The one glaring omission from the portfolio of USGA championships will soon be corrected.
Citing sources, Golfweek reports the governing body is finalizing details to launch a U.S. Senior Women's Open, with an announcement coming perhaps as soon as the association's annual meeting Feb. 6-7 in New York.
The Senior Open is the only male-dominated (but not limited) tournament put on by the USGA that does not have a women's counterpart. That 35-year issue appears soon to be resolved.
In the past, the USGA has cited a number of problems stopping a U.S. Senior Women's Open from taking shape, ranging from a perceived lack of players, to funding a prize pool, to securing television coverage. With its new 12-year, $1.2 billion contract with Fox Sports now in effect, the USGA can use the enormous uptick in rights revenues to address at least two of those issues.
It's unclear what age floor the USGA would set for the U.S. Senior Women's Open, either relying on the 50-year floor for the U.S. Senior Open or the 45-year minimum used by the Legends Tour, which boasts a membership of 120-plus players and is entering its 15th season.
