Far Hills, N.J. (May 5) – The United States Golf Association has accepted 1,295 entries for the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, to be played July 7-10 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The 1,295 entries is one shy of the record 1,296 received by the Association for the 2010 championship. It is the eighth consecutive year the number of entries for the championship has surpassed 1,000.
This was the first year entries were only accepted online. The first to file an entry was Yu Ling Hsieh of Chinese Taipei, who was one of 39 people to enter on March 2, the first day applications were available. The last to file was Allison Micheletti of Chesterfield, Mo., who submitted her entry 18 minutes before the deadline of 5 p.m. on May 4. Micheletti’s entry was one of 55 received on the last day, and one of 13 received in the last hour.
Entries were received from 49 states (all except West Virginia and the District of Columbia). In addition to the USA, entries were received from: American Samoa, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, People’s Republic of China, Peru, Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.
Eighty-two golfers are currently fully exempt from sectional qualifying for the upcoming championship, led by defending champion Paula Creamer, who won the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. Seven other past winners who are fully exempt have also entered: Laura Davies (1987); Juli Inkster (1999, 2002); Eun-Hee Ji (2009); Cristie Kerr (2007); Se Ri Pak (1998); Inbee Park (2008) and Karrie Webb (2000, 2001). One other past champion, Betsy King (1989, 1990), entered to go through sectional qualifying.
Four spots are reserved for anyone winning an official LPGA Tour event through the weekend prior to the start of the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open who is not already exempt.
The remainder of the field will be filled via 36-hole sectional qualifying, which will be played at 20 sites. Qualifying begins May 16 and runs through June 5.
A list of the 82 golfers who are currently fully exempt into the Women’s Open follows.
PLAYERS FULLY EXEMPT (82) FOR THE 2011 U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN (*=amateur)
Shi Hyun Ahn 7
Shin Ae Ahn 10
Sun Ju Ahn 10
Yukari Baba 10
Kyeong Bae 7
Amanda Blumenherst 7
Na Yeon Choi 6, 7, 8, 9
Paula Creamer 1, 6, 7
Laura Davies 10
Laura Diaz 7
Shanshan Feng 7
Meaghan Francella 7
Katie Futcher 7
Sandra Gal 5, 7, 8, 9
Natalie Gulbis 7
Sophie Gustafson 7
Hee-Won Han 7
Maria Hjorth 7, 8, 9
Katherine Hull 7, 9
Amy Hung 7
M.J. Hur 7
Pat Hurst 7
Vicky Hurst 7
Juli Inkster 1, 7
Mi-Jeong Jeon 10
Eun-Hee Ji 1, 7
*Danielle Kang 2
Haeji Kang 7
Jimin Kang 7, 9
Cristie Kerr 1, 3, 7
Birdie Kim 1
Christina Kim 6, 7
Hye-Youn Kim 10
In-Kyung Kim 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Song-Hee Kim 7
Candie Kung 7
Brittany Lang 6, 7
Bo-Mee Lee 10
Jee Young Lee 7
Meena Lee 7
Seon Hwa Lee 7
Stacy Lewis 5, 7, 8
Brittany Lincicome 5, 7
Teresa Lu 7
Catriona Matthew 4, 7
Kristy McPherson 7
Na On Min 7
Ai Miyazato 7, 9
Mika Miyazato 7
Azahara Munoz 7
Gwladys Nocera 7
Anna Nordqvist 3, 7
Lee-Anne Pace 10
Se Ri Pak 7
Hee Young Park 7
Inbee Park 1, 6, 7, 10
Suzann Pettersen 3, 6, 7
Stacy Prammanasudh 7
Morgan Pressel 5, 7, 8
Beatriz Recari 7, 9
Michele Redman 7
Melissa Reid 10
So-Yeon Ryu 10
Alena Sharp 7
Jiyai Shin 4, 6, 7, 8, 9
Sarah Jane Smith 7
Angela Stanford 7
Sherri Steinhauer 4, 7
Karen Stupples 7
Alexis Thompson 6
Yani Tseng 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Momoko Ueda 7
Mariajo Uribe 7
Wendy Ward 7
Karrie Webb 1, 5, 7, 8, 9
Michelle Wie 7, 8, 9
Lindsey Wright 7
Amy Yang 6, 7
Soo-Jin Yang 10
Sakura Yokomine 6, 10
Sun Young Yoo 7
Heather Bowie Young 7
Key to Player Exemptions –
1) Winners of the U.S. Women’s Open Championship for the last 10 years (2001-2010).
2) Winner and runner-up of the 2010 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship (must be an amateur).
3) Winners of the LPGA Championship the last five years.
4) Winners of the Ricoh Women’s British Open Championship the last five years.
5) Winners of the Kraft Nabisco Championship the last five years.
6) 10 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 10th place from the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open Championship.
7) Top 70 money leaders from the 2010 final official LPGA money list.
8) Top 10 money leaders from the 2011 official LPGA money list, through May 4. (Must have filed an entry by May 4).
9) Winners of LPGA co-sponsored events, whose victories are considered official, from the conclusion of the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open Championship to the initiation of the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open Championship.
10) Top five money leaders from the 2010 Japan LPGA Tour, Korea LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour.
11) Special exemptions selected by the USGA.
About the USGA
The USGA annually conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open and 10 national amateur championships. It also conducts two state team championships and helps conduct the Walker Cup Match, Curtis Cup Match and World Amateur Team Championships. Each year, more than 35,000 players representing more than 80 countries submit entries to play in USGA championships.
The USGA’s Course Rating and Handicap systems are used on six continents in more than 50 countries. The USGA writes and administers the Rules of Golf, conducts equipment testing, provides expert course maintenance consultations, and, since 1920, has been a global leader in the development and support of sustainable golf course management practices. It serves as a primary steward for the game’s history, and funds an ongoing “For the Good of the Game” grants program.
For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.
Contact:
Beth Murrison (bmurrison@usga.org)
Web Address: www.usga.org
USGA Phone: (908) 234-2300
