Amateurs Have Rich History At U.S. Women’s Open

There is a romance to the U.S. Women’s Open, a certain energy that no other major championship in golf can claim.

Before you start shaking your head, let me explain.

From the top, this tournament is clearly the crown jewel of the women’s game. Not only does the $5.5 million purse and $1 million winner’s check outweigh all other events on the calendar with the exception of the CME Group Tour Championship, which is a season-long qualifier event, but the soon-to-be 75-year history of the U.S. Women’s Open is unmatched when comparing it with other women’s majors.

The list of players who have won more than one U.S. Women’s Open is a running roster of the greatest female golfers to walk the earth: Betsy Rawls, Mickey Wright, Babe Zaharias, Susie Berning, Hollis Stacy, Annika Sörenstam, Louise Suggs, Donna Caponi, JoAnne Carner, Betsy King, Patty Sheehan, Karrie Webb, Juli Inkster, Meg Mallon and Inbee Park.

But for all the glory of its champions, the tournament has a deeper element just as intriguing. It’s a t...