Ko hasn’t won a tournament since 2018 and earlier this season she fell outside the top 50 in the world ranking for the first time since her first year as a professional.
December marks the final month of the year and with it brings the final Major of 2020 with this week’s US Women’s Open at Champions Golf Club in Houston.
Lewis officially claimed her spot overnight when the USGA announced the 10 players who had been added to the field based on their positions on the 2020 LPGA Tour moneylist.
The decision falls in line with the USGA holding the US Open at Winged Foot in September with no spectators. Additionally, the LPGA has yet to play any event where fans have been permitted since resuming its schedule on July 31.
For nearly three months the USGA has worked on the new qualifying conditions for the 2020 US Women’s Open, announcing extensive exemption categories – 20 in total – for this year’s championship.
As part of the tribute, the USGA is redesigning one side of the medal with Wright’s name and likeness, as it did with the US Open gold medal when it named in honour of Jack Nicklaus in 2012.