5 things to know about the 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay

The 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur is set to begin Monday at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington. 156 of the best female amateur golfers in the world are in the Pacific Northwest to try and capture one of the biggest prizes in women’s amateur golf.

The course, which hosted the 2015 U.S. Open, will be played as a par 73 measuring 6,541 yards. There will be 36 holes of stroke play with the top 64 players advancing to match play. The champion will be decided in a 36-hole match on Sunday, August 7.

Defending champion Jensen Castle, a senior at Kentucky, is back to defend her title. She went on a historic run last year after surviving a 12-for-2 playoff just to make it to match play, winning it all as the 63rd seed.

The 122nd U.S. Women’s Amateur begins at 10 a.m. ET Monday with the first 18 holes of stroke play. Players will go off split tees in two waves with the second group beginning at 3 p.m. ET.

Here are five things to know about the U.S. Women’s Amateur:

A different Chambers Bay

Chambers Bay has gone through extensive changes since hosting the 2015 U.S. Open. (Jeff Marsh, USGA)

Brown, lumpy and hard greens are a lasting image from the 2015 U.S. Open, the biggest event in Chambers Bay’s 15-year history thus far. Yet what golfers will face this week is nothing like 7 years ago. The greens are no longer fescue, instead a native poa annua. The intent of changing the greens in 2019 was to let the poa annua take over in an environment where it thrives. The Pacific Northwest is fertile ground for the grass, and many golf courses in the region eventually morph into having poa annua greens.

Chambers Bay was trying to buck the trend with all fescue greens, but the problems at the U.S. Open amplified the need to make changes. Three of the 18 green complexes were changed in 2017, and the remainder in 2019.

Last year, the United States Golf Association hosted its Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Chambers Bay, and the course shined, but most importantly, the greens were playable. It was a huge step in Chambers Bay getting the U.S. Women’s Amateur bid, and this week will be another audition to see whether the course could host a U.S. Women’s Open or another U.S. Open.

Chambers Bay yardages

Hole 1: 501 yards (Par 5)
Hole 2: 375 yards (Par 4)
Hole 3: 147 yards (Par 3)
Hole 4: 494 yards (Par 5)
Hole 5: 423 yards (Par 4)
Hole 6: 346 yards (Par 4)
Hole 7: 418 yards (Par 4)
Hole 8: 523 yards (Par 5)
Hole 9: 174 yards (Par…