Of the 156 championship competitors, 92 are competing in their first U.S. Girls’ Junior. 83 young ladies are competing in their first USGA championship.
There are two 12-year-olds in the field: Mika Liu, of Bradenton, Fla. (DOB 2/9/1999), and Angel Yin, of Arcadia, Calif. (DOB 10/3/1998). The oldest player in the field is Canadian Anna Young, who will turn 18 on July 29.
There are 35 states represented: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
In addition to the United States, there are nine countries represented: Argentina, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Korea, Mexico, the People’s Republic of China, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Thailand.
While there are no USGA individual champions in the field, there are two U.S. Girls’ Junior runners-up. Karen Chung, 16, of Livingston, N.J., lost to Alexis Thompson in the 2008 championship, while Katelyn Dambaugh, 16, of Goose Creek, S.C., was defeated by Doris Chen in the 2010 championship.
There is a USGA team champion in the field – Mariah Stackhouse, 17, of Riverdale, Ga., helped her home state win the 2009 USGA Women’s State Team Championship.
Five players competed in this past weekend’s U.S. Women’s Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo.: Mariel Galdiano, 13, of Pearl City, Hawaii; Ariya Jutanugarn, 15, of Thailand; Stackhouse; Emma Talley, 17, of Princeton, Ky.; and Gabriella Then, 15, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Four players have represented their home countries at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship: Dottie Ardina, 17, of the Philippines (2006, 2010); Manuela Carbajo Re, 17, of Argentina (2010); Marijosse Navarro, 14, of Mexico (2010); and Maria Fernanda Torres, 16, of Puerto Rico (2010).
Three players are competing in their fifth U.S. Girls’ Junior: Alison Lee, 16, of Valencia, Calif.; Talley; and Mariko Tumangan, 17, of San Jose, Calif.
Six players are competing in their fourth U.S. Girls’ Junior: Ardina; Chung; Christina Ocampo, 17, of Delray Beach, Fla.; Gabi Oubre, 17, of Mobile, Ala.; Stackhouse; and Lindsey Weaver, 17, of Scottsdale, Ariz.
There is one set of sisters in the field: Lakareber (15) and Tezira (17) Abe, of Angleton, Texas.
Player Notes
Dottie Ardina, 17, of the Philippines, won the 2011 Philippine Closed Match Play. She was the runner-up at the 2011 Philippines Ladies Open, Thailand Ladies Amateur Open and Philippine Amateur.
Katie Barrand, 15, of Beverly, Mass., plays both varsity golf and soccer for her high school, The Governor’s Academy.
Sirene Blair, 16, of South Jordan, Utah, led her high school to the last two Utah state 5A championship titles and claimed medalist honors both years.
Megan Blonien, 16, of Altus, Okla., won the 2011 Texas-Oklahoma Junior Golf Tournament. She is a three-time Oklahoma 5A state high school champion.
Collins Bradshaw, 17, of Columbia, S.C., graduated from high school in three years. Her mother, Sherry, was the first runner-up for the Miss America title in 1985. Her father, Bill, played quarterback and wide receiver for the University of South Carolina, while her older brothers, Brewer and Thomas, both play golf at Clemson University.
Mary Chandler Bryan, 17, of Chapin, S.C., comes from a family of golfers. Her father, George, and her older brothers, George and Wesley, have all competed in USGA championships. Wesley was a quarterfinalist at the 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links. Mary Chandler caddied for one of her brothers at the 2010 U.S. Amateur, conducted at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash.
Manuela Carbajo Re, 17, of Argentina, considers playing in the 2010 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship in her home country to be one of her favorite golf memories.
Jacqueline Chulya, 16, of Thailand, is the principal clarinet player for the Shrewsbury International School symphony orchestra in Bangkok.
Karen Chung, 16, of Livingston, N.J., won the 2011 American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Thunderbird International Junior.
Carly Childs, 17, of Alameda, Calif., won the 2011 California Junior Girls’ State Championship.
Allisen Corpuz, 13, of Honolulu, Hawaii, became the youngest championship competitor in USGA history at age 10 when she qualified for the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, surpassing Michelle Wie. She attends the Punahou School, which also produced President Barack Obama and Wie, the 2003 Women’s Amateur Public Links champion.
Katelyn Dambaugh, 16, of Goose Creek, S.C., won 2010 state high school championships for boys’ golf, girls’ golf and basketball at Pinewood Preparatory School.
Casey Danielson, 16, of Osceola, Wis., won the 2011 AJGA W. Duncan MacMillan Classic at Rush Creek.
Cassandra Deeg, 17, of Hugo, Minn., won the 2011 Minnesota Women’s State Publinx Championship.
Courtney Dow, 13, of Frisco, Texas, has ancestors that were instrumental in founding Scotland’s Crail Golfing Society, one of the oldest golf clubs in the world. A major ladies’ tournament conducted there annually, the Dow Salver, is named after of one of her ancestors.
Alexandra Farnsworth, 15, of Nashville, Tenn., won the 2011 Schooldays Golf Tournament, the oldest golf tournament in the state of Tennessee. She is active with "Caps, Cleats and Clubs," collecting golf hats, bags, shoes and clubs for The First Tee.
Nathalie Filler, 17, of Bloomwood, Conn., was the first girl to be the captain of the boys’ varsity golf team at the Westminster School. She won the 2010 Hartford Golf Club Women’s Club Championship, becoming the first junior winner in the championship’s 114-year history.
Irina Paulin Gabasa, 16, of the Philippines, won the 2010 Philippine Amateur.
Mariel Galdiano, 13, of Pearl City, Hawaii, was the youngest qualifier for the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, where she participated in a clinic with three-time champion Annika Sorenstam. She missed the cut, shooting 85-85—170. She is a four-time Hawaii State Junior champion.
Lea Garner, 17, of Washington Terrace, Utah, helped lead Bonneville High School to the 2011 Utah state 4A girls’ championship. Her favorite place to practice is on the range at her uncle’s Idaho dairy farm.
Landrie Grace, 14, of Canton, Ohio, is also a basketball player and was the 2010 state free-throw champion.
Alexandria Harrell, 16, of Phenix City, Ala., won the Alabama Golf Association’s 2011 Girls’ State Junior Championship.
Katy Harris, 16, of St. Simons Island, Ga., received her first putting lesson at age 9 from Davis Love III. She wants to major in sports journalism, with a goal of working for Golfweek.
Brooke Henderson, 13, of Canada, won the 2011 CN Future Links Ontario Championship.
Caroline Inglis, 17, of Eugene, Ore., has won the last three consecutive Oregon state 5A championships.
Ariya Jutanugarn, 15, of Thailand, won the 2011 AJGA Rolex Girls Junior Championship and finished second at the 2011 AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions, losing in a playoff to Gabriella Then. She was the stroke-play medalist at the 2010 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links and the low amateur at the 2011 Kraft Nabisco Championship on the LPGA Tour. She played in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open, missing the cut after shooting 75-79—154 in her two rounds.
Jisoo Keel, 15, of Canada, is a member of Golf Canada’s 2011 Women’s Developmental Squad. She won the 2011 CN Future Links Pacific Championship.
Kacie Komoto, 16, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was a member of Hawaii’s third-place team at the 2009 USGA Women’s State Team Championship. She attends the Punahou School, along with competitor Corpuz.
Hana Ku, 15, of Basking Ridge, N.J., has volunteered for the past two years in the photo archive at the USGA Museum and Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History, located at the USGA’s headquarters in Far Hills, N.J.
Celia Kuenster, 15, of Mendota Heights, Minn., won the 2011 Minnesota State Junior Girls’ Championship.
Alison Lee, 16, of Valencia, Calif., tied for second at the 2011 AJGA Rolex Girls’ Junior Championship. She recently appeared the USGA’s new set of Public Service Announcements that feature USGA Members.
Paige Lee, 16, of Folsom, Calif., won the 2011 Golfweek West Coast Junior Invitational.
Jacqueline LeMarr, 17, of Scottsdale, Ariz., is a junior board member of the Junior Golf Association of Arizona. She hopes to become a college golf coach.
Danielle Lemek, 17, of Doniphan, Neb., has won the last three consecutive Nebraska Girls’ Match Play and Girls’ Amateur titles, as well as three consecutive Nebraska Class C high school state championships.
Tiffany Lim, 17, of San Jose, Calif., advanced to the second round of the 2011 Women’s Amateur Public Links. She also made the cut at the 2010 Women’s Open.
Maggie Neece, 16, of Colleyville, Texas, is the daughter of Mike Neece, who played in several USGA championships in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Mike’s college roommate was CBS Sports announcer Jim Nantz, and he invited Mike and Maggie to visit the broadcast booth at the 2000 Byron Nelson Championship, where she met Byron and Peggy Nelson and 1964 U.S. Open champion Ken Venturi.
Bryana Nguyen, 15, of Columbia, Md., won a bronze medal in Tae Kwon Do at the Junior Olympics.
Madison Opfer, 17, of Plant City, Fla., made the cut at the 2010 Florida’s Natural Charity Classic on the Duramed Futures Tour.
Annie Park, 16, of Levittown, N.Y., was a semifinalist at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links. After defeating stroke-play medalist Cheyenne Woods in the quarterfinals, she lost to eventual champion Brianna Do in the semifinals.
Ashlan Ramsey, 15, of Milledgeville, Ga., shot an 87 at Augusta National at age 10.
Jessica Rouillard, 17, of Auburn, Ala., wants to be a neonatologist. She has volunteered at her local hospital, and recently received an internship to explore different medical professions.
Alexis Sadeghy, 15, of Edmond, Okla., was recently selected as an American Heart Association Sweetheart. She will be an advocate for her peers and teach them about fighting heart disease through a healthy lifestyle.
Emma Talley, 17, of Princeton, Ky., won three consecutive AJGA events this summer: the Franklin Junior, Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior and Junior at Quad Cities. She won the 2008 and 2010 Kentucky high school state championship and would have won in 2009, except she reported herself for signing an incorrect scorecard and was subsequently disqualified. She missed the cut at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, shooting a 75-77—152.
Suchaya Tangkamolprasert, 16, of Thailand, comes from a family of golfers. Her brothers, Pavit and Annop, both play on the Asian Tour.
Gabriella Then, 15, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., won the 2011 AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions in a playoff over Ariya Jutanugarn. She competed in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open, missing the cut after shooting 80-85—165.
Mariko Tumangan, 17, of San Jose, Calif., has competed around the world in abacus math competitions.
Andrea Unson, 16, of the Philippines, won the 2011 Philippine Amateur.
Monica Vaughn, 16, of Reedsport, Ore., won the 2010 Oregon Women’s Amateur, becoming the youngest champion in the 101-year history of the championship. She also won the 2010 Oregon Public Links and Junior Amateur championships, making her the first person to hold all three titles simultaneously.
Julie Yang, 15, of Mesa, Ariz., advanced to the round of 16 at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links. She has lived in four countries, including a stint at a boarding school in Scotland so she could learn how to play in those weather conditions. She won the 2010 English Women’s Open Stroke Play, Welsh Ladies Open Stroke Play and Danish International Ladies Amateur, and qualified for the 2010 Ricoh Women’s British Open.
Angel Yin, 12, of Arcadia, Calif., advanced to the round of 16 at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links. She won the 2010 California’s Women’s Amateur Championship and is the second-youngest winner in championship history, behind 2007 Women’s Amateur Public Links champion Mina Harigae.
Storylines compiled by Christina Lance, coordinator of championship communications for the USGA. E-mail her at clance@usga.org.