2003 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship Fact Sheet
July 21-26
Brooklawn Country Club, Fairfield, Conn.

PAR AND YARDAGE – Brooklawn Country Club will play at 6,303 yards and par is 36-35—71.

VENUE – Brooklawn was designed by A.W. Tillinghast in 1929. The Club opened in 1895.

TICKETS – Admission for all six days of the championship is FREE of charge. Spectators are invited to walk the fairways behind the players, but no cameras are allowed during the days of competition.

SCHEDULE – Practice rounds will be held Saturday, July 19, and Sunday, July 20. The starting field of 156 players will play two rounds of stroke play, with the low 64 scorers advancing to match play. The schedule is below:

• Monday, July 21 – First round of stroke play
• Tuesday, July 22 – Second round of stroke play
• Wednesday, July 23 – First and second rounds of match play
• Thursday, July 24 – Third and quarterfinal rounds of match play
• Friday, July 25 – Semifinals, match play (18 holes at 8:30 and 8:45 a.m.)
• Saturday, July 26 – Final, match play (18 holes) at 9 a.m.

CAN I PLAY? – The U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship is open to female amateur players who will have not reached their 18th birthday on or before July 26, and who have a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 18.4.

ONLINE—Log on to the USGA Internet site at www.usga.org or www.usgirlsjunioram.org for the latest and most complete U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship information.

DEFENDING CHAMPION – In-Bee Park of Eustis, Fla., defeated Jenni Tangtiphaiboontana, 4 and 3, to win the 2002 U.S. Girls’ Junior at Echo Lake Country Club in Westfield, N.J. At 14 she was the second youngest Girls’ Junior champion, after Aree Song Wongluekiet in 1999.

2002 CHAMPIONSHIP RECAP – In-Bee Park, 14, of Eustis, Fla., defeated Jenni Tangtiphaiboontana, 17, of Long Beach, Calif., 4 and 3, to win the 54th U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at the par-73, 6,353-yard Echo Lake Country Club in Westfield, N.J.

In winning, Park became the second youngest to win the Girls’ Junior behind Aree Wongluekiet, who captured the event at 13 in 1999.

“I can’t believe I won the Girls’ Junior Championship,” said Park. “It’s a dream come true. I am very happy and excited.”

The first stages of the dream began for Park when she moved from Korea to America at the age of 13 to pursue a career in golf.

Park, who won medalist honors in stroke play, faced the crowd’s sentimental favorite in the final match, Tangtiphaiboontana. In November of 2001, Tangtiphaiboontana’s parents were killed in a car accident – with Jenni as a passenger -— coming home from a tournament in California.

With an enthusiastic crowd and her brother, Tommy, rooting her on, Tangtiphaiboontana tried to overcome the solid and consistent play of Park.

“I figured I’d come out and play my game,” said a calm Tangtiphaiboontana. “If it’s not my day, it’s not my day.”

The match began all square through the first two holes, but all of that changed at the third hole when Park parred and Tangtiphaiboontana two-putted for bogey. The nervous and tired Park took a 1-up lead. She would never relinquish it.

Park’s long game, which averaged 240 yards off the tee, surprisingly wasn’t as big an advantage in the victory. The bigger storyline had more to do with Tangtiphaiboontana’s erratic putting.

Throughout the round, Tangtiphaiboontana had many many opportunities on the green. “I misread a lot,” said Tangtiphaiboontana. “I didn’t know which way the ball would break.”

The match was even through the 4th and 5th holes, but on the 6th, Tangtiphaiboontana ended up three-putting from the fringe rough to concede the hole.

Park went on to win the next two holes when Tangtiphaiboontana missed putts for halves. Park went into the par-4 13th with confidence, getting on in two, and sinking an 8-footer for birdie, giving her a 4-up lead.

“When I was 4 down, I was like, ‘Oh, 4 down. I don’t know if I have a chance to win,’” said Tangtiphaiboontana. Her chances seemed to get better after she parred the 192-yard par 3 and Park failed to get up and down out of the bunker, which resulted in a bogey.

But Park erased Tangtiphaiboontana’s vision of a glorious comeback on the short par-5 15th when she sank an 8-foot birdie putt after Tangtiphaiboontana had two-putted for par. With her win, Park became the first medalist to win the championship since Beth Bauer in 1997.

In the previous day’s semifinal matches, Park defeated Hannah Jun, 16, of San Diego Calif., in 20 holes, while Tangtiphaiboontana won over Catalina Martin, 16, of Colombia, 2 and 1.

Morgan Pressel, 14, of Boca Raton, Fla., a 2001 semifinalist, lost in the third round to Jane Park in an exciting 21-hole match.

TOP RETURNEES – 15 golfers are exempt into this U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship by virtue of their play in past USGA women’s events, including the U.S. Girls’ Junior, U.S. Women’s Amateur, U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links and U.S. Women’s Open. They are:

• Sydney Burlison of Salinas, Calif. – 2003 U.S. Women’s Open
• Amie Cochran of Torrance, Calif. – 2002 Girls’ Junior Quarterfinalist
• Stephanie Connelly of Pasadena, Md. – 2002 Girls’ Junior Round of 16
• Paula Creamer of Pleasanton, Calif. – 2003 U.S. Women’s Open; 2002 Girls’ Junior Round of 16
• Julieta Granada of Paraguay – 2002 Girls’ Junior Quarterfinalist
• Nicole Hage of Coral Springs, Fla. – 2002 U.S. Women’s Open; 2001 Girls’ Junior Round of 16
• Jennifer Hong of Windermere, Fla. – 2001 U.S. Women’s Amateur (qualified for match play)
• Allison Martin of Bakersfield, Calif. – 2002 Girls’ Junior Semifinalist
• In-Bee Park of Eustis, Fla. – 2002 Girls’ Junior Champion
• Jane Park of Oak Valley, Calif. – 2003 U.S. Women’s Open; 2002 Girls’ Junior Quarterfinals; 2001 Girls’ Junior Round of 16
• Morgan Pressel of Boca Raton, Fla.– 2001 and 2003 U.S. Women’s Open; 2002 Girls’ Junior Round of 16; 2001 Girls’ Junior Semifinalist
• Naree Song of Korea. – 2003 U.S. Women’s Open; 2002 Women’s Amateur Match Play;
• Whitney Wade of Glasgow, Ky. – 2003 Women’s Open; 2001 Girls’ Junior Quarterfinalist
• Michelle Wie of Honolulu, Hi. – 2003 U.S. Women’s Open; 2003 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Champion;
• Sukjin-Lee Wuesthoff of Toms River, N.J. – 2002 U.S. Women’s Amateur (advanced to 2nd round of match play); 2001 Girls’ Junior Quartefinals

FOR THE WINNER— The champion of the U.S. Girls’ Junior will receive:

• A gold medal, and custody of the Glenna Collett Vare Trophy for the ensuing year. The runner-up receives a silver medal; the other semifinalists receive bronze medals. The qualifying medalist receives a bronze medal
• An exemption from sectional qualifying for future U.S. Girls’ Junior Championships, if otherwise eligible
• An exemption from sectional qualifying for the next two U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships
• An exemption from sectional qualifying for the next U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship, if otherwise eligible

ENTRIES – The USGA accepted 856 entries for the 2003 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship. The high was 870 in 2002. Entries closed June 4.

SECTIONAL QUALIFYING – Sectional qualifying was held at 31 sites from June 16 - July 1.

HISTORY OF THE GIRLS’ JUNIOR – The U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship was established in 1949, one year after the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. The inaugural Girls’ Junior drew a starting field of 28 girls from 17 states, although 10 of the players were from the Philadelphia area. The first champion, Marlene Bauer, 15, came all the way from Los Angeles to win her first national golf title.

The championship has also helped launch the careers of such outstanding players as Mickey Wright, JoAnne Gunderson Carner, Nancy Lopez, Amy Alcott and Hollis Stacy. Stacy’s record of three consecutive Girls’ Junior Championships, from 1969 to 1971, is among the most remarkable accomplishments in USGA history.

While victory in the U.S. Girls’ Junior by no means guarantees a successful career in women’s golf, Girls’ Junior champions have won the Women’s Amateur 11 times and the Women’s Open 10 times. Furthermore, 15 Girls’ Junior champions have gone on to represent the United States on the Curtis Cup team.

USGA AND CONNECTICUT -- The 2003 Girls’ Junior will be the 12th USGA championship conducted in Connecticut. The first was the 1939 U.S. Women's Amateur at Wee Burn Country Club in Darien. The Girls’ Junior is making its second stop in Connecticut. The Greenwich Country Club hosted the 1958 championship.

USGA AND BROOKLAWN COUNTRY CLUB – Brooklawn has hosted three previous USGA championships. Brooklawn played host to the 1974 U.S. Junior Amateur, the 1979 U.S. Women’s Open, and the 1987 U.S. Senior Open championships.

MULTIPLE VICTORIES – Hollis Stacy won the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship three consecutive years (1969,1970,1971). Judy Eller won in 1957 and 1958, and Nancy Lopez captured the championship in 1972 and 1974.

GIRLS’ JUNIOR CHAMPIONS & OTHER USGA TITLES –

Twelve U.S. Girls’ Junior champions (year listed in parentheses) have won other USGA championships. They are:

Amy Alcott (1973) – U.S. Women’s Open (1980)

JoAnne Gunderson Carner (1956) – U.S. Women’s Amateur (1957, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1968), U.S. Women’s Open (1971,1976)

Lori Castillo (1978) – (U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links (1979,1980)

Dorothy Delasin (1996) – U.S. Women’s Amateur (1999)

Heather Farr (1982) – U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links (1984)

Pat Hurst (1986) – U.S. Women’s Amateur (1990)

Kelli Kuehne (1994) – U.S. Women’s Amateur (1995,1996)

Pat Lesser (1950) – U.S. Women’s Amateur (1955)

Cathy Mockett (1984) – U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links (1990)

Marcy Newton (1995) – U.S. Women’s Amateur (2000)

Hollis Stacy (1969,70,71) – U.S. Women’s Open (1977,1978,1984)

Mickey Wright (1952) – U.S. Women’s Open (1958,1959,1961,1964)

OTHER PROMINENT PAST CHAMPIONS –

Marlene Bauer, 1947; Nancy Lopez, 1972, 1974; Penny Hammel, 1979; Laurie Rinker, 1980; Heather Farr, 1982; Pat Hurst, 1986; Michelle McGann, 1987; Brandie Burton, 1989; Kellee Booth, 1993; and Beth Bauer, 1997.

CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE HOLE BY HOLE – 6,303 yards – Par 71

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out
Par	4	3	4	4	3	4	5	5	4	36
Yards	404	181	343	420	161	375	547	448	394	3,273

Hole	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In
Par	3	5	4	4	4	3	4	4	4	35
Yards	137	514	382	353	405	128	320	396	395	3,030

TELEVISION COVERAGE – All times listed are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

Date	Network	Broadcast Hours
July 27	NBC	12:30 - 2 p.m.

FUTURE GIRLS’ JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP SITES – The U.S. Girls’ Junior will be conducted at Mira Vista Golf Club in Fort Worth, Texas, from July 26-31, 2004.

MEDIA CONTACT – The Media Center for the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship will be in the club’s Tennis Center. The phone number for the USGA Media Center is (203) 332-4045. The fax number is (203) 332-4046 . David Normoyle is the USGA media contact. Prior to the championship, you can reach him at (908) 234-2300, ext.1475. He will be at Brooklawn C.C. beginning July 18.