NEWPORT, R.I. - Facts and figures for the 61st U.S. Women's Open:
Dates: June 29-July 2.
Site: Newport Country Club.
The Course: One of the five founding clubs of the USGA. William Davis, the club's first professional, designed the first nine holes that opened in 1894. Donald Ross added the second nine holes in 1915, and A.W. Tillinghast did extensive renovations in 1923. A links-styled course built off Newport Harbor, it hosted the first two USGA championships in 1895. Charles B. McDonald won the U.S. Amateur, and one day later, Horace Rawlins won the U.S. Open. It did not host another championship until Tiger Woods won the 1995 U.S. Amateur.
Length: 6,594 yards (two tees can extend length to 6,616 yards).
Par: 35-36-71.
Format: 72 holes, stroke play (18-hole playoff, if necessary).
Field: 156 players (29 amateurs).
Purse: $3.1 million.
Winner's share: $560,000, the richest in women's golf.
Defending champion: Birdie Kim.
Last year: Kim holed a 30-yard bunker shot on the final hole for an unlikely birdie, closing with a 1-over 72 at Cherry Hills for a two-shot victory over 17-year-old amateur Morgan Pressel and 19-year-old amateur Brittany Lang. Pressel, tied for the lead and in the 18th fairway when she saw Kim make birdie from bunker, made bogey on the final hole. Kim finished at 3-over 287, the first time in seven years that a Women's Open champion failed to break par.
Year of the Resurgence: Karrie Webb and Se Ri Pak won the first two majors after going two years without a victory.
Wie Watch: Michelle Wie, who was tied for the lead at the Women's Open last year and closed with an 82, was given a special exemption. She missed a playoff by one shot at the Kraft Nabisco, and by two shots at the LPGA Championship this year.
Noteworthy: Meg Mallon at the 2004 U.S. Women's Open is the last American to have won an LPGA major, the longest drought in LPGA Tour history.
Quoteworthy: "I'm just wanting my game to turn around and it will be a lot more fun." - Annika Sorenstam.
Television: Thursday through Saturday, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., ESPN. Sunday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., NBC Sports.