Because of repeated weather delays during each of the tournament days, each round spanned multiple days and play was concluded on Monday, July 11.[4]
The champion was So Yeon Ryu of South Korea, who defeated compatriot Hee Kyung Seo in a three-hole aggregate playoff. Both players finished the regulation 72 holes at 281 (−3), two strokes ahead of Cristie Kerr. Seo completed her final round on Sunday and Ryu on Monday morning. Ryu won the playoff by three strokes, with birdies on the last two holes.
This was the first U.S. Women's Open to use the three-hole aggregate playoff. The playoff was formerly 18 holes, last played in 2006; the format was changed for 2007.[4] The tournament was televised by ESPN and NBC Sports.
Qualifying and field
The championship was open to any female professional or amateur golfer with a USGA handicap index not exceeding 4.4. Players qualified by competing in one of twenty 36-hole qualifying tournaments that took place between May 16 and June 5 at sites across the United States. Additional players were exempt from qualifying because of past performances in professional or amateur tournaments around the world.[5][6]
Exempt from qualifying
Many players were exempt in multiple categories. Players are listed only once, in the first category in which they became exempt, with additional categories in parentheses ( ) next to their names. Golfers qualifying in Category 10 who qualify by more than one method are also denoted with the tour by which they qualified.[7]
2. Winner and runner-up from the 2010 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship (must be an amateur) Danielle Kang (The runner-up, Jessica Korda, turned professional in December 2010[8] and lost her exemption in this category. She qualified at May 16 sectional qualifying in Osprey, Florida.)
8. Top 10 money leaders from the 2011 official LPGA money list, through the close of entries on May 4 (must have filed an entry by May 4) All players in this category already qualified in at least one other category
9. Winners of LPGA co-sponsored events, whose victories are considered official, from the conclusion of the 2010 U.S. Women's Open Championship to the initiation of the 2011 U.S. Women's Open Championship All players in this category already qualified in at least one other category
The following players qualified for the 2011 U.S. Women's Open through one of the sectional qualifying tournaments. At sites with multiple qualifiers, players are listed in order of qualifying scores, from lowest score to highest.[9]
Alternates Rachel Rohanna, Xi Yu Lin, and Jennifer Song – the first alternates from the Colorado Springs, Beaumont, CA, and the New Jersey qualifiers, respectively, were added to the field because all the winners of regular LPGA events from the close of entries on May 4 through the start of the U.S. Women's Open (Suzann Pettersen at the Sybase Match Play Championship, Brittany Lincicome at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, and Yani Tseng at the LPGA State Farm Classic), had already qualified for the 2011 U.S. Women's Open.[10]
Emma Talley, the first alternate from the Wilmette, Illinois qualifier was added to the field on June 27 because the winner of the LPGA Championship, Yani Tseng, had already qualified for the Championship.[11]
