U.S. Girls' Junior Blog

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Mind-Boggling

Remember when the U.S. Girls' Junior used to be the first foray into USGA competition. Not anymore. Not when you have players who have already played in the U.S. Women's Open and U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links before making their first-ever Girls' Junior appearance. Shanshan Feng of the Peoples Republic of China did just that. Jennifer Song, 17, of Korea shared low-amateur honors at the Women's Open. She wasn't even originally entered in the Girls' Junior but when she qualified for the Open, she automatically became exempt for the Girls' Junior as the USGA files blank entries for those who become eligibile after the close of entries. Danielle Kang, 14, of Oak Park, Calif., also qualified for the Women's Open prior to getting into the Girls' Junior. Mina Harigae, the reigning WAPL champion, is competing in her 15th USGA event this week. She is only 17. It's a perfect example of how progressive these young female players have become. And this is a trend that's likely to continue.

Posted By David Shefter At 7:22 PM •

On Site

I finally have arrived in the Pacific Northwest. After a long flight and finally getting a few hours sleep on Friday night, I have officially set foot on the grounds at Tacoma Country and Golf Club. What a place! I'm not sure I came to a golf course or a summer retreat. The facility backs up to a large lake where you can see people water skiing and fishing. Wow! I could get used to this. Even the sun has come out. A few weeks ago, people in these parts couldn't shed a bizarre heat wave that saw temperatures climb into triple digits. But for the last week or so, the Greater Seattle area has been pummelled by constant rains. Hopefully, things will stay dry for the championship, but when you are in the Pacific Northwest, you have to expect some precipitation. Nevertheless, it is great to be here. I'm now off to the course to do some exploring and to catch up with my first story of the week. Be back later with more. David Shefter USGA Staff Writer

Posted By David Shefter At 12:28 PM •

Friday, July 20, 2007

Welcome

Welcome to the 2007 U.S. Girls' Junior blog. All week, we are going to bring you some of the flavor from this national championship for the under-18 set from Tacoma Country and Golf Club. TC&G is the oldest club west of the Mississippi. It actually opened the same year the USGA was founded (1894). This will be the fourth USGA championship held here. In 1961, Seattle native Anne Sander won the U.S. Women's Amateur. The last USGA event to be waged here was 13 years ago when Sarah Lebrun Ingram won the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur. This should be an interesting week. We have three USGA champions in the field, including U.S. Girls' Junior defender Jenny Shin, 14, of Torrance, Calif. The other champs in the field are 2006 U.S. Women's Amateur champion Kimberly Kim, 15, of Hilo, Hawaii, and 17-year-old reigning U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links winner Mina Harigae of Monterey, Calif. Harigae is looking to become just the second female to win two USGA championships in the same year; the other being Pearl Sinn in 1988 when she won the WAPL and Women's Amateur. Harigae has plenty of challengers. You've got 12-year-old Alexis Thompson of Coral Springs, Fla., the youngest-ever qualifier for a U.S. Women's Open. Thompson is one of three 12-year-olds in the field. Lindy Duncan of Daytona Beach, Fla., advanced to the Women's Amateur semifinals a year ago. You've got Jane Rah of Torrance, Calif., who has gone deep in previous USGA events. Tiffany Lua of Rowland Heights, Calif., was the 2007 WAPL stroke-play medalist and a Women's Open qualifier. Anyway, we will have much more from the site as the week progresses. Please don't hesitate to make a comment or to shoot us an e-mail. We'd love to hear from you, especially if you know of a good story or two. The future of women's golf will be on display, but on July 28, just one young lady will get to hoist the trophy. Who that will be is anyone's guess at this juncture. But it will sure be fun watching these talented players do battle against the course and their fellow opponents in the chase for the ultimate prize in female junior golf. David Shefter USGA Staff Writer

Posted By David Shefter At 7:14 PM •