Far Hills, N.J. – The United States Golf Association has accepted 1,097 entries for the 2006 U.S. Women’s Open, which will be played June 29 – July 2 at Newport Country Club in Newport, R.I.
It is the third consecutive year the number of entries for the championship has surpassed 1,000. The record of 1,158 was set in 2005 for the Women’s Open at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colo.
The first to file an entry was 1994 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Wendy Ward of San Antonio, Texas, who did so on March 2. The last to file was Dawn Kaneshiro of Lahaina, Hawaii, who did so at 4:27:47 p.m. on May 3, the last day entries were accepted.
The youngest entrant is 10-year-old Julie Yang of Korea. The oldest player who listed her date of birth on her entry form is Anne Carr of Seattle, Wash., at age 62.
Entries were received from 46 states (all except Alaska, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wyoming). In addition to the USA, entries were received from 37 countries: Australia, Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Venezuela, Vietnam and Wales.
Fifty-nine golfers are currently fully exempt from having to qualify for the upcoming championship. Past champions who are fully exempt are Laura Davies (1987); Juli Inkster (1999, 2002); Birdie Kim (2005); Hilary Lunke (2003); Meg Mallon (1991, 2004); Liselotte Neumann (1988); Se Ri Pak (1998); Annika Sorenstam (1995, 1996); and Karrie Webb (2000, 2001). One other past champion, 1993 winner Jan Stephenson, has entered to go through qualifying.
The number of fully exempt golfers will increase with the inclusion of top 35 money leaders on the official 2006 LPGA Tour money list at the end of May. Spots are also reserved for anyone who wins an official LPGA Tour event through the start of the 2006 Women’s Open who is not already fully exempt.
Local qualifying at 16 sites begins May 15 and runs through May 23. Sectional qualifying, which will be conducted at eight sites, begins June 5 and concludes on June 13.
The Women’s Open is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA. Other championships include the U.S. Open, the U.S. Senior Open, and 10 amateur competitions.
A list of the 59 golfers who are currently fully exempt into the U.S. Women’s Open follows.
PLAYERS FULLY EXEMPT (59) FOR THE 2006 U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN
Shi Hyun Ahn 7
Marisa Baena 7, 9
Tina Barrett 6
Heather Bowie Young 6, 7, 9
Paula Creamer 6, 7, 9
Laura Davies 7
Laura Diaz 7
Yuri Fudoh 11
Natalie Gulbis 6, 7
Sophie Gustafson 7
Hee-Won Han 7, 9
Rachel Hetherington 7
Maria Hjorth 10
Jamie Hullett 6
Pat Hurst 7, 9
Karine Icher 6, 7
Juli Inkster 1, 7, 9
Jeong Jang 4, 7, 9
Young Jo 6
Rosie Jones 6, 7
Lorie Kane 6, 7
Jimin Kang 7
Soo-Yun Kang 6, 7, 9
Cristie Kerr 6, 7, 9
Birdie Kim 1, 6, 7
Christina Kim 7
Mi Hyun Kim 7
Young Kim 7
Carin Koch 7
Candie Kung 6, 7
Brittany Lang 6
Jee Young Lee 9
Hilary Lunke 1
*Paige Mackenzie 6
Meg Mallon 1, 6
*Maru Martinez 2
Catriona Matthew 7
Jill McGill 7
Patricia Meunier-Lebouc 5
Ai Miyazato 11
Liselotte Neumann 6, 7
Lorena Ochoa 6, 7, 9
Se Ri Pak 1, 3, 4
Gloria Park 7
Grace Park 5, 7
*Jane Park 2
Nicole Perrot 7, 9
Stacy Prammanasudh 7
Morgan Pressel 6
Michele Redman 7
Jennifer Rosales 7
Annika Sorenstam 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9
Angela Stanford 6
Karen Stupples 4, 6
Iben Tenning 10
Wendy Ward 7
Karrie Webb 1, 4, 5, 7, 9
Sung Ah Yim 9
Veronica Zorzi 10
* = amateur
Key to Player Exemptions –
1) Winners of the U.S. Women’s Open for the last 10 years (1996-2005)
2) Winners of the U.S. Women’s Amateur for the last two years (2005-2006) and runner-up for the most recent year (2006)
3) Winners of the LPGA Championship for the last five years (2002-2006)
4) Winners of the Women’s British Open Championship for the last five years (2001-2005)
5) Winners of the Kraft Nabisco Championship the last five years (2002-2006)
6) From the 2005 U.S. Women’s Open Championship, the 20 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 20th place
7) From the 2005 final official LPGA money list, the top 40 money leaders
8) From the 2006 official LPGA money list, the top 35 money leaders through May 30
9) Winners of LPGA co-sponsored events, whose victories are considered official, from the conclusion of the 2005 U.S. Women’s Open Championship to the initiation of the 2006 U.S. Women’s Open Championship
10) Top three players from the 2005 Ladies European Tour Final Exemption Money List
11) Two leading money winners from the 2005 Japan LPGA Tour
12) Special exemptions selected by the USGA
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