Par And Yardage The Championship will be conducted over the Green Course, which will play at 6,159 yards and a par of 36-3672.
Architect Rees Jones designed the Green Course, which was opened in 1991
Pairings And Starting Times Pairings and starting times will be distributed to the media the week of June 22nd. They will also be posted on the USGA Internet site at www.usga.org.
www.usga.org/championships -- Log on to the USGA Internet site (www.usga.org/championships) for the latest U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links information during the championship.
Defending Champion Michelle Wie, 14, is the defending champion. In 2003, she became history's youngest winner of an adult USGA championship when she captured the WAPL at Ocean Hammock Golf Club in Palm Coast, Fla., at the age of 13, with a 1-up victory in the 36-hole final against Virada Nirapathpongporn.
Virginia And The USGA The Commonwealth of Virginia has hosted 14 USGA championships. The first was the 1928 U.S. Women's Amateur, at The Homestead, in Hot Springs. The last was the 2003 USGA Senior Amateur at The Virginian Golf Club, in Bristol. Virginia has also hosted the Curtis Cup Match, the U.S. Amateur, the U.S. Mid-Amateur, the U.S. Women's Open, the USGA Senior Women's Amateur and the USGA Men's and Women's State Team Championships. In 1991, the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links was played at Birdwood Golf Course in Charlottesville.
The Field A total of 753 contestants entered the 2004 championship. The record of 1,085 was set in 1986.
Schedule Of Play
Tuesday, June 22nd Qualifying, 18 holes, stroke play
Wednesday, June 23rd Qualifying, 18 holes stroke play, (field reduced to the lowest 64 players, who advance to match play).
Thursday, June 24th First round, 18 holes, match play.
Friday, June 25th Second and third round, 18 holes, match play.
Saturday, June 26th Quarterfinals and semifinals, 18 holes, match play.
Sunday, June 27th Final, 36 holes, match play. Awards ceremony following play.
Admission Admission is free. Tickets are not needed for this USGA championship, and spectators are encouraged to attend.
The Golf Course Rees Jones designed the Green Course at Golden Horseshoe Golf Club. The scenic woodland setting for the course features numerous forested areas, ponds and creeks. Landing areas for tee shots range from generous to narrow. Undulating greens offer a number of treacherous, but fair, hole locations.
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.
- An exemption from local qualifying for the next five U.S. Women's Open championships.
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 The championship is open to women amateur golfers who, since Jan. 1, 2004, have been bona fide public course players and have not held privileges at any course that does not expend 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. Entries closed on May 5, 2004.
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 2003 final
was the second to be played at 36 holes and, once again, was decided
on the last (36th) hole when Michelle Wie won, 1 up.
The 36-hole final format started in 2002 at Sunriver. The final
match has never been decided in extra holes.
Team Championship The 2003 WAPL Team Championship was won by the team from Murrietta, Calif. Thirty-two teams competed.
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. Former WAPL runners-up include Lauri Merten and Vicki Goetze. Virada Nirapathpongporn, the runner-up in 2003, won the 2003 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship.
HOLE-BY-HOLE SET UP 6,157 yards, par 36-3672. Holes one through nine: No. 1, 377-yard par 4; No. 2, 334-yard par 4; No. 3, 342-yard par 4; No. 4, 359-yard par 4; No. 5, 498-yard par 5; No. 6, 402-yard par 4; No. 7, 134-yard par 3; No. 8, 503-yard par 5; No. 9, 153-yard par 3.
Holes 10 through 18: No. 10, 336-yard par 4; No. 11, 130-yard par 3; No. 12, 369-yard par 4; No. 13, 345-yard par 4; No. 14, 372-yard par 4; No. 15, 512-yard par 5; No. 16, 350-yard par 4; No. 17, 177-yard par 3; No. 18, 466-yard par 4.
General Chairmen:
Glen Byrnes
Rick Viancour
(757) 220-7696
Director Of Golf Glen Byrnes
Course Superintendent Rick Viancour
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 accredited media representatives only.
