to hosting U.S. Open sectional qualifying every year but one since 1986 as well as three Women’s Open sectionals, Woodmont has been the site of numerous state and regional events. Among these events are 12 Maryland State Golf Association open and amateur championships, four Middle Atlantic Amateur Championships and the Bobby Gorin Memorial, a prestigious Washington Metropolitan Golf Association junior tournament that Woodmont has hosted for 57 years.
Woodmont’s South Course also is part of golf and USGA history. In the first round of 2000 U.S. Open sectional qualifying, Shigeki Maruyama shot a 58 on the course, a U.S. Open qualifying record.
The U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship was first conducted in 1895 as one of the USGA’s first three championships. It is open to female amateurs who have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 5.4. Notable champions include Juli Inkster, Glenna Collett Vare, Patty Berg, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, JoAnne Gunderson Carner, Carol Semple Thompson, Beth Daniel, Danielle Kang and Lydia Ko. Sophia Schubert, of Oak Ridge, Tenn., won the 2017 Women’s Amateur at San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, Calif.
The 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur will be the 23rd USGA championship in Maryland. The last USGA championship conducted in Maryland was the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club (Blue Course) in Bethesda, won by Rory McIlroy. It will be the third U.S. Women’s Amateur in the state – Katherine Harley won at Chevy Chase Club in 1908 and Barbara McIntire won in 1959 at Congressional.
