Article posted by USGA,

The momentum from last year's highly successful U.S. Women's Open Championship at Pinehurst No. 2 continues, as a record 1,873 competitors have submitted entry applications to the USGA to play in the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open Championship at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club.

It is the second consecutive year that the U.S. Women's Open has set an entry record. The previous mark of 1,702 came in 2014, when the U.S. Women's Open was played immediately following the U.S. Open at Pinehurst. It also marks the ninth time since 2004 that the championship has accepted a record number of entries. Among this year’s total are 96 fully exempt players, including 11 Women’s Open champions.

“The United States Golf Association is proud to again have accepted record entries for the U.S. Women’s Open, which is an indicator of the growing strength of and interest in the women’s game,” said Diana Murphy, USGA vice president and chairman of the Championship Committee. "We have received tremendous support for this championship from Lancaster Country Club, as well as the residents and businesses in the greater Lancaster area. We look forward to bringing the championship, the pinnacle of women’s golf, to this classic course.”

To be eligible for the U.S. Women’s Open, a player must have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 2.4, or be a professional. Sectional qualifying will be conducted over 36 holes between May 9 and June 15. Qualifying will be held at 21 sites in the United States, as well as four international sites, in the People’s Republic of China, England, the Republic of Korea and Japan.

Michelle Wie, who captured the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open, is one of 11 fully exempt champions. Wie is joined by Na Yeon Choi (2012), Paula Creamer (2010), Laura Davies (1987), Eun-Hee Ji (2009), Cristie Kerr (2007), Birdie Kim (2005), Se Ri Pak (1998), Inbee Park (2008, 2013), So Yeon Ryu (2011) and Karrie Webb (2000, 2001). Twenty-five of the exempt players have combined to win 31 USGA championships, including four of the last five U.S. Women’s Amateurs – Kristen Gillman (2014), world No. 1 Lydia Ko (2012) and Danielle Kang (2010, 2011).

The USGA accepted entries for the 70th U.S. Women’s Open from golfers in 49 states (all except Maine) and 54 foreign countries. Of the United States entries, California had the most with 294, followed by Florida with 275 and Texas with 143. Of the foreign entries, 191 were received from Japanese players, followed by Korea with 94 and Canada with 61. For the second consecutive year, 10-year-old Alexa Pano, of Lake Worth, Fla., was the championship’s youngest entrant. The oldest entrant is Debby Pinnell, 64, of Leland, N.C.

Sally Watson, a professional from Scotland who played on the 2008 and 2010 Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup Teams, was the first applicant when entries opened on Wednesday, March 4. Amateur Lauren Atkinson, of Bow, Wash., submitted the championship’s final entry approximately six minutes before entries closed on Wednesday, May 6.

There are still several ways for players to gain an exemption into the U.S. Women’s Open. The winner of the 2015 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and any other LPGA co-sponsored events prior to the start of the U.S. Women’s Open will earn exemptions. Additionally, the top 50 point leaders and ties from the Rolex Rankings as of July 5 will be added to the exempt list, provided they were not previously exempt into the championship.

More information about the U.S. Women’s Open before, during and after the 2015 championship is available at uswomensopen.com

I just ended my two months China Land journey and can say without a doubt that today China Golf is European Class. Actually, the last two European Tour event hosted in China have been won by Chinese. On the men side, Wu AhShun conquer with drama the Volvo China Open part of the European Tour and on the lady side, ShanShan Feng won with comfort the LET Buick Championship part of the LadiesEuropean Tour and all this within just a two weeks stretch in Shanghai. I was lucky enough to be able to Share both of those Historical Moments as I was there on the putting Green with Wu Ah Shun when he find out about his win and I monitor CaddiePlayer ShanShan on her winning round in Buick.

Chengdu, Chongqing, Haikou, Sanya, Haikou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xiamen and Shanghai: Yes, you read correctly 9 City/Stops in 8 weeks… this is a lot of Taxis, Hotels, Subways, Buses Trains, Planes and more walks/talks to find my way in a country where English speaking is often not the way to get around… Thanks to all my Chinese friends who have helped me, without them I would not have come close to be where I am today.

Haikou, Mission Hills World cup (LadiesEuropeanTour), Haikou, Mission Hills Buick Championship (ChinaPGATour), Shenzhen, International (EuropeanTour), Shanghai, Volvo China Open (EuropeanTour), Shanghai, Buick Championship (LadiesEuropeanTour): Five tours stops where I continued to promote/research/monitor/confront/suggest/ that CaddiePlayer Solution together with the PuttZones System are the ultimate Performance Tool available today.

In that regards, and in order to make it even faster and better, I have also used my China time to update the “CaddiePlayer Softwear”. Soon those update will be finalize and I shall communicate more details. To improve its understanding, I have also launch a new link/communication name as www.everyzonecounts.com in reference to www.everyshotcounts.com from Mark Broadie Stats Guru.

During my “no Chomage” China weeks I Caddie for 2 tour players, CaddiePlayer 10 tours players and commit an CaddiePlayer agreement with 2 new Players.

I shall be back to China sometimes in October until this time many more CaddiePlayer success stories news shall be posted.

Best regards, #IwasCaddiePlayerInChina2Months, Stéphane Barras

Note: From May to October any CaddiePlayer Members will get complimentary rounds of golf in Golf Club Chailly in Burgundy France first CaddiePlayer Center > www.chailly.com   

                                                                                                                        In Front of the Art China Building Masters Piece (Shanghai)

Turkish Airlines Challenge Tour, First Top20 for Joel Girrbach.

• Player Comment: Great Result for the first Challenge Tour Event as a Pro :-)
• CaddiePlayer Comment: Well done! This is well deserve. Your putts stats impressive!

All results from Turkish Challenge Tour > http://www.europeantour.com/challengetour/season=2015/tournamentid=2015736/leaderboard/index.html

Brazilian Victory Lovelady lit up the Shanghai Qizhong Garden Golf Course in the first round of the Buick Championship on Thursday when she made a hole-in-one at the 16^th, to win a top of the range Buick GL8, worth approximately 60,000 euros.

Having received an invitation to play in the tournament courtesy of the golf club, Lovelady used a hybrid 5 club to ace the 187-yard par-3 16^th, which played as her seventh hole.

After signing for an opening round of one under par 71, she told reporters: “I started today playing a little but poorly: I started bogey, par, bogey. Right before the hole in one I had a birdie so I was happy. With that shot, the wind was crossed, right to left. From the practice round I remembered that the green was very firm so I thought, ‘I’m just going to have fun here, hit a draw and let the wind take it and do my best.’

“All of a sudden, I see the ball crossing in front of the flag. It bounced left of the flag and then all of a sudden the ball goes right and hits the pin and I hear the noise and I’m like, ‘I can’t believe it just went in!’ I was hugging all the caddies and all the players and everyone was happy so it was a lot of fun. Then everyone started to point behind my back. I was just happy with my score but then all of a sudden I had won a Buick and that was really amazing.”

Lovelady, who began to play golf in Rio de Janeiro, which will host the Olympics Games next summer, felt extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to compete in the tournament.

She added: “I feel extremely blessed to be playing this sport, to be part of the LET and to be able to come to China to play. Not many people have that chance. I want to thank the people who invited me here. Coming from Brazil, a country of 200 million where only 15,000 people play golf, I feel extremely blessed to be one of them and representing my country in this fantastic tournament in amazing conditions on this great course.”

 

source > http://ladieseuropeantour.com/?p=30758