9 More Players Exempt For U.S. Women's Open; Total Now 67


June 2, 2005
E-mail address: mediarelations@usga.org

Far Hills, N.J. - Four USGA champions were among the nine golfers to earn full exemptions into the 2005 U.S. Women's Open with the close of another exemption category. There are now 67 players fully exempt into the 2005 U.S. Women's Open Championship, which will be contested June 23-26 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colo.

Nicole Perrot reacts during the 2001 U.S. Girls' Junior at Indian Hills C.C. in Mission Hills, Kan. (USGA Photo Archives)

Silvia Cavalleri (1997 Women's Amateur); Emilee Klein (1991 Girls' Junior); Jill McGill (1993 Women's Amateur, 1994 Women's Amateur Public Links); and Nicole Perrot (2001 Girls' Junior) were added to the field based on their ranking in the top 35 on the LPGA money list as of May 30.

Also earning full exemptions by being in the top 35 on the money list were Natalie Gulbis, Karine Icher, Soo-Young Kang, Joo Mi Kim and Jimin Kang, who also became fully exempt thanks to her victory at the LPGA Corning Classic.

Three spots are being held for the winners of the three LPGA events prior to the start of the 2005 Women's Open, should they not already be fully exempt. Sectional qualifying for the remaining 86 spots will take place at nine sites June 13-14.

Following is the list of the 67 golfers who are fully exempt:

Shi Hyun Ahn 8,9 Emilee Klein 9
Stephanie Arricau 11 Carin Koch 7,8,9,10
Heather Bowie 8,9 Candi Kung 7,8,9
Silvia Cavalleri 9 Jung Leon Lee 8
Dawn Coe-Jones 7 Hilary Lunke 1
Paula Creamer 7,9,10 Meg Mallon 1,6,8,10
Heather Daly-Donofrio 8,10 Catriona Matthew 7,8,9,10
Beth Daniel 8 *Amanda McCurdy 2
Laura Davies 8,11 Jill McGill 9
Laura Diaz 8,9 Patricia Meunier-Lebouc 5,7,8
Wendy Doolan 8,10 Ai Miyazato 12
Moira Dunn 7,8,9,10 Becky Morgan 8
Michelle Ellis 7 Liselotte Neumann 7,8,9,10
Yuri Fudoh 12 Lorena Ochoa 8,9,10
Kate Golden 7 Se Ri Pak 1,3,4,8
Natalie Gulbis 9 Gloria Park 8,9
Sophie Gustafson 4 Grace Park 4,8,9,10
Hee-Won Han 8,9,10 *Jane Park 2
Joanna Head 7 Nicole Perrot 9
Rachel Hetherington 7,8 Suzann Pettersen 7
Pat Hurst 7,8 Stacy Prammanasudh 8,9,10
Karine Icher 9 Michele Redman 7,8,9
Juli Inkster 1,8,9 Kelly Robbins 7,8
Jeong Jang 7,8,9 Jennifer Rosales 7,8,9
Trish Johnson 11 Kim Saiki 7,8
Rosie Jones 7,8,9 Aree Song 8
Lorie Kane 8 Annika Sorenstam 1,3,4,5,7,8,9,10
Jimin Kang 9,10 Angela Stanford 8
Soo-Young Kang 9 Sherri Steinhauer 8
Cristie Kerr 8,9,10 Karen Stupples 4,8,10
Christina Kim 8,9,10 Wendy Ward 8,9,10
Joo Mi Kim 9 Karrie Webb 1,3,4,7,8,9
Mi Hyun Kim 7,8,9 *Michelle Wie 7
Young Kim 7,9
*= amateur

Key to Player Exemptions -

  1. Winners of the U.S. Women's Open for the last 10 years (1995-2004)
  2. Winners of the U.S. Women's Amateur for the last two years (2004-2005) and runner-up for the most recent year (2005)
  3. Winners of the LPGA Championship for the last five years (2001-2005)
  4. Winners of the Women's British Open Championship for the last five years (2000-2004)
  5. Winners of the Kraft Nabisco Championship the last five years (2001-2005)
  6. Winners of the du Maurier Classic the last five years
  7. From the 2004 U.S. Women's Open Championship, the 20 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 20th place
  8. From the 2004 final official LPGA money list, the top 40 money leaders
  9. From the 2005 official LPGA money list, the top 35 money leaders through May 30
  10. ) Winners of LPGA co-sponsored events, whose victories are considered official, from the conclusion of the 2004 U.S. Women's Open Championship to the initiation of the 2005 U.S. Women's Open Championship
  11. Top three players from the 2004 Ladies European Tour Order of Merit
  12. Two leading money winners from the 2004 Japan LPGA Tour
  13. Special exemptions selected by the USGA