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Women's British Open Golf Tournament

By Brent Kelley, About.com

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Sherri Steinhauer - Women's British Open

Sherri Steinhauer blasts from a bunker at the 2006 Women's British Open, where she won for the third time.

Warren Little / Getty Images

About the Women's British Open::

The Women's British Open, currently carrying the official name of Ricoh Women's British Open, has been considered a major championship in women's golf since 2001 (it replaced the du Maurier Classic as an LPGA major). The tournament was founded by the Ladies Golf Union (governing body of women's golf in Great Britain) in 1976. It became an official stop on the LPGA tour in 1994.

2009 Tournament
Catriona Matthew ran off three straight birdies in the middle of the back nine of the final round, holding on to win her first major just 11 weeks after giving birth. Karrie Webb was second after shooting 68, the low final round.

Final Leaders
Catriona Matthew, 74-67-71-73--285
Karrie Webb, 77-71-72-68--288
Hee-Won Han, 77-73-69-70--289
Paula Creamer, 74-74-70-71--289
Ai Miyazato, 75-71-70-73--289
Christina Kim, 73-71-71-74--289
Kristy McPherson, 74-74-72-70--290
Cristie Kerr, 76-71-75-69--291
Na Yeon Choi, 80-71-70-70--291
Jiyai Shin, 77-71-68-75--291

Full Scores

2008 Recap
Korean LPGA Tour member Ji-Yai Shin surged past third-round leader Yuri Fudoh and to her first major - and first LPGA victory - with a final-round 66. Shin finished three strokes clear of runner-up Yani Tseng.

Official Web site

Women's British Open - Records:

  • Most wins: 3 - Karrie Webb (1995, 1997, 2002) and Sherri Steinhauer (1998, 1999, 2006)
  • Low round: 62 - Minea Blomqvist, third round, 2004
  • Low total strokes: 269 - Karrie Webb, 1997, and Karen Stupples, 2004
  • Low total in relation to par: 19-under - Webb (1997) and Stupples (2004)
  • Largest margin of victory: 11 strokes - Ayako Okamoto, 1984

Women's British Open - Golf Courses:

The Women's British Open rotates yearly to courses around the U.K.

Recent Sites

  • 2009 - Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire, England
  • 2008 - Sunningdale Golf Club, Sunningdale, Berkshire, England
  • 2007 - The Old Course at St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland
  • 2006 - Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire, England
  • 2005 - Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport, England
Future Sites
Full list of Women's British Open golf courses

Women's British Open - Trivia and Notes:

  • An amateur, Jenny Lee-Smith, won the inaugural Women's British Open - then called the Ladies' British Open - in 1976.

  • Another amateur, Janet Melville, won in 1978, and Marta Figueras-Dotti won as an amateur in 1982.

  • Laura Davies was not yet playing in America when, in her second year as a pro, she won the Women's British Open in 1986. The following year she won the U.S. Women's Open and became a member of the LPGA Tour. The U.S. Women's Open victory in '87 also made Davies the first golfer to hold both the British and U.S. women's open titles simultaneously.
  • Patty Sheehan was the first to win the U.S. and British women's opens in the same year, doing so in 1992.

  • Karrie Webb first gained major notice in 1995 when, as a rookie on the Ladies European Tour, she won the Women's British Open by seven strokes.

  • The record for lowest round in a men's or women's major is 62. It's been done twice, the first time by Minea Blomqvist in the third round at Sunningdale in the 2004 Women's British Open.

  • The British cereal company Weetabix was the title sponsor of this tournament from 1987 through 2006, when it was known as the Weetabix Women's British Open.

  • Catriona Matthew's victory in 2009 came just 11 weeks after Matthew, age 40, gave birth to her second child.

    • Women's British Open - Past Champions:

    Recent winners of the Women's British Open:

    2009 - Catriona Matthew
    2008 - Ji-Yai Shin
    2007 - Lorena Ochoa
    2006 - Sherri Steinhauer
    2005 - Jeong Jang
    2004 - Karen Stupples
    2003 - Annika Sorenstam
    2002 - Karrie Webb
    Full List of Past Champions

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