Oakmont Country Club's attention shifts to 2028 U.S. Women's Open

For the better part of the past two decades, Paula Creamer’s golf career has been beset by injuries. Even when she won the 2010 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, it was with a heavily taped, surgically repaired left thumb.

Since that career-defining victory 15 years ago — she was the only player to finish under par and won by four shots — Creamer has continued to be dogged by injuries.

Despite all the nagging aches and pains and the fact that she is closing in on 40 years old, Creamer isn’t ruling out playing in the next U.S. Women’s Open at Oakmont.

With the latest version of the men’s U.S. Open at Oakmont in the books, attention shifts to the return of the Women’s Open. That will occur in 2028, the third time the USGA stages the women’s national championship at Oakmont.

Creamer hasn’t played at Oakmont since sinking her final putt on the 72nd hole July 11, 2010.

“I would love to do that,” Creamer told TribLive when asked if she hoped to play in 2028.

For most of its history, the U.S. Women’s Open wasn’t played at the more well-known courses where the men play. The likes of Oakmont, Winged Foot, Baltusrol and Hazeltine were sprinkled in among courses that were of good quality but not the pedigree of the men’s U.S. Open courses.

That, however, has started to change.

With the LPGA growing in popularity and prize money, more top-shelf venues are welcoming the Women’s Open. When the men and women shared Pinehurst No. 2 for the Opens in 2014, it signaled a more concerted effort to put the Women’s Open on courses the men had been playing for decades and do it more regularly.

In 2023, Pebble Beach hosted the Women’s Open for the first time and will do so three more times between now and 2048. Over the next two decades, the Women’s Open will be staged at Riviera (2026), Inverness (2027), Pinehurst (2029), Oakland Hills (2031, 2042), Merion (2034, 2046), Shinnecock Hills (2036) and The Country Club (2045).

Oakmont also will host in 2038.

“There’s no reason why the women can’t play the same courses as the men,” Creamer said. “Obviously, it’s not going to get set up the same way. Nobody is asking for that.

“Landing areas can be wherever you want. The USGA builds tee boxes on golf courses all the time when they’re not there. So it’s not like we can’t be where the guys are as well.”

Oakmont, in particular, ranks highly with Creamer as an ideal Open venue. Brittany Lang, who finished tied for fifth in 2010 and was the only player to shoot two sub-70 rounds, agreed.

“I always loved when the women got to play a course like that,” Lang said, “like a Pebble (Beach) or an Oakmont: a historic great layout, great venue, history. Plus, then people watching are like, ‘Oh, the women are playing Oakmont.’ So there’s a little bit more of a respect.”

Added Creamer: “I think (Oakmont) should be a part of our rotation. It’s an incredible club. It’s got so much history, and the members … everybody there is just so genuine about having everyone be there.

“There’s not a lot of places that can say that. For a couple months, their golf course is out of commission. With Oakmont, they do such a good job of making everyone feel welcome.”

Lang, like Creamer, will have passed her 40th birthday by the time the 2028 Women’s Open rolls around. It’s no guarantee either of them will be playing.

Regardless, both are excited to see the Open return to Pennsylvania’s most famous golf venue. And both take away lasting memories from 2010.

“It’s such a great, classic golf course,” Lang said. “Just top-notch, history, class, great layout, tough, fair, challenging, all the things that the USGA usually gets in a course. I was a big fan of that course.”

Said Creamer: “Would I want to play in 2028? For sure I would. But for now I’m good just reminiscing on my win.”