The Lake Course at the Olympic Club in San Francisco has been selected by the United States Golf Association to host the 76th U.S. Women’s Open on June 3-6, 2021.
The Olympic Club has been the site of 10 USGA championships, including five U.S. Opens, but this will be the first U.S. Women’s Open played at the course.
“We are thrilled to bring the U.S. Women’s Open to the Olympic Club, site of so many significant USGA moments, for the first time in 2021,” said Diana Murphy, new USGA president.
“Eleven outstanding players are enshrined in the USGA Museum’s Hall of Champions by winning at The Olympic Club, and we look forward to adding the 76th U.S. Women’s Open champion to that illustrious list.”
In the first of U.S. Opens played at the Olympic Club in 1955, club pro Jack Fleck beat Ben Hogan in an 18-hole playoff, which is considered one of the biggest upsets in sports history.
In 1966, Billy Casper outlasted Arnold Palmer in an 18-hole playoff on Monday playoff after Palmer blew a seven-stroke lead over the final nine holes on Sunday when Arnie got off-track while trying to break the U.S. Open scoring record.
Scott Simpson (1987), Lee Janzen (1998) and Webb Simpson (2012) earned come-from-behind U.S. Open victories in the U.S. Open at the Olympic Club.
The Lake Course was designed by course superintendent Sam Whiting and opened for play in 1927.
In 2015, the course hosted the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship, which was won by Todd White and Nathan Smith.
Other USGA events played at the Olympic Club include the 1958 U.S. Amateur, won by Charlie Coe; the 1981 U.S. Amateur, won by Nathaniel Crosby, son of entertainment icon Bing Crosby; the 2004 U.S. Junior Amateur, won by Sihwan Kim; and the 2007 U.S. Amateur, won by Colt Knost.
“Hosting the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open will be a magnificent moment for the membership and staff of the Olympic Club,” said John Espiritu, club president. “San Francisco and the Olympic Club share a rich history of hosting USGA national championships, and we are honored to add the U.S. Women’s Open to our championship record.”
The Lake Course will become the 12th course to host both the U.S. Open and the U.S. Women’s Open.
