U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR PUBLIC LINKS FACT SHEET
June 17-22, 2003
Ocean Hammock Golf Club
Palm Coast, Fla.

PAR AND YARDAGE - The Championship will be conducted on the Ocean Hammock course, which will play at 6,068 yards and a par of 36-36-72.

For the championship, Stimpmeter reading of the greens is 10 inches. Fairways and tees are of 419 Bermuda and the greens are Tif-Dwarf. The Primary Rough will be 2 - 2½ inches, and intermediate rough is to be mowed to a height of 1 - 1½ inches.

ARCHITECT - Jack Nicklaus designed the golf course, which opened in 2000.

ADMISSION - Admission is free. Tickets are not needed for this USGA championship, and spectators are encouraged to attend.

PAIRINGS AND STARTING TIMES - Pairings and starting times will be distributed to the media the week of June 17th. They will also be posted on the USGA Internet site at www.usga.org.

USGA TOLL-FREE INTERVIEW HOTLINE - A broadcast quality interview with the 2003 W.A.P.L. champion will be available for media use following the championship. Call (888) 321-USGA. The interviews are about three minutes in length.

WWW.USGA.ORG -- Log on to the USGA Internet site (www.usga.org) for the latest U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links information during the championship.

DEFENDING CHAMPION - Annie Thurman, 19, of Highland, Utah, defeated Hwanhee Lee, 19, of Cerritos, Calif., 6 and 5, to win the 2002 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship at the Meadows Course of the Sunriver Resort.

Thurman is the first woman from Utah to win a USGA championship.

In the semifinals, Thurman defeated Yvonne Choe, 19, of Temple City, Calif., 2 and 1. Lee defeated Michelle Wie, 12, of Honolulu, Hawaii, 3 and 2. Jessica Reese, 21, of Santa Rosa, Calif., took medalist honors with rounds of 76-66--142. All five contestants are expected to compete in the Women's Amateur Public Links again this year.

FLORIDA AND THE USGA - This will be the first U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship to be conducted in Florida, but the 16th USGA championship for the state. The first was the 1963 USGA Senior Women's Amateur at Country Club of Florida in Delray Beach. The last was the 2002 USGA Senior Amateur at Timuquana Country Club in Jacksonville.

THE FIELD - A total of 697 contestants have entered the 2003 championship. The record of 1,085 was set in 1986.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY -

Tuesday, June 17th - Qualifying, 18 holes, stroke play

Wednesday, June 18th - Qualifying, 18 holes, stroke play, (field reduced to the lowest 64 players, who advance to match play).

Thursday, June 19th - First and second rounds, 18 holes, match play.

Friday, June 20th - Third round and quarterfinals, 18 holes, match play.

Saturday, June 21st - Semifinals, 18 holes, match play.

Sunday, June 22nd - Final, 36 holes, match play.

THE GOLF COURSE - Jack Nicklaus designed the Ocean Hammock course at Palm Coast resort. The ocean-side layout along the dunes of the Atlantic features undulating greens, serene water hazards and many natural waste areas. Winds from the ocean should provide additional challenge.

FOR THE WINNER - The champion receives:

· A gold medal and custody of the Robert F. Dwyer Trophy for one year.

· A 10-year exemption from sectional qualifying for the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championships

· A two-year exemption from sectional qualifying for the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship.

· A one-year exemption from sectional qualifying for the next U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship.

THE TROPHY - The Championship trophy was presented in 1977 by Robert F. Dwyer, of Portland, Oregon. Dwyer was a member of the USGA Executive Committee from 1962 through 1974 and a member of the USGA Public Links Committee. At the same time, the USGA presented a team trophy.

WHO CAN PLAY - Entries closed May 7, 2003. The championship is open to women amateur golfers who, since Jan. 1, 2003, have been bona fide public course players and have not held privileges at any course that does not extend playing privileges to the general public, or privileges of any private club maintaining its own course. A bona fide public course player may hold incidental privileges of a course not open to the public when such privileges are provided by (1) an educational institution at which she is a student, or (2) a federal armed service of which she is a member, or (3) an industry by which she is employed.

EXEMPTIONS -- A total of 18 players, in 17 categories, are exempt from having to qualify for the championship including 2002 champion Annie Thurman. Among other exempt players are 2002 U.S. Women's Amateur champion Becky Lucidi of Poway, Calif., and 2002 quarterfinalists - Hwanhee Lee of Long Beach, Calif. (2002 runner-up), Yvonne Cho of Temple City, Calif., Amanda Wilson of Hilo, Hawaii, Michelle Wie of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Aimee Cho of Orlando, Fla.

QUALIFYING: Sectional qualifying, for the remaining 126 spots in the championship field of 144, was held from May 19-31 at 41 sites across the country.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS - The Women's Amateur Public Links Champion has been decided on the 18th hole on seven occasions. Kelly Fuiks (1977), Kelli Antolock (1983), Tracy Hanson (1991), Connie Masterson (1993) and Jody Niemann (1999) all won their final matches by a 1-up margin. In 1979, Lori Castillo won her final match, 2 up, and in 2001 Candie Kung won her final match, 2 up. The final match has never been decided in extra holes.

TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - The 2003 WAPL Team Championship was won by the team from Sacramento, Calif., by two strokes over the second-place team from Chicago, Ill. Sacramento's players were Mina Harigae, Jessica Reeves and Casey Gee.

HISTORY - In June 1977, when the deadline for entries to the very first U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship were tallied, this championship had attracted a field of 686 players - more than the combined fields of the 1977 Women's Amateur, Women's Open, Senior Women's Amateur and Girls' Junior. The total was amazing for several reasons.

First, this was a new championship that would need time to build interest. Secondly, some states didn't even have organizations to assist women public course players, conduct sectional qualifying, or raise funds. The 686 entries were drawn from only 24 states.

The 1977 Championship was played at Yahara Hills Golf Course (East Course) in Madison, Wisc. Kelly Fuiks, 19, of Phoenix, Ariz., was the first champion. Fuiks won again in 1978 and was selected for the 1980 USA Curtis Cup team before turning professional.

Pearl Sinn accomplished a unique double in 1988 when she won the Women's Amateur as well as the WAPL. When she repeated as WAPL Champion in 1989, she and Curtis Strange, who won the U.S. Open, were the only two to repeat as USGA champions that year.

PAST CHAMPIONS - Former WAPL winners who have gone on to professional careers include Danielle Ammaccapane, Heather Farr, Lori Castillo, Tracy Kerdyk, Pearl Sinn, Tracy Hanson, Jill McGill, Jo Jo Robertson, Amy Spooner, Jody Niemann, Catherine Cartwright, and Candie Kung. Past WAPL runners-up include Lauri Merten and Vicki Goetze.

HOLE-BY-HOLE SET UP - Holes one through nine: No. 1, 333-yard par 4; No. 2, 481-yard par 5; No. 3, 352-yard par 4; No. 4, 160-yard par 3; No. 5, 344-yard par 4; No. 6, 479-yard par 5; No. 7, 401-yard par 4; No. 8, 145-yard par 3; No. 9, 365-yard par 4.

Holes 10 through 18: No. 10, 482-yard par 5; No. 11, 330-yard par 4; No. 12, 152-yard par 3; No. 13, 359-yard par 4; No. 14, 487-yard par 5; No. 15, 341-yard par 4; No. 16, 352-yard par 4; No. 17, 135-yard par 3; No. 18, 370-yard par 4. Total: 6,068 yards, par 36-36-72.

GENERAL CHAIRMAN:

Michael McHenry -- (386) 445-2900

DIRECTOR OF GOLF: COURSE SUPERINTENDENT:
Kevin Baker Fred Kleinfelder

USGA CHAMPIONSHIP STAFF - The USGA's director of the championship is Teresa Belmont, who can be reached at Golf House at (908) 234-2300, ext. 1349. Christi Dickinson of the USGA Women's Committee is in charge of the championship.

MEDIA CENTER - Rhonda Glenn is the USGA media contact on site. Prior to the championship she can be reached at (561) 964-5151. The Media Center is open to all accredited media representatives.