Alison Walshe, practicing Wednesday at Interlachen, is one of 13 amateurs who are making their Women's Open debut. (John Mummert/USGA)

By David Shefter, USGA

Edina, Minn. – A year ago Cydney Clanton got an up close and personal view of the U.S. Women’s Open. She checked out the locker room, used the practice areas, mingled with the world’s best golfers and took in the ambiance. As an alternate, the 17-year-old North Carolinian enjoyed all the privileges of a contestant except for one minor detail: she couldn’t play the championship course.

It left Clanton with a quenching thirst to make the field in 2008. And on June 9, the sophomore-to-be at Auburn University earned her way through sectional qualifying to Interlachen Country Club for the 63rd U.S. Women’s Open.

Upon her arrival in Minneapolis, it didn’t take long for Clanton to feel the first perks of playing in the biggest championship in women’s golf.

"I think getting the Lexus when you got out of the airport was really exciting," said Clanton. "You don’t always get that when you are kid. I’m only 18. When you get a Lexus that’s brand new and only has like 16 miles on it that was pretty fun.

"I don’t drive a bad car, but it’s not a Lexus."

Such are the spoils that go to those 156 fortunate who have qualified for the Women’s Open, especially to those amateurs making their first appearance. At amateur events, players are lucky to get any mementos. Perhaps a nice paper weight or ball-point pen.

The use of a $40,000-plus automobile generally isn’t part of the package.

But at the Women’s Open, courtesy cars, goody bags, free equipment from the manufacturers’ vans, star treatment and getting inside the ropes with the game’s superstars create quite an experience.

It can make even the steeliest of personalities get a dose of stage fright. Or just plain star struck. Thirteen amateurs, in fact, are making their Open debuts this week.

"I think just being here in general is the awe of it all," said Clanton.

Added 2006 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion Jenny Shin of Torrance, Calif.: "I do get distracted by looking at them, but it’s not too bad of a distraction. Not even the [large] galleries. At the U.S. Girls’ Junior there were of galleries there so I kind of got used to it."

Shin has lived out the ultimate fantasy this week during practice rounds. On Tuesday, she played with three-time Women’s Open champion Annika Sorenstam, who is making 2008 her final season on the LPGA Tour, and she was to play Wednesday afternoon with No. 1-ranked Lorena Ochoa.

While Sorenstam didn’t offer up much chatter, Shin learned more by simply observing her mannerisms and how she approached different shots.

"I guess her calmness," said Shin of what impressed her most about Sorenstam’s game. "Her whole mental [game]. And she has a great short game."

Since winning the 2006 Girls’ Junior at 13, Shin has since added 40 yards to her tee shots, which should be benefit on the 6,789-yard, par-73 layout. The setup is the longest in Women’s Open history, although there are five par-5 holes. The last time a Women’s Open featured five par 5s was in 1981 at La Grange Country Club in La Grange, Ill.

"I can’t reach the par-5s [in two shots]," said Shin. "I like to play safe. I love the course. It’s in perfect condition. The greens are really hard and tricky. Yardage-wise it’s not that much of a disadvantage for me."

Ditto for reigning U.S. Girls’ Junior champion Kristen Park, 15, of Buena Park, Calif. Park recently helped the Sunny Hills boys’ team win the California state title. Because the school doesn’t offer a girls’ team, Park was forced to play with the boys and to play yardages much longer than she sees in female competitions.

Still Park is not going for any of the par 5s in two, rather mapping out a strategy with veteran caddie Chris Fitzpatrick on where to actually lay up and have a good yardage for the third shot. On Wednesday, she played a practice round with former U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Grace Park and on Tuesday she played with 2001 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links winner Candie Kung.

Her coach, George Pinnell, used a few connections – mainly NBC golf analyst Dottie Pepper – to land Fitzpatrick, who has previously caddied for Donna Andrews, Meg Mallon and Jill McGill.

"We’re playing the course the way it is designed," said Pinnell, who also had a pupil (Jay Choi) qualify for the U.S. Open two weeks ago at Torrey Pines. "We don’t like a lot of risk.

"With Kristen you can’t tell [how excited she is]. Kristen would be a great poker player. I can’t really tell what she’s thinking, but inside she’s told me, ‘Oh yeah, that’s cool.’ "

Park and Shin are still both too young to drive so when the courtesy cars were delivered; they had to relinquish the keys to their parents. Nevertheless, they enjoyed first-class treatment from the moment they arrived in Minnesota.

"It was so cool," said Shin, beaming. "They were all waiting for me. It’s a great car."

And has she had the urge to drive the car, even if it’s just around the parking lot?

"No," she said. "I don’t want to kill myself before the tournament really starts."

David Shefter is a USGA New Media staff writer. E-mail him with questions or comments at dshefter@usga.org