2006 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Fact Sheet

June 20 - 25
Walking Stick Golf Course, Pueblo, Colo.

PAR AND YARDAGE – Walking Stick Golf Course will play at 6,263 yards and a par of 36-36—72.

HOLE BY HOLE – Holes 1-9 will play at 3,114 yards and par 36.

** Holes 10-18 will play at 3,149 and par 36. **

COURSE SETUP –
Teeing ground – Height of grass – ½ inch
Fairways and approaches – Height of grass – ½ inch
Putting green collars – Height of grass – one mower width at ½ inch
Putting greens – Height of grass – 5/32 of an inch with a speed of 9.5-10 feet on USGA Stimpmeter
Primary rough – Height of grass – approximately 2½ to 3 inches

The championship setup results in a USGA Course Rating of 74.4 and a Slope Rating of 132.

ARCHITECT – Arthur Hills designed Walking Stick Golf Course, which opened in 1991. This is the second consecutive year a Hills-designed course will be a venue for a USGA public links championship. Shaker Run in Lebanon, Ohio, hosted the 2005 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship.

CITY OF PUEBLO AND WALKING STICK – The course is owned and operated by the City of Pueblo and it is named after a native plant that grows on the site. A Walking Stick can grow to 4 or 5 feet and has twisty, prickly branches. Walking Stick has never hosted a USGA championship, but it has been the site of U.S. Open local qualifying (including 2006) as well as the Colorado Section PGA Championship, the Colorado Amateur Stroke Play Championship and the National Insurance Youth Classic.

GROUPINGS AND STARTING TIMES – Groupings and starting times for stroke-play qualifying will be distributed to the media the week before play begins. They will also be posted on the USGA Internet site at www.usga.org.

WWW.USGAORG/CHAMPIONSHIPS – Log on to the USGA Internet site http://www.uswapl.org for the latest U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links information during the championship. The site features stories on contestants, recaps from each day’s play, course information, starting times and scoring.

DEFENDING CHAMPION – Eun Jung Lee, a 17-year-old from Korea, rallied from a 5-hole deficit to defeat Tiffany Chudy, 19, of Miramar, Fla., in 37 holes to win the 2005 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links title at Swope Memorial Golf Course in Kansas City, Mo.

It was the first extra-hole championship match in the 29-year history of the event. The WAPL went to a 36-hole final in 2002. It was the third consecutive year that the final match went at least to the 36th hole.

Lee became the ninth Korean-born player to win a USGA championship. Three Koreans captured USGA titles in 2005 (Birdie Kim won the Women’s Open and In-Kyung Kim won the Girls’ Junior).

"I thought chances would come," said Lee, a high school senior in Seoul, through an interpreter. "I had confidence that I could do it. I am so happy right now."

Chudy, a University of Florida sophomore, built a 4-up lead after the morning 18 and extended that advantage to 5 up with a birdie at the 23rd hole. But Lee, who comes to the U.S. during the summer to compete, started her comeback at the very next hole with the first of three birdies over a four-hole stretch.

"After the birdie on the ninth (27th of the match), I felt I could do it," said Lee, who trimmed the deficit to 1 up with a winning par at the 30th hole. Chudy still had a 1-up lead going to the 36th hole, but missed a 4-foot par putt that would have given her the victory.

At the first extra hole, Chudy pulled her drive near a thick tree trunk. Using an abbreviated swing, she punched a shot 25 yards short of the green. Her third shot stopped 8 feet from the hole, while Lee’s approach shot was 30 feet from the flagstick. Her birdie try stopped 2 feet from the hole and when Chudy failed to convert her par putt, Lee claimed the title by holing her short putt.

Lee has since turned pro and will not defend her title.

COLORADO AND THE USGA – This is the second time the Women’s Amateur Public Links has visited the state, and it is the state’s 27th USGA championship. Hyland Hills in Westminster hosted the 1990 WAPL.

EXEMPTIONS – A total of 22 exempt players, including five of last year’s eight quarterfinalists, have entered the 2006 championship. The exempt players are:

THE FIELD – A total of 710 entries were accepted for the 2006 championship with the final field consisting of 144 (769 entered in 2005). The record of 1,085 was set in 1986.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY –
Tuesday and Wednesday, June 20-21 – Qualifying, 18 holes, stroke play (field of 144 reduced to the lowest 64 players, who advance to match play).
Thursday (June 22) – First round, 18 holes, match play.
Friday (June 23) – Second and third round, 18 holes, match play.
Saturday (June 24) – Quarterfinals and semifinals, 18 holes, match play.
Sunday (June 25) – Final, 36 holes, match play. Award ceremony following play.

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

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 Championship.
• A two-year exemption from sectional qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.
• An exemption from sectional qualifying for the next two U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championships (if eligible).
• An exemption from sectional qualifying for the next two USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championships (if eligible).
• 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, Ore. 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, 2006, 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 and have a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 18.4. The Handicap Index limit was introduced for the first time in 2005. 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 10.

QUALIFYING – National qualifying was held from May 16-June 3. Colorado had one sectional qualifier on May 30 at Fox Hollow Golf Course in the Denver suburb of Lakewood with 30 golfers competing for five berths. Results of the qualifiers can be found at http://www.usga.org/news/qualifying/2006/qualifying_wapl.html.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS – The Women’s Amateur Public Links Champion has been decided at the 18th hole on eight occasions. Kelly Fuiks (1977), Kelli Antolock (1983), Tracy Hanson (1991), Connie Masterson (1993) and Jody Niemann (1999) and Michelle Wie (2003) 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 2004 final was decided on the last (36th) hole when Ya-Ni Tseng defeated Wie, 1 up. In 2005, the final match went extra holes for the first time.

TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP – The 2005 WAPL Team Championship was won by the team from Conyers, Ga., with a 36-hole total of 285. Thirty-five 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, Wis. 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, Candie Kung and Michelle Wie. Kelly Fuiks, winner of the first two WAPL events, is married to noted teaching professional David Leadbetter. Former WAPL runners-up include Lauri Merten and Vicki Goetze. Virada Nirapathpongporn, the runner-up in 2003 to Michelle Wie, won the 2003 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.

WAPL JUNIOR DAYS – The USGA will present Catch the Spirit Junior Days June 21-23 at Elmwood Golf Course in Pueblo. These days are designed to introduce the game of golf to juniors. Each participant will receive a goodie bag and a free lunch (hot dog, chips and soda). After the activities, the juniors will be transported to Walking Stick Golf Course to attend the WAPL and get the chance to see some of the top female public-course players.

A Junior Golf Clinic is scheduled on June 21 (Wednesday) at 10:30 a.m. A Drive, Chip and Putt contest will be held June 22 (Thursday) at 10:30 a.m. and on June 23 (Friday), trick-shot artist Dennis Walters will perform. That will be followed by a Junior Golf Clinic.

Information regarding these Junior Days can be obtained by calling Matt Hazzard at the USGA Foundation at (719) 471-4810, extension 21 or via e-mail at mhazzard@usga.org.

LOCAL USGA GRANTS INITIATIVES
Pikes Peak Linkers – The Pikes Peak Linkers junior golf program is operated by the USGA Grants Office. Each year, this program provides the opportunity to learn the game of golf to between 90 and 100 kids from the Colorado Springs community. Over 15 weeks, participants receive professional instruction, life skills lessons, and on-course playing time. PPL draws kids from several local social service agencies, as well as kids from various school districts. Kids have the opportunity to earn a free set of golf clubs by attending every programming session and completing small homework assignments.

Contact:
Program Director Matt Sawicki
1631 Mesa Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Phone: (719) 471-4810, ext. 36
Fax: (719) 471-4976
E-mail: msawicki@usga.org

Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind Golf Program – The golf program for the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind (CSDB) is operated by the USGA Grants Office. This program serves approximately 20 students each year, and in 2006 will host 13 deaf students and 7 blind students. These kids receive professional instruction as well as on-course playing opportunities. CSDB students come from all over the state of Colorado, so the program participants come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some kids are completely blind or deaf, while others have partial hearing or sight loss. The overall goal of the program is to provide affordable access to the game to youth with disabilities. This program allows students from CSDB an opportunity to be exposed to the game and its inherent values.

Program Director:
Kimberly Brown
1631 Mesa Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
Phone: (719) 471-4810, ext. 19
Fax: (719) 471-4976
Email: kbrown@usga.org

LOCAL ORGANIZING – The general chairman of the 2006 WAPL is Mike Zaremba. Zaremba is the director of golf at Walking Stick and can be reached at (719) 553-1184. The superintendent is Rod Allen and the city manager is David Galli.

USGA CHAMPIONSHIP STAFF – The USGA’s director of the championship in advance 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 the chairman of the championship.

MEDIA CENTER – David Shefter is the USGA Media contact on site. Prior to the championship he can be reached at (908) 234-2300 x1315 or by cell phone (908) 763-2715. The Media Center phone numbers are (719) 542-7755 and (719) 542-7788.