Langhals Makes Most Of Second Chance

Local Qualifier Alternate Earns Spot In Women's Open Field

By David Shefter, USGA

Egg Harbor Township, N.J. - Amy Langhals had pretty much written off the 2004 U.S. Women's Open weeks ago.

The duck hook off the tee in the 6-for-4 playoff at her local qualifier in Cary, Ill., on May 17 had ended her hopes of making it to the championship. Langhals, who had shot 78 that day, was relegated to second-alternate status for sectionals, which is almost like getting a lovely parting gift as a game-show contestant. We loved having you and thanks for your participation.

No big deal. Langhals, 29, would turn her focus back to the Futures Tour. And that's where she was playing last Friday when a USGA official contacted her. Marlene Hedblom of Sweden had withdrawn from sectional qualifying and a spot was available. Langhals happened to be next on the alternate list. The first alternate from the Cary, Ill., site, Erica Bieniek, had declined the USGA's offer, moving Langhals up to the front of the list.

Langhals told the official she needed 24 hours to think about. She had just shot 70 in the opening round and getting from the Chicago area to south Jersey would require some creative planning. "I didn't want to withdraw from the tournament because I need to do well on the Futures Tour as well," said Langhals. "(The USGA official) said I could call her Saturday night."

Scrambling to find a cheap airline ticket, Langhals, who tied for 21st at the Futures event ($716), found a last-second $218 fare to Philadelphia. She arrived at Hidden Creek Golf Club, site of the 36-hole sectional, too late on Sunday to play a practice round.

"Things just started flying together, so I'm like, 'I'm going to do it,' " said Langhals, who currently sits 63rd on the Futures Tour money list with $2,449 earned in nine events. "The reason I came is I'm hitting the ball good and I'm putting it good. Why not come. I didn't care how tired I'd be. I've got to go."

The lack of course knowledge didn't seem to matter for the Lakeland, Fla., resident on Monday. Posting rounds of 72 and 70 on the par-72, 6,430-yard layout earned Langhals one of the 24 available spots into the 59th U.S. Women's Open July 1-4 at the Orchards Golf Club in South Hadley, Mass.

"I'm totally excited," said Langhals, whose only other Women's Open appearance came in 2001 at Pine Needles, where she missed the cut. "You don't get into Opens every year. I am just going to enjoy every moment of it and whatever happens, happens. There's not too many people who can say they have played in a U.S. Open."

Sweden's Carin Koch, a three-time Solheim Cup participant for Europe, was the site medalist with a 4-under 140 (71-69), one shot ahead of 17-year-old Paula Creamer (68-73), a member of this year's victorious USA Curtis Cup team. Creamer, in fact, nearly became the first amateur in 35 years to win an LPGA Tour event at the ShopRite LPGA Classic last weekend in nearby Atlantic City. She came up a stroke short of champion Cristie Kerr.

Had she won, Creamer would have avoided sectional qualifying since any winner of a co-sponsored LPGA event in the calendar year leading up to the Women's Open doesn't have to qualify.

"That was on my mind," said Creamer, who is playing this week's LPGA Tour event in Rochester, N.Y., prior to the Women's Open. "But, you know, I didn't win, so today I came out and played some good golf.

"I was a little tired out there. It was tough because I was coming off a great tournament. It was tough mentally (to play 36 holes), but you've got to do what you've got to do."

Creamer also qualified for the 2003 Women's Open at Pumpkin Ridge, but missed the cut. Last year, she was a semifinalist at the both the U.S. Girls' Junior and Women's Amateur, which bolstered her selection to the Curtis Cup team. She will join USA teammates Michelle Wie, Jane Park and Erica Blasberg in the field. Blasberg qualified Tuesday in California. Another Curtis Cupper, Elizabeth Janangelo, failed to qualify in the weather-delayed sectional in Rochester, N.Y.

"I feel that I've earned it," Creamer said of having to go through the qualifying process. "That's why I play golf, for reasons like this. It's the only way you can get better.

"If my game stays the way it is, ultimately I would like to win the (Women's Open)."

Winning the Women's Open is something Liselotte Neumann has accomplished in her distinguished career that includes 13 international victories. In 1988, her rookie season on the LPGA Tour, Neumann qualified for the Women's Open and then went and won it at Baltimore (Md.) Country Club (Five Farms, East Course). That was the last time Neumann had to endure sectional qualifying until Monday. Two years ago, she received a special exemption into the field at Prairie Dunes. Last year, she earned an exemption through her playing performance.

But in 2004, Neumann didn't meet any the criteria for an exemption and was required to qualify if she wanted to play in her 18th Women's Open.

"I didn't deserve an exemption," said Neumann. "This year, I just haven't played that good.

"But I really wanted to qualify because the Women's Open is such a special week."

Her game was strong enough on Monday. Neumann posted a pair of 71s to finish in a tie for third with Langhals and fellow LPGA Tour pros Audra Burks (70-72) and Deb Richard (68-74). Neumann knew after the morning 18 that she just needed to play steady golf and she'd be in. Then again, it's tough because there are no scoreboards to give information on the rest of the field.

"That's the hardest part, not knowing what the (qualifying) scores are going to be," said the six-time Solheim Cupper. "I just told myself to be patient and hit one shot at a time."

Patience was something Megan Grehan needed after finishing with a pair 73s. As the scores slowly trickled in, the 15-year-old Mamaroneck, N.Y., resident anxiously kept her eye on the board. Would her 146 be good enough? Would she have to go into a playoff?

"I was more nervous than I can explain," said Grehan, describing her emotions prior to the sectional. "I wasn't nervous at all on the first tee. I just went out to play. The first time I actually got nervous was on the 13th hole of my afternoon round."

By then the three-time U.S. Girls' Junior participant realized that she might actually get into the Women's Open field. Still, she didn't seem intimidated by playing against all the LPGA Tour veterans. In fact, she said teenagers have the advantage of youth during a 36-hole marathon.

"I can go out and play another 18," said Grehan. "I'm not tired. I'm sure it will hit me on the way home."

As it turns out, Grehan had to spend another day in south Jersey. Seven players came in at 146, which required a 7-for-6 playoff. Beth Bader, Alicia Dibos, Kristal Parker-Manzo, two-time Women's Amateur champion Vicki Goetze-Ackerman and Tina Barrett made par at the first playoff hole, but Grehan and Kathi Poppmeier of Austria each bogeyed the hole, the former three-putting from eight feet.

Because of darkness, the playoff for the last spot needed to be carried over until Tuesday. Grehan finally outlasted Poppmeier at the sixth playoff hole (third of the morning) with a bogey.

"This will be huge for me," said Grehan, who qualified in her first-ever attempt. "I know a lot of people have done it younger, but it's still huge for me.

"I expected to qualify (out of local), but my dad didn't think I would. When he told me I was going to try for the Open, he kind of laughed at me."

In this case, maybe it was daughter who knew best.

Sectional Qualifying Notes: Those qualifying at 143 included Joanne Mills, former Women's Amateur champion Silvia Cavalleri, Dawn Coe-Jones, Shani Waugh and Charlotta Sorenstam. The group at 144 included Chiharli Yamaguchi, Kris Tschetter and 2002 USA Curtis Cupper Laura Myerscough. Cathy Johnston-Forbes, Jill McGill, Soo-Young Moon and Jean Bartholomew were at 145. . McGill played in the final pairing at the 2002 Women's Open, while Waugh finished third at that Open. . Stephanie Louden, a 2000 USA Curtis Cupper, Cheryl Anderson and Jackie Gallagher-Smith are the second, third and fourth alternates, respectively. Kathi Poppmeier is the first alternate. . Among the notables failing to qualify were former U.S. Girls' Junior champion and 1996 and '98 USA Curtis Cupper Kellee Booth, reigning U.S. Girls' Junior champion Sukjin-Lee Wuesthoff, 2000 Women's Open low amateur Naree Song, former Women's Amateur and Women's Amateur Public Links champion Pearl Sinn-Bonanni, 2002 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur champion Kathy Hartwiger, Leta Lindley and Heather Daly-Donofrio. . This was the first USGA qualifier for Hidden Creek, a three-year-old Ben Crenshaw-Bill Coore design. The club is also hosting Senior Open sectional qualifying on July 7.