Thompson Leads 2009 U.S. Women’s Open Qualifiers

Far Hills, N.J. – USGA champions earned medalist honors at four of the eight sectional qualifiers held for the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open Championship, which will be played July 9-12 at Saucon Valley Country Club’s Old Course in Bethlehem, Pa.

Seventy players were fully exempt into the championship’s 156-player field, leaving 84 spaces open in the field for qualifiers. Two spots are still being held open for the winner of the next two LPGA Tour events, should those winners not already be fully exempt into the Women’s Open.

Reigning U.S. Girls’ Junior champion Alexis Thompson, 14, of Coral Springs, Fla., who in 2007 became the youngest U.S. Women’s Open qualifier in history, will return for her third consecutive championship after earning medalist honors at the sectional qualifier at Plantation Bay Golf & Country Club in Ormond Beach, Fla.

Kimberly Kim, 17, of Hilo, Hawaii, earned medalist honors at the qualifier at Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, Calif. Kim, who became the youngest Women’s Amateur winner in history when she won the 2006 championship at age 14, will be playing in her fourth consecutive Women’s Open.

One other USGA champion, 2007 U.S. Girls’ Junior winner Kristen Park, 16, of Buena Park, Calif., also qualified at the California site.

Two USGA champions led the way at the qualifier in Illinois. The 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links winner, Mina Harigae, 19, of Monterey, Calif., earned medalist honors by a stroke over reigning U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Amanda Blumenherst, 22, of Scottsdale, Ariz. Lisa Ferrero, 26, of Lodi, Calif., who won the 2000 U.S. Girls’ Junior, also qualified in Illinois.

Two-time U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Meghan (Bolger) Stasi, 31, of Oakland Park, Fla., earned medalist honors at the Bryan, Texas, qualifier. Stasi, who won the 2007 and 2008 championships, qualified for her third Women’s Open.

Also earning medalist honors were: Katherine Perry, 17, of Cary, N.C.; Miki Saik, 24, of Japan; Carolina Llano, 24, of Colombia; and Brittany Altomare, 18, Shrewsbury, Mass.

At age 13, Yueer-Cindy-Feng of Orlando, Fla., will be the youngest in the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open field.

Teenagers will again be well represented at the U.S. Women’s Open. Joining Altomare, Feng, Harigae, Park, Perry and Thompson in the field via qualifying are: Ashleigh Albrecht, 18, of Murrieta, Calif.; Marina Alex, 18, of Wayne, N.J.; Esther Choe, 19, of Scottsdale, Ariz.; Kaitlin Drolson, 19, of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.; Lindy Duncan, 18, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Ani Gulugian, 17, of Irvine, Calif.; Mi-Jung Hur, 19, of Korea; Haeji Kang, 18, of Korea; Alice Kim, 19, of Walnut, Calif.; Alison Lee, 14, of Valencia, Calif.; Tzu-Chi Lin, 19, of Chinese Taipei; Tiffany Lua, 18, of Rowland Heights, Calif.; Mika Miyazato, 19, of Japan; Michelle Shin, 18, of Cape Coral, Fla.; Jennifer Song, 19, of Korea; Victoria Tanco, 15, of Argentina; Mariko Tumangan, 15, of San Jose, Calif.; and Allie White, 19, of Lancaster, Ohio.

The U.S. Women’s Open is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA. Other championships include the U.S. Open, the U.S. Senior Open, and 10 national amateur championships.

A list of the players who qualified for the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open, including qualifying sites and scores, follows:

Key

(a) – amateur
A – alternate

(qualifying score in parentheses)

Carolina Trace Country Club (Lake Course), Sanford, N.C.
(a) Katherine Perry, Cary, N.C. (71-70—141)
(a) Kathleen Ekey, Sharon, Ohio (71-71—142)
Rosie Jones, Atlanta, Ga. (70-73—413)
(a) Yueer-Cindy-Feng, Orlando, Fla. (76-68—144)
(a) Allie White, Lancaster, Ohio (77-68—145)
(a) Ashleigh Albrecht, Murrieta, Calif. (76-70—146)
A – (a) Haley Wilson, Fort Mitchell, Ala. (75-71—146)
A – (a) Haley Stephens, Greer, S.C. (74-72—146)

Pasatiempo Golf Club, Santa Cruz, Calif.
(a) Kimberly Kim, Queen Creek, Ariz. (73-70—143)
(a) Chelsea Stelzmiller, Placerville, Calif. (76-69—145)
(a) Jennifer Song, Lacanada, Calif. (74-71—145)
(a) Alice Kim, Walnut, Calif. (73-74—147)
(a) Ani Gulugian, Irvine, Calif. (74-73—147)
(a) Kaitlin Drolson, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (76-71—147)
(a) Kristen Park, Buena Park, Calif. (73-74—147)
Caryn Wilson, Rancho Mirage, Calif. (75-73—148)
(a) Tiffany Lua, Rowland Heights, Calif. (74-74—148)
(a) Mariko Tumangan, San Jose, Calif. (75-74—149)
(a) Alison Lee, Valencia, Calif. (68-82—150)
A – Rebecca Kim, Tigard, Ore. (74-76—150)
A – (a) Stephanie Kono, Honolulu, Hawaii (73-78—151)

Plantation Bay Golf & Country Club, Ormond Beach, Fla.
(a) Alexis Thompson, Coral Springs, Fla. (70-70—140)
(a) Victoria Tanco, Argentina (71-71—142)
(a) Lindy Duncan, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (74-70—144)
(a) Michelle Shin, Cape Coral, Fla. (74-72—146)
A – Caroline Culler, Miami Springs, Fla. (72-74—146)
A – (a) Christina Miller, Bradenton, Fla. (74-74—148)

Wailua Golf Club, Lihue, Hawaii
Miki Saiki, Japan (75-70—145)
A – Kristina Merkle, Honolulu, Hawaii (75-71—146)
A – Yuka Kuriyama, Japan (71-75—146)

Westmoreland Country Club/Indian Hill Club, Wilmette, Ill.
Mina Harigae, Monterey, Calif. (69-70—139)
Amanda Blumenherst, Scottsdale, Ariz. (73-67—140)
Tzu-Chi Lin, Chinese Taipei (74-69—143)
Nicole Hage, Coral Springs, Fla. (68-76—144)
Jennie Lee, Henderson, Nev. (74-70—144)
Alison Walshe, Westford, Mass. (71-73—144)
Misun Cho, Korea (72-73—145)
Jean Reynolds, Newman, Ga. (75-70—145)
Jessica Carafiello, Coral Springs, Fla. (72-74—146)
Lisa Ferrero, Lodi, Calif. (76-70—146)
Maria Hernandez, Spain (72-74—146)
Libby Smith, Essex Junction, Vt. (71-75—146)
(a) Cindy Lacrosse, Tampa, Fla. (75-72—147)
Esther Choe, Scottsdale, Ariz. (73-75—148)
Jamie Fischer, Gurnee, Ill. (76-72—148)
Hannah Jun, San Diego, Calif. (72-76—148)
(a) Stefanie Kenoyer, Lighthouse Point, Fla. (73-75—148)
Yoora Kim, Korea (72-76—148)
Sunny Oh, Manhattan Beach, Calif. (76-72—148)
Janice Olivencia, Puerto Rico (75-73—148)
Dewi Schreefel, Netherlands (77-71—148)
Sophia Sheridan, Mexico (71-77—148)
Naree Song, Orlando, Fla. (75-73—148)
A - Danah Ford Indianapolis, Ind. (71-78—149)
A - (a) Julia Potter, Granger, Ind. (78-71—149)

Woodmont Country Club, Rockville, Md.
Carolina Llano, Colombia (69-68—137)
Jimin Kang, Korea (67-70—137)
Alena Sharp, Canada (67-71—138)
Becky Morgan, Wales (67-71—138)
Beth Bader, Eldridge, Iowa (71-68—139)
Irene Cho, La Habra, Calif. (69-70—139)
Jin Joo Hong, Korea (68-71—139)
Joomi Kim, Korea (69-70—139)
Sandra Gal, Germany (73-66—139)
Haeji Kang, Korea (73-67—140)
Kris Tschetter, Sioux Falls, S.D. (69-71—140)
Meaghan Francella, Port Chester, N.Y. (74-66—140)
Michele Redman, Minneapolis, Minn. (72-68—140)
Anna Grzebien, Narragansett, R.I. (70-71—141)
Carin Koch, Sweden (71-71—142)
Meredith Duncan, Shreveport, La. (68-74—142)
Brandie Burton, San Bernardino, Calif. (71-72—143)
Diana D'Alessio, Flanders, N.J. (65-78—143)
Mi-Jung Hur, Korea (72-71—143)
Mika Miyazato, Japan (71-72—143)
Mikaela Parmlid, Venice, Calif. (71-72—143)
Sarah Lee, Korea (71-72—143)
(a) Candace Schepperle, Birmingham, Ala. (68-76—144)
Hye Jung Choi, Korea (71-73—144)
Johanna Mundy, England (72-72—144)
Karine Icher, France (72-72—144)
Kyeong Bae, Korea (76-68--144 )
Rachel Hetherington, Australia (72-72--144 )
Shiho Oyama, Japan (70-74--144)
Soo Yun Kang, Korea (70-74—144)
A – Sungah Yim, Korea (70-74—144)
A – Janice Moodie, Scotland (72-72—144)

Neshanic Valley Golf Course, Neshanic Station, N.J.
(a) Brittany Altomare, Shrewsbury, Mass. (75-71—146)
(a) Nannette Hill, Pelham Manor, N.Y. (74-75—149)
Heather Daly-Donofrio, Jupiter, Fla. (75-75—150)
(a) Marina Alex, Wayne, N.J. (78-75—153)
A – (a) Sarah Brown, Lopatcong Township, N.J. (83-74—157)
A – Liselotte Neumann, Sweden (83-75—158)

Miramont Country Club, Bryan, Texas
(a) Meghan Stasi, Oakland Park, Fla. (77- 79—156)
Isabelle Beisiegel, Broken Arrow, Okla. (79-79—158)
Tracy Stanford, Midland, Texas (80-79—159)
Mallory Fraiche, Metairie, La. (80-79—159)
A – Amy Ruengmateekhun, Garland, Texas (82-77—159)
A – Juli Erekson, Chicopee, Mass. (81-78—159)