VIRADA NIRAPATHPONGPORN
Birthdate: April 12, 1982
Birthplace: Bangkok, Thailand
Age: 23
Ht: 5'4"
Home: Orlando, Fla.
College: Duke
Turned Professional: 2004
Player Notes: 2005 Jalapeno FUTURES Golf Classic Champion...Four-time NCAA All-American First Team selection ...Competed in two U.S. Women's Open Championships (2002, 2004)...Two-time National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar...Winner of the 2003 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship. . .Runner-up to Michelle Wie at the 2003 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links. . .Tied for 21st at the 2003 LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship as an amateur ...Named the 2004 recipient of the Nancy Lopez Award as the world's top female amateur...2003 first team NGCA All-America and All-ACC... Individual winner of the 2002 NCAA Women's Golf Championship while at Duke University ... Had four top-five, five top-10 and six top-20 finishes in eight tournaments played in 2002-2003 ... Turned in a fifth place total of 212 at the NCAA East Regional ...Finished fourth at the ACC Championship... Represented Thailand in the Asian Games... Won the Eastern Women's Golf Association title in 2002 ... Advanced to the Elite Eight of the U.S. Women's Amateur that same year ... Qualified to play in the 2002 U.S. Open, but missed the cut... 2001-2002 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 in 2002 ... Selected Blue Devil Weekly and Carlyle Cup Female Athlete of the Year... Advanced to the quarterfinals of match play at the Women's Amateur Public Links and the Western Golf Association Amateur in 2001 ... Quarterfinalist at the 2001 U.S. Women’s Amateur...As a freshman earned NGCA first team All-America, ACC Freshman of the Year, NGCA East Region Player of the Year and All-ACC... Posted consecutive victories at the ACC Championship and NCAA East Regional ... claimed top honors at the Mercedes-Benz Women's Collegiate Holds Duke University's scoring records for 72-holes (279)...Two-time first team AJGA All-America and 1999 first team Polo Junior All-America selection... Won six tournaments from 1998-2000... Named to the 1998 & 1999 East Canon Cup ... Turned in 13 top five finishes in 14 tournaments in 1999 ... Finished no lower than sixth in 10 tournaments in 1998 ... Selected the 1999 AJGA Sportsman of the Year and the St. Stephen's Scholar-Athlete of the Year .