Fast facts
Tournament names: Ricoh Women’s British Open (2007-present); Weetabix Women’s British Open (1987-2006); Women’s British Open (1976-1986)
Founded: 1976
2010 location: Southport, England
Course: Royal Birkdale Golf Club– 6,465 yards, par 72
2010 purse: $2.5 million
Winner’s share: $355,000
2009 winner: Catriona Mathew
Inaugural (1976) winner: Jenny Lee Smith (amateur)
Multiple winners: 3 – Karrie Webb (1995, 1997, 2002), Sherri Steinhauer (1998, 1999, 2006); 2 –Debbie Massey (1980, 1981) Tournament low round: 62 – Minea Blomqvist (2004)
Tournament low score: 19-under – Karrie Webb (1997), Karen Stupples (2004)
Unlike its men’s counterpart, the Ricoh Women’s British Open does not have an amazingly ancient and royal history.
The men’s British Open (also known as the Open Championship, but that does sound so pretentious, no?) has been staged 138 times since 1860, taking hiatuses during the World Wars, but has been played continuously since 1946.
The list of its champions is a looking glass of golfing lore: Woods, Norman, Watson, Nicklaus, Snead, Player, Palmer, Hogan, Armour, Hagen, Vardon and, of course, Willie Park Sr. (the first-ever winner) and Jr., Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris.
Then there’s the incomparable Claret Jug – the champions trophy since 1870. Before then, winners got a belt, which looked like something out of WWF. Not quite as classy.
All that said, the Women’s British has a very interesting history of its own, albeit a considerably shorter one – and it was almost even shorter.
So with the world’s best players visiting 113-year-old Royal Lythan & St. Annes Golf Club in Lancashire on England’s northwest coast, there’s no better time for a history lesson.
In 1976, the Ladies Golf Union, the governing body of women’s amateur golf in the United Kingdom and Ireland since 1893, created the Women’s British Open (then called the Ladies’ British Open) as an equivalent to the men’s event.
Why it took so long, is anybody’s guess.
At any rate, the event was hardly considered a Major at the time. In fact, it was hardly considered much of anything. That first year, with not too many top professionals in attendance, an amateur won – Jenny Lee Smith.
It grew over the next few years, but still lacked in prestige. To that end, Britain’s grand courses, the famous links courses the men’s British Open played – St. Andrew’s, Turnberry, Muirfield, Royal Troon, etc … – would not allow the women’s tournament to play on them. All except for Royal Birkdale, which was the host site in 1982 and again in 1986.
After 1982, though, the future of the event was grim. Lacking financial backing, organizers suspended operations for 1983.
It rallied and returned in 1984 and began to build momentum as more of the world’s best players signed up to play. The champions list also began to grow in prominence as well. Ayako Okamoto won in 1984, Betsy King in 1985, Laura Davies in 1986.
Then, the turning point. In 1987, Weetabix Limited, a cereal company, took over sponsorship of the Women’s British, giving it solid financial footing for the next 20 years.
The tournament also found a temporary home at Woburn Golf and Country Club (though it is not one of England’s top-tier courses) 50 miles north of London, where it would play each year from 1987-96.
In time, the tournament, which was an annual stop on the Ladies European Tour schedule, became a regular for many top players on the LPGA, increasing its prestige. A fact reflected by the names on the championship trophy – Alison Nicholas (1987), Jane Geddes (1989), Patty Sheehan (1992), Lisolette Neumann (1994), Karrie Webb (1995, 1997).
Finally, in 1994 the LPGA agreed to co-sanction the event with the LET, making it a regular stop on its tour as well.
It continued to develop into a major tournament, and by 2001 it had officially become one on the LPGA Tour, replacing the du Maurier Classic, which is now the Canadian Open.
And by 1997, some of England’s grand courses, decided it was time to allow the Women’s British on their famous links. Royal Lytham hosted in 1998 and 2006, in addition to this year. Royal Birkdale continued to welcome it, hosting in 2000 and 2005 (and will host next year). Sunningdale hosted in 1997, 2001, and 2007. Turnberry took a turn in 2002. And even venerable St. Andrew’s has gotten in the mix, hosting in 2007 (and will again in 2013). Carnoustie will host in 2011.
The Women’s British Open has come a long way. From humble beginnings, it looks like a Major, plays like a Major, feels like a Major, pays like a Major and has a complicated qualifying system like a Major.
Here’s how players got into this year’s field:
• The top 15 (and ties) from the previous year’s Women’s British Open.
• The top 35 not in the first group on the current year’s Ladies European Tour money list.
• The top 70 not in the first group on the current year’s LPGA Tour money list.
• The top 5 not in the first group on the current year’s LPGA of Japan Tour money list.
• Winners of any recognized LET or LPGA events in 2009.
• The previous 10 Women’s British Open champions.
• The previous 5 champions of one of the other three LPGA majors.
• The previous 3 champions of the Samsung World Championship.
• Non-exempt players can go through “Final Qualifying” to get in – an 18-hole event the Monday before the British.
This year’s event
Nineteen of the top-20 players in the world will be at Royal Birkdale this week, including all of the top 10.
Of course, with her final-hole win at the Evian Masters last weekend 22-year-old Korean Jiyai Shin moves back into the No. 1 spot in the world. She announced her arrival among golf’s elite to the rest of the world when she won the British back in 2008 as a 20-year-old at Sunningdale.
Shin’s lead atop the world rankings is a narrow one, however, and depending on what happens along the Irish Sea Coast in Northwest England this week, several players could move to No. 1, including No. 2 Ai Miyazato, No. 3 Cristie Kerr and No. 4 Suzann Pettersen.
Kerr, No. 5 Yani Tseng and No. 7 Paula Creamer are all looking to win a second major this season.
Other players to watch include 30-year-old Korean Jeong Jang, who won the last time (2005) the British was at Royal Birkdale. Jang also had a very good performance at the Evian, tying for eighth, last week, and 36-year-old Swede Sophie Gustafson, who has also had great success at Royal Birkdale – won there in 2000 and was the runner-up to Jang in 2005.
One player you won’t get to watch is American phenom Alexis Thompson. The 15-year-old newly minted professional who came within a stroke of winning the star-studded Evian last week, was refused by the LGU a chance to qualify for the British on Monday.
LGU officials said it’s not their policy to exempt professionals into final qualifying. Professionals not automatically qualfying for the British must go through a pre-qualifying event to get into final qualifying. The pre-qualifying event was in England the day after (July 12) the U.S. Open was completed. Thompson was among the final players to tee off in the final round of the U.S. Open, eventually tying for 10th, and could not get to England for the pre-qualifier.
Ironically, if she had remained an amateur, she would have been invited to the final qualifier based on her performance at the Curtis Cup (a Solheim Cup-type tournament for amateurs) in early June. Shortly after the completion of the Curtis Cup, she turned pro.
Thompson petitioned the LGU for an exemption into the final qualifier but was denied. So despite top-10 finishes in her last two starts – the U.S. Open and the Evian Masters, no less, two of the most prestigious tournaments of the season – she won’t be at Royal Birkdale this week.
In three events as a professional, Thompson has earned $314,842, which would place her 18th on the LPGA money list were she a member of the tour.
