Currently Exempt Players for 8th U.S. Senior Women's Open

The list of currently exempt players for the 8th U.S. Senior Women's Open Championship, which will be conducted Aug. 20-23 at Barton Hills Country Club, in Ann Arbor, Mich.

BOLD denotes a first time a player is listed and (a) indicates an amateur.  

1. Winners of the U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship (10-year exemption):

Laura Davies (2018)
Helen Alfredsson (2019)
No championship contested in 2020 due to COVID-19
Annika Sorenstam (2021)
Jill McGill (2022)
Trish Johnson (2023)
Leta Lindley (2024)
Becky Morgan (2025)

2. From the 2025 U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship, the 20 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 20th place:

Becky Morgan
Juli Inkster
Liselotte Neumann
Leta Lindley
Maria McBride
Corina Kelepouris
Trish Johnson
Janice Moodie
Annika Sorenstam
Mikino Kubo
Karrie Webb
Nobuko Kizawa
Michele Redman
Barb Moxness
Moira Dunn-Bohls
Laura Diaz
Catriona Matthew
Audra Burks
Lara Tennant (a)
Pat Hurst
Yuko Saito

3. From the 2025 U.S. Senior Women's Open Championship, the amateur(s) returning the lowest 72-hole score:

Lara Tennant (a)

4. Winners of the U.S. Women's Open Championship who reached their 50th birthday on or before August 20, 2026 (10-year exemption):

Kathy Cornelius
Murle Lindstrom
Mary Mills
Catherine Lacoste
Donna Caponi
JoAnne Gunderson Carner
Sandra Haynie
Sandra Palmer
Hollis Stacy
Jerilyn Britz
Amy Alcott
Pat Bradley
Janet Alex Anderson
Jan Stephenson
Kathy Baker Guadagnino
Laura Davies
Jane Geddes
Juli Inkster
Liselotte Neumann
Annika Sorenstam
Karrie Webb
Betsy King
Meg Mallon
Patty Sheehan
Lauri Merten
Alison Nicholas

5. From the 2025 and 2026 U.S. Women's Open Championships, any player returning a 72-hole score who is age eligible.

N/A

6. Any professional or applicant for reinstatement who has won the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, and who has reached their 50th birthday on or before August 20, 2026 (three-year exemption):

N/A

7. Winners of the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship who reached their 50th birthday on or before August 20, 2026 (must be an amateur; five-year exemption):

N/A

8. Winners of the 2024 and 2025 U.S. Senior Women's Amateur Championship, and the 2025 runner-up (must be an amateur):

Nadene Gole (a) (2024 champion)
Dawn Woodard (a) (2025 champion)
Sue Wooster (a) (2025 runner-up)

9. Winners of the 2024 and 2025 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship (must be an amateur):

N/A

10. Playing members of the two most current United States and Great Britain & Ireland Curtis Cup Teams, and the two most current United States Women's World Amateur Teams (must be an amateur):

N/A

11. Winners of the LPGA Legends Championship, formerly known as the LPGA Senior Championship, from 2021-2026, and the runners-up from 2025-2026:

Trish Johnson (2021)
Karrie Webb (2022)
Moira Dunn-Bohls (2025 runner-up)

12. From the 2026 LPGA Legends Championship, the 10 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 10th place:

Event held Aug. 13-15, 2026

13. From the final 2025 Legends of the LPGA Performance Points list, the top 30 point leaders and ties:

Maria McBride
Leta Lindley
Moira Dunn-Bohls
Laura Diaz
Becky Morgan
Juli Inkster
Christa Johnson
Ashli Bunch
Audra Burks
Heather Bowie-Young
Liselotte Neumann
Trish Johnson
Suzy Green-Roebuck
Pat Hurst
Barb Moxness
Nicole Jeray
Jackie Gallagher-Smith
Lisa Grimes
Corina Kelapouris
Karrie Webb
Maggie Will
Tracy Hanson
Stefania Croce
Karen Weiss
Cathy Johnston-Forbes
Charlotta Sorenstam
Annika Sorenstam

14. Winners of the Legends of the LPGA co-sponsored events, excluding team events, whose victories are considered official, in 2024 and 2025 and during the current calendar year to the initiation of the current year's U.S. Senior Women's Open Championship. Events must be a minimum of 36 holes. (NOTE: Blank entries will be filed by the USGA for players who become exempt after the close of entries):

Maria McBride

15. Winners of the 2021-2025 LPGA Professionals Championship (Championship Division), and the five lowest scorers and ties from the 2025 Championship:

N/A

16. From the 2025 LPGA Professionals Championship (Senior Division), the three lowest scorers and ties:

Corina Kelapouris
Lisa DePaulo
Sara Sanders
Nicole Jeray
Angela Buzminski
Silvia Cavalleri

17. Winners of the 2025 R&A Women's Senior Amateur and 2025 Canadian Women's Senior Amateur Championships (must be an amateur):

Kathy Hartwiger (a) (2025 R&A Women's Senior Amateur)
Shelly Stouffer (a) (2025 Canadian Women's Senior Amateur)

18. Winners of the following events when deemed a major by the LPGA Tour and who reached their 50th birthday on or before August 20, 2026. Chevron Championship (1983-present); The Amundi Evian Championship (2013-present); AIG Women's Open (1979-present); KPMG Women's PGA Championship (1955-present); Titleholders Championship (1946-1966 and 1972);  or Western Open (1930-1967). (10-year exemption) NOTE: Including former names of said events:

Pat Bradley
Betsy King
Amy Alcott
Alice Miller
Patty Sheehan
Juli Inkster
Helen Alfredsson
Dottie Pepper
Nanci Bowen
Donna Andrews
Pat Hurst
Annika Sorenstam
Patricia Meunier-Lebouc
Karrie Webb
Sandra Haynie
Sally Little
Jan Stephenson
Hollis Stacy
Martha Nause
Tammie Green Parker
Nancy Scranton
Jody Anschutz Rosenthal
Sherri Steinhauer
Jenny Lidback
Meg Mallon
Laura Davies
Cathy Johnston-Forbes
Catriona Matthew
Brandie Burton
Karen Stupples
Marlene Hagge
Judy Kimball
Mary Mills
Shirley Englehorn
Gloria Ehret
Sandra Haynie
Donna Caponi
Betty Burfeindt
Chako Higuchi
Sandra Post
Sherri Turner
Beth Daniel
Nancy Lopez
Christa Johnson
Kelly Robbins
Sandra Palmer
Joyce Ziske
Jane Geddes

19. From the LPGA Tour Career Official Money List, the top 10 players who are age-eligible and not otherwise exempt as of February 11, 2026:

Rosie Jones
Lorie Kane
Sophie Gustafson
Rachel Hetherington
Wendy Ward
Carin Hjalmarsson
Danielle Ammaccapane
Michelle McGann
Tina Barrett
Emilee Klein

20. Winners of LPGA Tour co-sponsored events, whose victories are considered official, from 2021-2025 and during the current calendar year to the initiation of the 2026 U.S. Senior Women's Open Championship:

N/A

21. Playing members of the United States and European Solheim Cup Teams within the last 10 years (2016-2025):

Catriona Matthew

22. From the 2025 final Ladies European Tour and Japan LPGA Tour career money lists, the top five money leaders:

Laura Davies

23. Special exemptions as selected by the USGA. Must have filed an entry by close of entries on May 27, 2026. Deadline for submission of request is May 27, 2026. Players must select a qualifying site at the time of entry:

N/A