Five Things to Know Ahead of the 2024 U.S. Women's Open

The top players in women's golf head to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to tee it up in the 79th U.S. Women's Open. The season's second Major Championship makes its much-anticipated return to Lancaster Country Club after the 2015 U.S. Women's Open set attendance records with over 135,000 spectators throughout the Championship. Here are the five things you need to know before the start of the 2024 U.S. Women's Open.

Nelly Korda is the Undisputed Favorite

A winner in six of her last eight starts, World #1 Nelly Korda is the focal point of this week's U.S. Women's Open. Her 2024 season, which featured a string of five consecutive victories, including a second Major Championship at the Chevron Championship, has quickly elevated Nelly to superstar status in the world of professional golf.

This week marks the 10th U.S. Open appearance for the 25-year-old, who is still searching for her first Open Championship title. The U.S. Open has been a pain point for Korda over the last few years, having missed two cuts in the last six events and recording just two top-10 finishes. Regardless of history, however, the best player in the world heads to Lancaster as the heavy favorite this week.

American Star Set to Play in Final U.S. Women's Open

An unexpected storyline emerged Tuesday when Lexi Thompson publicly announced that she would be retiring at the end of the 2024 season. The 29-year-old has been a star in women's professional golf for more than a decade, ever since she qualified for the 2007 U.S. Women's Open at the age of 12, becoming the youngest golfer to ever qualify for the Championship.

For American women's golf, Thompson was touted from a very young age to be the "next big thing." While the totality of her career—which included one Major Championship, six Solheim Cup appearances, a pair of Olympic appearances, and 15 LPGA wins—may not have lived up to the hype that was thrust upon her as a child prodigy, Thompson's impact on the game will not be forgotten.

This week will be her 18th consecutive U.S. Women's Open appearance.

U.S. Women's Open Makes its Anticipated Return to Lancaster Country Club

For residents in south-central Pennsylvania, having the opportunity to host a Major Championship in their backyard is not a common occurrence. Often overshadowed by other world-renowned clubs throughout the state—notably Merion Golf Club located outside of Philadelphia and Oakmont Country Club in the suburbs of Pittsburgh—Lancaster Country Club promises to provide a fitting stage for the most prestigious event in women's golf.

The 2015 U.S. Women's Open was a resounding success, with spectators setting attendance records to watch Gee Chun hold off Amy Yang for the win. You can expect to see large crowds as the Open returns to Lancaster.

Allisen Corpuz is the Defending Champion

The 2023 U.S. Women's Open was held at the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links for the first time in Open history. Corpuz, a Hawaii native and graduate of the University of Southern California, fired a final round 69 to top Charley Hull and Jiyai Shin by three shots to claim her first career professional win. It was the first time an American had won a U.S. Women's Open since 2016 when Brittany Lang defeated Anna Nordqvist in a playoff at CordeValle Golf Club.

Players are Competing for the Largest Purse in Women's Professional Golf History

The field at this week's U.S. Women's Open will be competing for a prize purse of $12 million—the largest in women's professional golf history. That's up $1 million from last year's event and more than doubles the prize fund from three years ago ($5.5 million).

This week's winner will take home $2.4 million (an increase of $400,000 from a year ago) and will receive exemptions into the next 10 U.S. Women's Opens, in addition to each of the next five playings of the Chevron Championship, AIG Women's Open, KPMG PGA Championship, and Amundi Evian Championship.