Far Hills, N.J. – The United States Golf Association has accepted 1,236 entries for the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open, which will be played June 26-29 at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minn.
It is the fifth consecutive year the number of entries for the championship has surpassed 1,000. The record of 1,251 entries was set in 2007.
The first to file an entry was Katie Sylvan of San Diego, Calif., who was one of 33 people to enter on March 3, the first day online applications were available. The last to file was Sarah Neville of Austin, Texas, who submitted her entry online at 4:46:31 p.m. on April 30, 14 minutes before the official deadline. More than 87 percent of the total entries were received online, including 63 on the last day (April 30) applications were accepted.
The youngest entrant is 11-year-old Samantha Wagner of Easton, Pa., with a birth date of Oct. 6, 1996. For the second consecutive year, the oldest player who listed her date of birth on her entry form is Barbara Israel of New York, N.Y., at age 62.
Entries were received from 45 states (all except Alaska, Delaware, Maine, Mississippi and Wyoming). In addition to the USA, entries were received from 37 other countries: Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Russia, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Uruguay, Venezuela and Wales.
Sixty golfers are currently fully exempt from having to qualify for the upcoming championship. Defending champion Cristie Kerr leads the list of nine past winners who are fully exempt. Kerr is joined by: Laura Davies (1987); Juli Inkster (1999, 2002); Birdie Kim (2005); Hilary Lunke (2003); Meg Mallon (1991, 2004); Se Ri Pak (1998); Annika Sorenstam (1995, 1996, 2006); and Karrie Webb (2000, 2001). One other past champion, 1988 winner Liselotte Neumann, 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 2008 LPGA Tour money list as of June 1. Spots are also reserved for anyone who wins an official LPGA Tour event through the weekend prior to the start of the 2008 Women’s Open who is not already fully exempt.
Local qualifying at 16 sites begins May 9 and runs through May 19. Sectional qualifying will be conducted at seven sites on June 9.
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 60 golfers who are currently fully exempt into the Women’s Open follows.
PLAYERS FULLY EXEMPT (60) FOR THE 2008 U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN
(as of May 1, 2008)
Shi Hyun Ahn 7
Sun Ju Ahn 10
Kyeong Bae 6
*Amanda Blumenherst 2
Nicole Castrale 7
Paula Creamer 6, 7, 9
Laura Davies 7
Laura Diaz 7
Meaghan Francella 7
Louise Friberg 9
Julieta Granada 6, 7
Natalie Gulbis 7, 9
Sophie Gustafson 7, 10
Bettina Hauert 10
Rachel Hetherington 7
Maria Hjorth 7
Amy Hung 6
Pat Hurst 7
Juli Inkster 1, 7
Jeong Jang 4, 6, 7
Mi Jeong Jeon 10
Eun Hee Ji 10
Jimin Kang 6
Cristie Kerr 1, 6, 7
Birdie Kim 1, 6
Christina Kim 7
In-Kyung Kim 7
*Kimberly Kim 2
Mi Hyun Kim 6, 7
Young Kim 7
Brittany Lang 7
Jee Young Lee 6, 7
Sarah Lee 7
Seon Hwa Lee 7
Brittany Lincicome 6, 7
Hilary Lunke 1
Meg Mallon 1
Catriona Matthew 6, 7
Na On Min 7
Ai Miyazato 6, 7
Gwladys Nocera 10
Lorena Ochoa 4, 5, 6, 7, 9
Se Ri Pak 1, 3, 6, 7, 9
Angela Park 6, 7
Grace Park 5
In-Bee Park 6, 7
Suzann Pettersen 3, 7
Stacy Prammanasudh 7
Morgan Pressel 5, 6, 7
Reilley Rankin 7
Ji-Yai Shin 6, 10
Annika Sorenstam 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9
Angela Stanford 6, 7
Sherri Steinhauer 4, 7
Karen Stupples 4
Momoko Ueda 10
*Maria Jose Uribe 2
Karrie Webb 1, 5, 7
Lindsey Wright 7
Sakura Yokomine 10
* = amateur
Key to Player Exemptions –
1) Winners of the U.S. Women’s Open for the last 10 years (1998-2007)
2) Winners of the U.S. Women’s Amateur for the last two years (2006-2007) and runner-up for the most recent year (2007)
3) Winners of the LPGA Championship for the last five years (2004-2008)
4) Winners of the Women’s British Open Championship for the last five years (2003-2007)
5) Winners of the Kraft Nabisco Championship for the last five years (2004-2008)
6) From the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open Championship, the 20 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 20th place
7) From the 2007 final official LPGA money list, the top 40 money leaders
8) From the 2008 official LPGA money list, the top 35 money leaders through June 1
9) Winners of LPGA co-sponsored events, whose victories are considered official, from the conclusion of the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open Championship to the initiation of the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open Championship
10) Top three players from the 2007 Japan LPGA Tour, Korea LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour money lists
11) Special exemptions selected by the USGA
Contact:
Beth Murrison (bmurrison@usga.org)
Web Address: www.usga.org
USGA Phone: (908) 234-2300
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