ERIN, WISCONSIN – Nelly Korda prior to the U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally at Erin Hills Golf … More Course on May 28, 2025 in Erin, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
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As the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open Presented by Ally gets underway at Erin Hills in Wisconsin, the United State Golf Association (USGA) is celebrating a significant milestone: 80 years of the organization’s marquee women’s championship. The 80th anniversary of the U.S Women’s Open is a celebration of the USGA’s long-standing commitment to advancing women in golf, as women have been core to the organization’s programming since its founding, dating back to the inaugural U.S. Women’s Amateur in 1895.
“It’s in our DNA,” said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA. “For every men’s event we have, we have a women’s event,” said Whan. “We showcase women the exact same way we showcase men.”
In the last few years in particular, the USGA has scaled its efforts to reach and retain the next generation of female golfers. For the USGA, creating opportunities for women and girls in golf is a strategic part of the organization’s overall efforts to grow the game.
“The game was never going to unlock its full potential unless it was going to invite a bigger audience in, and that’s what has been happening,” said Whan.
Strategic Investment at Every Level of the Game
The USGA has made significant commitments to women’s golf at every level of the game. At the youth level, the organization continues to be the largest contributor to the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf program, helping fund community-first junior programs that serve as an essential entry point for girls beginning to play golf.
When it comes to developing emerging talent, 17 athletes are currently benefitting from elite level training and support as part of the U.S. National Junior Team and U.S. Elite Amateur Team, with even more being supported by the USNDP grant program.
At the professional level, the USGA continues to innovate and raise the bar for women in golf. With an assist from presenting sponsor Ally, the U.S. Women’s Open now offers a $12 million prize purse, which is the largest in all of women’s professional golf.
(Disclosure: Ally is a sponsor of The Business Case For Women’s Sports podcast, which is hosted & produced by Caroline Fitzgerald.)
Participation is Surging, Driven by Women
By the numbers, the USGA’s strategy is working: more women are participating in golf than ever before. Additionally, the overall growth of the sport of golf is largely being driven by women and girls. According to the National Golf Foundation, 28% of the 28.1 million Americans who played golf on a course in 2024 were women – the highest proportion ever recorded. Off the course, participation was even more balanced, as women now make up 43% of off-course players, which is significant because women and girls are typically more likely to participate in clinics, lessons, and activities like Topgolf.
Since 2019, there’s been a 41% increase in women playing green-grass golf, and females now account for 39% of beginner golfers and 35% of junior golfers nationwide. This growth has been especially visible at the high school level, with over 1,000 new girls’ golf teams added since 2010, per the National Federation of State High School Associations.
As the USGA celebrates 80 years of the U.S. Women’s Open, one thing is clear: the future of golf is female.
