Daytona Beach, Fla. – LPGA-USGA Girls Golf (Girls Golf) alumni descended upon Charlotte (N.C.) County Club this week for the playing of the 2010 U.S. Women’s
Amateur Championship conducted by the USGA. In all, 22 players introduced to the game through Girls Golf teed it up for the 36-hole qualifying rounds to compete for the prestigious and coveted U. S. Women’s Amateur trophy. Three alumni, including tri-medalist Rachel Rohanna, a sophomore at Ohio State University, 16-year-old Amira Alexander of Alpharetta, Ga., and Calle Nielson, 22, of Nashville, Tenn., and the University of Virginia, advanced to the match-play rounds.
It is thrilling to see participants in the program be a part of shaping the future of the game and more importantly terrific role models for girls and young women, said Allison Jarrett, USGA Director of Regional Affairs – South. The USGA is pleased to be a part of LPGA-USGA Girls Golf in partnership with the LPGA.
LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Alums In 2010 U.S. Women’s Amateur |
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Alleman Zech | Katelyn Dambaugh |
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Amira Alexander | Katherine Perry |
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Ashley Smith | Lauren Kim |
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Brianna Mendoza | Lindy Duncan |
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Callie Nielson | Madison Pressel |
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Casey Gee | Nicole Agnello |
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Courtney Hooton | Rachel Rohanna |
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Hannah O’Sullivan | Samantha Roberts |
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Jackie Chang | Shamira Roberts |
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Julia Thead | Susannah Grunden |
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Kaira Martin | Haley Sanders |
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Many current LPGA stars, including three-time LPGA Tour winner Brittany Lincicome, were introduced to the game through Girls Golf. When I was younger, I loved golf and the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program provides an outlet for girls to grow their passion for the game, said Lincicome, the National Ambassador for LPGA-USGA Girls Golf. I think it is a fantastic program that girls should get involved with to develop their love of the sport. It helped me.
LPGA-USGA Girls Golf is the LPGA’s primary initiative to help grow the game of golf among young girls across the United States. Founded in 1989, Girls Golf has nearly 200 sites across the country and reaches over 6,000 girls yearly from the ages of 7 to 17. While the girls are taught all areas of the game, they also learn the values inherent in the game itself – patience, perseverance, honesty, and respect.
Rolex Rankings No. 2 Cristie Kerr echoed the benefits of the game when she recently hosted a junior clinic at the CityParks Junior Golf Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., "Golf is a great game for kids to learn life lessons, discipline, fair play, competition, said Kerr. You can work hard and see the returns from it. It's a place you can go and be with your friends or escape from the every day stress of life. Golf is cool."
The LPGA and the USGA are committed to further promote the growth and the future of girls' golf in the United States.
About LPGA-USGA Girls Golf
The LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program was formed to connect girls, ages 7 to 17, with the game of golf. A developmental junior golf program and the only national initiative of its kind, Girls Golf presents an opportunity for girls to make lasting friendships, gain self-confidence, learn to compete and have fun, while fostering a lifetime of enjoyment for the game. LPGA-USGA Girls Golf, with nearly 200 sites around the country and more than 60,000 participants since its inception in 1989, is administered through a partnership between The LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) Foundation and the United States Golf Association (USGA), both 501(c)(3) charitable organizations.