A thrilling U.S. Women's Open finish, a repeat champion at the U. S. Women's Mid-Amateur and spectacular play on the part of our junior girls highlighted the 2007 season for the USGA Women's Committee.
Cristie Kerr (-5) captured her first major championship as the U. S. Women's Open returned to Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C., for the third time since 1996. For the second consecutive year, weather caused several suspensions of play which resulted in a marathon weekend. There were a record 1,251 entries. Foreign players outnumbered Americans, 79 to 77, and 21 nations were represented, including the first-ever contestant from Russia. Among the 11 junior players in the field was 12-year-old Alexis Thompson, the youngest Women's Open qualifier in history. This year the Women's Open Web site received more than 48 million page views, a 65 percent increase from 2006.
The U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, hosted by Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., ended with a dramatic 36-hole final between Amanda Blumenherst of Arizona and eventual champion Maria Jose Uribe of Colombia. Neither player held more than a 1-up advantage during the match. The 17-year-old Uribe was seven under par, with the usual match-play concessions. Defending champion Kimberly Kim lost a thrilling semifinal match,
5 and 3, to Blumenherst's seven birdies. Youth was further in evidence as two 12-year-olds met in the second round with Alexis Thompson ultimately advancing to the quarterfinals.
Mina Harigae became the fifth high-school age player to win the U. S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship held at Kearney Hills Golf Links in Lexington, Ky. The field included players ranging in age from 11 to 62, with three high-school players and one collegian advancing to the semifinals.
The season had a definite western feel as three championships were conducted west of the Rockies. Tacoma Country and Golf Club in Lakewood, Wash., provided a challenging venue for the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship. Kimberly Kim rose to the task as she carded a record-tying 62 in the first round of stroke-play qualifying. Kristen Park, a 14-year-old from California, having played only four years and never having played match play, defeated Ayako Kaneko,
4 and 3, to become the fourth-youngest champion in history. Anna Schultz, playing in her third USGA final, defeated Robyn Puckett on the 20th hole to capture the USGA Senior Women's Amateur Championship at the Meadows Course at Sunriver (Ore.) Resort. Meghan Bolger successfully defended her U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur title with a 1-up victory over Kerry Postillion at Desert Forest G.C. in Carefree, Ariz. The USGA Women's State Team Championship rounded out the season with Arizona posting a convincing eight-stroke win over runner-up Tennessee at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas.
Throughout the season, the Women's Committee and the championship committees conducted 159 qualifying events, including 16 local and seven sectional events for the Women's Open Championship.
A key focus of the Women's Committee is LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, a program which allows young girls between ages 7 and 17 the opportunity to learn the game, its values and the fun of competition in a supportive environment. To date, there are 5,700 girls taking part in LPGA*USGA Girls Golf at 180 sites throughout the country. We are beginning to see the fruits of our efforts in the likes of Morgan Pressel, a former participant. To be clear about the quality of our junior players, it is interesting to note that there were 50 junior girls who played in sectional qualifying for the Women's Open and 11 juniors made the field.
The quality of women's golf continues to improve and our national competitions showcase greater talent each year. The challenge remains to attract and retain more women and girls in the game.
Roberta Bolduc,
Chairman, USGA Women's Committee
