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Name: VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN
Birthdate: April 12, 1982
Birthplace: Thailand
Age: 22 Ht.: 5’4"
Home: Bangkok, Thailand
College: Duke
Turned Professional: 2004
PLAYER NOTES:

Four-time NCAA All-American First Team selection....Individual winner of the 2002 NCAA Women’s Championship while at Duke....Competed in the 2002 and 2003 U.S. Women’s Open Championships as an Amateur....Winner of the 2003 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship....Runner-up at the 2003 Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship, losing to Michelle Wie in the final, 1 down....Tied for 21st at the 2003 LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship as an Amateur.... Best FUTURES finish was tied for 3rd place at the 2003 York Newspaper Company FUTURES Classic in York, PA....Holds Duke University’s scoring records for 18 holes (65), 54 holes (207), and 72 holes (279)....Named the 2004 recipient of the Nancy Lopez Award.

Career Notes: 2002 NCAA Individual Champion .... owns Duke records for scores on 18-holes (65), 36-holes (137), 54-holes ( 207)and 72-holes (279).... two-time first team NGCA All-America and All-ACC selection.

2001-02 Action: Became the second NCAA Individual Champion in Duke history with rounds of 68-69-71-72=279 to help lead the Blue Devils to the National Championship .... tied a NCAA Tournament record with her four-round 279 .... winner of the Golf Honda Award as the National Player of the Year .... named first team NGCA All-America, ACC Player of the Year, All-ACC and NGCA Academic All-America .... had the third-best stroke average in Duke history with a 73.21 mark .... led the Blue Devils with 14 rounds of even or par .... had five top five, eight top 10 and 11 top 20 finishes in 11 tournaments .... won individual medallist honors at the Bryan National Collegiate with rounds of 65-75-71=211 .... did not finish lower than eighth in any tournament during the spring.

2001 Summer Action: Advanced to the quarterfinals of match play at the Women’s Amateur Public Links and the Western Golf Association Amateur .... quarterfinalist at the U.S. Amateur.

2000-01: Earned numerous accolades as a freshman including NGCA first team All-America, ACC Freshman of the Year, NGCA East Region Player of the Year and All-ACC .... notched the second-best stroke average for a freshman at Duke, 73.36 .... posted consecutive victories at the ACC Championship and NCAA East Regional .... claimed top honors at the Mercedes-Benz Women’s Collegiate after firing rounds of 76-70-69=215 .... tied a Duke and course record 65 at the NCAA East Regional in Chapel Hill, N.C., and went on to shoot a 65-73-71=209 .... her 209 at the Regional tied a Duke record .... led Duke with a .964 percentage of rounds counted, second in average strokes behind leader (1.73)and second in even or under par rounds (14).

Prep: Trained and played golf at the David Leadbetter Academy in Bradenton,Fla. . . Two-time first team AJGA All-America and 1999 first-team Polo Junior All-America selection .... Shot a Girls Division 54-hole record 200 at the 1999 AJGA PING Myrtle Beach Junior Classic (66-66-68=200).... Her 200 also tied the overall AJGA record held by Ryuji Imada (1994).... Won six tournaments from 1998-2000 ....Named to the 1998 & 1999 East Canon Cup .... Selected the 1999 AJGA Sportsman of the Year and the St. Stephen’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year .... Member of the National Honor Society .... Selected to the Director’s List Honor Roll as a sophomore and the Headmaster’s List Honor Roll as a junior and senior.

Personal: daughter of Dr. Apichart & Dr. Supranee Nirapathpongporn .... Originallyfrom Bangkok, Thailand .... Began playing golf at the age of 10 and played in Thailand until the age of 14 .... Attended Geelong Grammar School in Melbourne, Australia, before arriving in the United States at the age of 15 .... Received the nickname "Oui" from one of her sisters .... Majored in in psychology with a markets & management certificate at Duke where she graduated in spring of 2004.