Storylines For 2009 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship

Shannon Abarra. 14, of Wailuku, Hawaii, had her father, Ryan Abarra, caddie for her in sectional qualifying for this championship. It was the first time she had ever used a caddie, but Ryan will be on her bag again this week.

Taylor Barrett, 21, of York, S.C., made a hole-in-one in the 2004 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at Mira Vista G.C., in Fort Worth, Texas.

Sarah Brown, 17, of Phillipsburg, N.J., represented the USA on the 2008 USA Junior Ryder Cup Team.

Alexandra Buelow, 18, of Palm City, Fla., qualified for the 2001 U.S. Girls’ Junior at the age of 11, the youngest ever to reach the championship through sectional qualifying.

Mary Carmody, 22, of Cortland, N.Y., interned last summer with Jeff Handler, PGA Tour player Mike Weir’s strength coach.

Martine de Gannes, 19, of Blue Range, Trinidad and Tobago, believes she is the first woman from her country to play in a USGA championship.

Laura Deleonardis, 15, of Flower Mound, Texas, has a couple of interesting relatives. Her great-grandfather played minor league baseball, where he was the catcher for Baseball Hall-of-Fame pitcher, Sandy Koufax. Her grandfather plays in a rock band, at the age of 70.

Christy Fogerty, 18, of San Diego, Calif., has a few superstitions. She won’t use black golf tees and never puts a head-cover on the ground. Christy says the night before tournaments she always sleeps upside down in a dark closet, but we think she’s kidding about that one!

Mallory Fraiche, 21, of Metarie, La.;Stefanie Kenoyer, 20, of Lighthouse Point, Fla.;Candace Schepperle, 20, of Hoover, Ala.,  and Jennifer Song, 19, of La Canada, Calif., have all qualified for the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open. Song was also runner-up in the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship to Tiffany Joh, who has since turned pro.

Kristin Hill, 19, of Weston, Fla., is fluent in sign language.

Kay Hoey, 22, and Simone Hoey, 19, both of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., are sisters.

Kimberly Kim, 17, of Hilo, Hawaii, won the 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur at the age of 14, the youngest champion in history. She also was a member of the victorious 2008 USA Curtis Cup team.

Leigh Klasse, 49, of St. Anthony, Minn., won a USGA gold medal as a member of the Minnesota squad that won the 2001 Women’s State Team Championship.

Stephanie Kono, 19, of Honolulu, Hawaii, is playing in her 15th USGA championship. She recently finished her freshman season at UCLA.

Karen Mardeusz, 21, of Novi, Mich., and an incoming senior at Boston University, has quite a sports pedigree. She was captain of her high school teams in golf and basketball, won the Garn Griffin Student-Athlete Award and in college was captain of the women’s golf team in 2008 and won the Athlete of the Week award on four occasions.

Mary Mattson, 21, of Ijamesville, Md., is the only member of her family who plays golf. She says that her father, Roy, sometimes caddies for her nevertheless, “and I have to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.”

Briana Mao, 15, of Folsom, Calif., won the women’s club championship at her club at the age of 10 and her father, Lee Mao, won the men’s club championship in the same year.

Marion Maney-McInerney, 46, of Medfield, Mass., won the 1992 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Old Marsh G.C. in Florida, beating Carol Semple Thompson, 1 up, on the 19th hole.

Ashley Wynn Medders, 23, of Alma, Ga., graduated from the University of Arkansas this year and says her favorite hobby is watching crime shows on television.

Kristina Merkle, 17, of Honolulu, Hawaii, will celebrate her 18th birthday during this championship, on Wednesday, the first day of match play.

Gianna Misenhelter, 17, of Overland Park, Kan., can  juggle.

Mike Neoka, 20, of Lihue, Hawaii, once played with Tiger Woods in a pro-am.

Whitney Leigh Neuhauser, 21, of Barboursville, Va., when not playing golf often drives a tractor for the 1,500-acre farm her father manages.

Kristina Nhim, 16, of Buena Park, Calif., loves to collect a certain brand of lollipop’s paper wrappers because they’re pretty and colorful.

Madison Pressel, 17, of Boca Raton, Fla., is the sister of 2005 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Morgan Pressel, now a star on the LPGA Tour. Madison will attend the University of Texas in the fall.

Kristen Schelling, 19, of Mesa, Ariz., represented the USA on the 2006 Junior Ryder Cup Team.

Sara Whitney, 20, of Hingham, Mass., annually hosts the South Shore Girls’ Junior Invitational, a tournament giving girls the opportunity to compete. She received a grant from her town to run the tournament, which is in its second year.

Storylines compiled by Rhonda Glenn.