The USGA officially called the event the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links, which it has registered as a service mark.
The tournament was devised as a championship for female amateurs who play on public courses, as members of private clubs were barred from entry.
Both the men's and women's Publinx had been created to provide outlets for national competition for public-course golfers, who before 1979 had been barred from entering either the U.S.
When the USGA announced the demise of the men's and women's Publinx, it specifically stated that "the APL [Amateur Public Links] and WAPL [Women's Amateur Public Links] championships no longer serve their original mission because of the widespread accessibility public-course golfers today enjoy in USGA championships.
The USGA defines an "amateur golfer" as anyone who plays golf purely for the qualities of the game itself, "not as a profession and not for financial gain".