SAN FRANCISCO — Only five players have won the U.S. Women’s Open in their first attempt. Patty Berg (1946) was the first to do it and 2021 champion A Lim Kim was the last. In between, there was Kathy Cornelius (1956), Birdie Kim (2005) and In Gee Chun (2015).
When A Lim Kim won last December in frigid Houston, she wore a mask inside the ropes. On Monday in sunny San Francisco, it was lovely to see her smile as she talked about last year’s break-through victory.
“Frankly, let me be honest with you,” Kim said through an interpreter, “I think I was lucky.”
There are 40 players in this week’s field who are playing in their first U.S. Women’s Open. Inbee Park, a two-time USWO winner, made her debut as an amateur in 2004 and missed the cut. The LPGA Hall of Famer was reminded of that first time this week when she played a practice round at The Olympic Club with a young Japanese player.
U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN: Tee times | TV, streaming information
“She just looked nothing to be scared of on this golf course and just bombing the balls,” said Park. “I kind of envy that, and I don’t think I’ll be able to ever do that again.”
Back then, Park continued, she’d go into shock after a bogey. The world came to an end after a double. Needless to say, much has changed.
LPGA rookie Haley Moore is among the dozens of first-timers this week. Moore first tried to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open in 2014 and basically every year since.
This year Moore advanced through a 36-hole qualifier at Brentwood Country Club, birdieing three of her last five holes to finish at even-par 144.
“Toughest part is I think,” said Moore, “is going to be your patience and your mental game. … It’s not always perfect out here.”
First-time U.S. Women’s Open competitors
Amari Avery, Addie Baggarly, Jensen Castle, Matilda Castren, Claire Choi, Abbey Daniel, Leigha Devine, Nicole Garcia, Ingrid Gutierrez, Haylee Hartford, Jo Hua Hung, Tsubasa Kajitani, Gurleen Kaur, Hikari Kawamitsu, Chihiro Kogure, Chloe Kovelesky, Aline Krauter, Jaclyn LaHa, Alyssa Lamoureux, Karolin Lampert, Da Yeon Lee, Amanda Linnér, Emily Mahar, Isabella McCauley, Kim Metraux, Momoka Miyake, Haley Moore, Minori Nagano, Natsumi Nakanishi, Noemie Pare, Bohyun Park, Maria Parra, Ana Pelaez Trivino, Aneka Seumanutafa, Alexandra Swayne, Elizabeth Szokol, Tsai-Ching Tseng, Karoline Tuttle, Monica Vaughn, Ruoning Yin.
