2006 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship Fact Sheet

July 17 - 22
Carmel Country Club
Charlotte, N.C.

PAR AND YARDAGE — Carmel Country Club will play at 6,396 yards with par of 72.

WHO CAN PLAY? — The U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship is open to female amateur players who will have not reached their 18^th birthday on or before July 23, and who have a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 18.4.

CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE HOLE BY HOLE — 6,396 yards, par 72

USGA COURSE RATING™ AND SLOPE RATING® — The USGA Course Rating for Carmel Country Club is 77.1; Slope Rating is 138.

ARCHITECT — The South Course, on which the Girls’ Junior will be contested, was originally designed by Ellis Maples in the 1960s. In 1988, the course was completely renovated by Rees Jones. The decision was made to renovate so the club could keep up with the growing number of members.

COURSE LAYOUT — The fairways will measure a little more than a half-inch in height. The intermediate rough will measure 1 ½ inches with a width approximately 6 feet. Depending on density, the primary rough will stand between 2 and 2 ½ inches high.

The goal is to have the putting greens run 10.5 feet on the USGA Stimpmeter.

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 July 15 (Saturday) and July 16 (Sunday). 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 as follows:

• July 17 (Monday) - First round of stroke play
• July 18 (Tuesday) - Second round of stroke play

• July 19 (Wednesday) - First and second rounds of match play
• July 20 (Thursday) - Third and quarterfinal rounds of match play
• July 21(Friday) - Semifinals, match play

• July 22 (Saturday) - Final, match play (36 holes)

DEFENDING CHAMPION — In-Kyung Kim has turned 18 and is not eligible to defend her title.

At the 2006 championship, Kim beat former Girls’ Junior champion In-Bee Park, 5 and 4, at BanBury Golf Club in Eagle, Idaho. Park has also since turned 18 and is ineligible for this year’s Girls’ Junior.

TOP RETURNEES — Fifteen 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. One, Ya-Ni Tseng of Chinese Taipei, opted not to enter this year. They are:

• Sydney Burlison - 2003 Women’s Amateur (match play); 2003 Women’s Open
• Esther Choe - 2004 Girls’ Junior semifinalist; 2005 Women’s Amateur (match play); 2005 Women’s Open
• Kimberly Donovan - 2005 Women’s Amateur (match play)
• Megan Grehan - 2004, 2005 Women’s Opens
• Mina Harigae - 2004 Girls’ Junior quarterfinalist; 2003, 2004, 2005 Women’s Amateurs (match play); 2006 USA Curtis Cup team alternate
• Vicky Hurst - 2005 Women’s Amateur (match play)
• Ayaka Kaneko - 2005 Women’s Amateur (match play)
• Taylore Karle - 2005 Women’s Amateur (match play)
• Kimberly Kim - 2006 Women’s Open
• Joanne Lee - 2005 Girls’ Junior semifinalist
• Isabelle Lendl - 2004 Women’s Amateur (match play)
• Tiffany Lua - 2005 Women’s Amateur (match play)
• Jane Rah - 2005 Women’s Amateur (match play), 2006 USA Curtis Cup team alternate
• Maria Uribe - 2005 Women’s Amateur (match play)

WOMEN’S OPEN PARTICIPANTS – There were 11 girls who played in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open at Newport Country Club. Of the 11, one (Kimberly Kim) made the cut. Here is a list of the 11 girls:

• Esther Choe
• Megan Grehan
• Vicky Hurst
• Ayaka Kaneko
• Taylore Karle
• Kimberly Kim
• Stacey Kim
• Stephanie Kono
• Joanne Lee

• Jane Rah

• Maria Jose Uribe

ENTRIES — The USGA accepted a record 899 entries for the 2006 U.S. Girls’ Junior. The old record for most entries, 870, was set in 2002. Entries closed May 31.

SECTIONAL QUALIFYING — Sectional qualifying was held at 33 sites from June 13 — 28.

CAROLINA GIRLS — Sectional qualifying was held at Furman Golf Club in Greenville, S.C., on June 16. Nine girls qualified from that spot, six of whom have Carolina ties. They are (in order of how they finished): Medalist Austin Ernst, Seneca, S.C.; Alex Rankin of Anderson, S.C.; Haley Stephens of Greer, S.C.; Sarah Almond of Albemarle, N.C.; Molly Plomaritis of Eden, N.C.; and Taylor Weaver of Spartanburg, S.C.

Also, at Independence Golf Club in Midlothian, Va., on June 19, medalist Cydney Clanton of Concord, N.C., qualified.

FOR THE WINNER — The champion of the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship 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’ Juniors, if otherwise eligible
• An exemption from sectional qualifying for the next two U.S. Women’s Amateurs
• An exemption from local qualifying for the next five U.S. Women’s Opens
• An exemption from sectional qualifying for the next U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, if otherwise eligible

THE USGA AND NORTH CAROLINA - The 2006 Girls’ Junior mark the 22^nd USGA championship held in the state. This will be the second time the Girls’ Junior will be played in the North Carolina, the last time being in 1989 at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club.

CARMEL COUNTRY CLUB — The club is hosting its first USGA championship. Last year the club was one of the sectional qualifying sites for the Girls’ Junior.

HISTORY OF THE GIRLS’ JUNIOR — The U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship was established in 1949, one year after the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, and played at Philadelphia Country Club in Pennsylvania. 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. In addition, 15 Girls’ Junior champions have gone on to represent the United States of America on the Curtis Cup team.

FORMAT CHANGE — This is the first year the two finalists will play a 36-hole final. The old format use to call for an 18-hole final.

MULTIPLE VICTORIES — Hollis Stacy won the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship three consecutive years (1969, 1970 and 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)

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

TELEVISION COVERAGE — The Golf Channel will air the semifinal and final matches from 5-7 p.m. on Friday (July 21) and Saturday (July 22), respectively.

FUTURE GIRLS’ JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP SITES — The 2007 U.S. Girls’ Junior will be conducted at Tacoma Country & Golf Club in Lakewood, Wash., July 23-28. No site has been set for 2008.

MEDIA CONTACT — Ken Klavon and Karen Moraghan will be the USGA media contacts at the 2006 Girls’ Junior. They can be reached in the media center at 704-688-9206, or Ken can be contacted at (cell) 908-447-4059 or via e-mail at kklavon@usga.org or Karen can be reached at 908-963-6013 or via e-mail at kmoraghan@hunter-pr.com.