Notebook: Nosebleed Stops Jerman Momentarily

By Alex Miceli

Angela Jerman (Pam Murphy/USGA)

Hutchinson, Kan. -- Good and bad things have happened to Angela Jerman when she has come to Kansas.  

A Georgia native, Jerman arrived in Kansas last year to play in the U.S. Women's Amateur, just up the road in Wichita, and made it to the quarterfinals. During that week, Jerman got a nosebleed that required medical attention in the form of some medicine and ice.

In the third round of the U.S. Women's Open, Jerman experienced another nosebleed, but this time it occurred on the course. It forced her to stop play.

"I felt it coming on 17, and I was like 'Oh, this is not going to be good,' and then it decided to pour," said Jerman of the nosebleed.

After taking the same medicine she took in Wichita -- applying an icepack and sitting for five to 10 minutes on the 17th green -- Jerman was ready to go.

"It happens in really humid weather; today was perfect conditions for it," said Jerman.

Getting to the 18th green, Jerman had a 45-footer to make for birdie. The putt found its way into the middle of the hole and possibly saved her from another gushing.

"I think it would have started bleeding, because subconsciously after I putt, I breathe through out of my nose and that could have been even more disastrous," said Jerman.

Going into Saturday’s third round, Jerman was only one of two amateurs left in the field. After 54 holes she was the low amateur, over Aree Song Wongluekiet, by one stroke.

"I felt really comfortable," said Jerman. "And playing with Meg [Mallon] -- I had met her the other day -- that was really comforting for me to know someone. It was fun; it was a good feeling today."

Jerman knows that her fellow Curtis Cup teammates are behind her in her quest not only to play well, but also to win low amateur.

"I wish there were more, because they are all very talented," said Jerman of the lack of her teammates in the final two days. "Any one of them deserves to be where I am today. I think with golf you just get your lucky bounces, and I know I have a couple of lucky bounces out here this week."

Jerman has one last semester left at the University of Georgia, but her college playing career is over.  After the Amateur and Curtis Cup Jerman is off to LPGA Qualifying School in the fall. When she gets to the Curtis Cup later this year, Jerman will be a seasoned veteran of a U.S. Women's Open, and will take those experiences forward in her career.

"You're learning from pressure situations; you're learning each shot is not the shot, it is just a shot. But as long as you don't compound errors you can stay away from those doubles," said Jerman of some of her learning experiences this week.

A final note, Jerman marks her golf ball in a particular way: a red A on one side of the logo and J on the other. On the other side she marks the letters H and F the same way in remembrance of the late Heather Farr, who died of cancer.

Mallon, a good friend of Farr's asked for one of Jerman's balls as a keepsake.

Switching Countries

Aree Wongluekiet (Pam Murphy/USGA)

Aree Song Wongluekiet was born on May 1, 1986.  At 16 years old she is the youngest competitor in the 57th U.S. Women's Open. The first two days of competition, Wongluekiet had her twin sister Naree on the bag and was officially listed as being from Thailand.

Living in Bradenton, Fla., Wongluekiet spends most of the time working on her golf game.

In Saturday's third round, Aree dumped sister Naree as caddie. Instead, her father was on the bag, and somehow her nationality changed from Thailand to Korea.

The reason for the change in caddies was that her sister will be playing in the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic and her foot was bothering her. The change in nationality is a little more tricky.

"The first day they said I was from Bradenton," said Aree of when she was announced on the tee to start her round. "The next day no one said anything and then today I was from Korea.  I guess it's nice to play from different places. I think I am sticking with Korea."

Wongluekiet has dual citizenship -- her mother is from Thailand and her father is from Korea.

"She is supposed to follow my nationality," said Aree's father, In-Jong. "In the future she will be changing to my surname, Song."

It turns out that Aree's father saw the listing on the Internet and thought it should be changed. He, along with Aree, went to the USGA championship office on Saturday morning and requested the change. USGA policy is to honor such requests.

The change from Wongluekiet to Song will not occur Sunday, but in the future, most likely when the twins turn pro.

Move over Jay Williams.

Eagles Have Landed

Amy Fruhwirth (Pam Murphy/USGA)

Amy Fruhwirth had one of the three eagles in Saturday's third round.

Using a U or gap wedge, after a driver and a 5-wood, Fruhwirth found the hole for an eagle 3 on the 512-yard, par-5 seventh hole.

"I had 95 yards in," said Fruhwirth. "Just gripped it and it went a little right of the pin and it kicked left into the hole."

The other two eagles came form Shani Waugh on the same par-5 seventh and Michelle Redman, on the par-4 ninth.

The eagle on the ninth was extremely impressive, since that hole played the fourth-toughest hole of the day with a stroke average of 4.319.

Alex Miceli is a freelance writer whose work has appeared previously on www.uswomensopen.com.