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Berkeley Hall Club will host the 34th U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship from Sept. 25-30, 2021 (Photo: USGA)
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of 10 USGA championships in 2020, but two sites that were scheduled to host this year will now have the opportunity to do so in 2021. The 34th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship will be held at Berkeley Hall Club in Bluffton, S.C., from Sept. 25-30, 2021, and the 59th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship will take place at The Lakewood Club in Point Clear, Ala., from Sept. 10-15, 2021.
Berkeley Hall Club and The Lakewood Club were previously scheduled to hold their respective championships in 2020, but both were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Berkeley Hall Club and our surrounding community are thrilled that we were able to work with the USGA to ensure the 34th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship will still be taking place here,” said Adam Kushner, general manager/COO of Berkeley Hall Club. “The opportunity to host some of the most talented amateur players in the world is something that we have been preparing for, and are glad that it will still be able to come to fruition. After this challenging year, next year’s U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur is something we will all look forward to more than ever.”
The 2021 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur will be Berkeley Hall Club’s third USGA championship, as the club hosted both the Men’s and Women’s USGA State Team Championships in 2005. The championship will be played on the club’s North Course, a Tom Fazio design that opened in 2001. The 2005 Women’s State Team was won by a Georgia team led by Laura Coble, who has played in 14 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateurs, including a runner-up finish in 2009. First played in 1987, the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur is open to female amateurs age 25 and older with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 9.4.
“Hosting a USGA national championship is a great honor and we welcome the opportunity to open our doors to the world’s top golfers,” said Niall Fraser, director of golf at The Lakewood Club. “Our club is committed to making the 59th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship a memorable event for all involved. Being able to host this event in 2021 after much preparation and uncertainty this year is a dream come true.”
The 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur will be the third USGA championship hosted by The Lakewood Club, which is a member of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Founded in 1947, the club hosted the 1974 and 1986 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateurs, which were won by Justine B. Cushing and Constance Guthrie, respectively. The championship will be played on the club’s Dogwood Course, which was designed by Perry Maxwell and opened in 1947. The U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur is open to any female golfer who is 50 years of age or older and whose Handicap Index® does not exceed 14.4.
The 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur will be played Friday to Wednesday, pivoting off its traditional Saturday-to-Thursday schedule, to avoid a conflict with Yom Kippur.
Both championship fields will consist of 132 players, who will earn entry into the championship via sectional qualifying at sites nationwide or through an exemption category. Players will compete in two rounds of stroke play, after which the field will be cut to the low 64 scorers for match play.
Entries for the 2021 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur championships will open in the spring of 2021.