Following sectional qualifying at 20 sites around the country, 69 women have advanced through sectional qualifying and will compete in the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open Championship, to be conducted June 27-30 at Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.
Considered the world’s premier women’s golf championship, the U.S. Women’s Open is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA. It is open to professional female golfers and amateur females with a USGA Handicap Index® not exceeding 4.4.
Daily tickets and weekly packages are available at various prices. For more information, visit www.2013uswomensopen.com/tickets.php.
The list of Women’s Open qualifiers includes 14 teenagers. Nelly Korda, 14, of Bradenton, Fla., is the championship’s youngest competitor. Korda is the younger sister of exempt player Jessica Korda, the winner of the 2012 Women’s Australian Open and the runner-up at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. The Kordas are the daughters of former professional tennis player Petr Korda, who won the 1998 Australian Open.
Mariel Galdiano, 14, of Pearl City, Hawaii, qualified for her second U.S. Women’s Open. Galdiano, who is one month older than Korda and will turn 15 on June 25, competed in the 2011 championship at age 13. Other teenagers to qualify are: Shannon Aubert, 17; Kelli Bowers, 18; Casie Cathrea, 17; Yueer Feng, 17; Brooke Mackenzie Henderson, 15; Erica Herr, 17; Alexandra Kaui, 17; Kyung Kim, 19; Annie Park, 18; Elizabeth Schultz, 16; Mariah Stackhouse, 19; and Gabriella Then, 17. They join the three teenagers who were already fully exempt into the championship: Ariya Jutanugarn, 17; Lydia Ko, 16; and Lexi Thompson, 18.
Five USGA champions advanced through sectional qualifying: Doris Chen (2010 U.S. Girls’ Junior), Tiffany Joh (2006, 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links), Kim (2012 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links), Jane Park (2004 U.S. Women’s Amateur) and Emily Tubert (2010 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links).
Chen, Kim and Annie Park are members of the University of Southern California team that won the 2013 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship. Park became the seventh freshman to claim the individual title and only the second woman in NCAA history to sweep the conference, regional and national titles. In addition to Park, there are two other USC individual champions in the field: Jennifer Rosales, who qualified in Atlanta, and exempt player Dewi Claire Schreefel.
Other notable players to advance to the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open are past Solheim Cup competitors Laura Diaz, Christina Kim, Kristy McPherson and Janice Moodie, as well as four-time LPGA Tour winner Lorie Kane, who is the championship’s oldest qualifier at age 48.
Four spots reserved for future exemptions have been released back to the qualifying field. Moira Dunn (Heathrow qualifier), Jiyoung Oh (Baltimore qualifier), Brooke Pancake (Atlanta qualifier) and Karen Stupples (Atlanta qualifier) have been added to the Women’s Open field. Additionally, Jimin Kang has withdrawn from the championship and has been replaced by Danah Bordner (Baltimore qualifier).
Eighty-three players are fully exempt into the championship’s 156-player field. Four spots are currently being reserved for any non-exempt players who win an official LPGA Tour event through the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship (which ends June 23), the winner of the 2013 Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship (provided she remains an amateur) and those who enter the top 25 of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings as of June 24.
Click here to see the list of players who qualified for the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open.