World No. 2 Lilia Vu’s name has dropped from the field list for the 79th U.S. Women’s Open, held May 30 to June 2. The two-time major winner has been struggling with an ailing back this season. She last competed on tour in late March at the Ford Championship, where she tied for 21st.
Vu was replaced in the field at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club by Yealimi Noh, who shot 69-73 at Rainier Golf and Country Club in Seattle, Washington. Noh was the second alternate from the Rainier site.
Ssu Chia Cheng was the first alternate at Rainier but was placed in the field on May 18 during the qualifying window after USGA officials determined that a fourth qualifying spot should be added to that site based on strength of field, according to a USGA official.
Once the qualifying window concluded, the Rainier site was placed high on the re-allotment list based on strength of field. That’s how Noh got in.
Vu, 26, withdrew from the Chevron Championship in April, where she was defending her title, before the start of the first round after a painful warmup session. The former UCLA standout won four times on the LPGA last season and spent 28 weeks atop the Rolex Rankings.
The U.S. Women’s Open field of 156 players will be finalized on Monday after the release of the Rolex Rankings. At that time, the USGA will release which qualifying sites are up first and second in the case of additional withdrawals from fully exempt players.
There’s additional interest in alternate spots this year after transgender golfer Hailey Davidson came within one spot of qualifying for Lancaster. Davidson posted rounds of 70-73 in the 36-hole qualifier at Bradenton (Florida) Country Club, where only two players advanced. Davidson won a playoff – draining a 25-foot birdie putt – to earn the first alternate position from that site.
Should one of the two amateurs who qualified from Bradenton withdraw – Amelie Zalsman of St. Petersburg, Florida, or Pimpisa Sisutham of Thailand – Davidson would get into the field.
Otherwise, she’s quite far down the overall re-allotment list to have a chance (the list used to replace fully exempt players), posting on her Instagram story that she’s 18th.