Blumenherst leads a field of 139 hopefuls at first LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournament next week
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Sept 9, 2009 - Former Duke University standout Amanda Blumenherst leads a cast of 139 players hoping to reach the pinnacle of women's golf when they tee it up at next week's LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournament. Mission Hills Country Club will once again host the first of two sectional qualifiers this season, Sept. 17-20, 2009 in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Blumenherst, the 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur Champion, brings an impressive resume to the Southern California desert this fall. A four-time American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Rolex All-American with 14 AJGA victories to her name, Blumenherst went on to become a three-time NCAA Player of the Year (2006-08) with 12 victories at Duke University. She was also the low amateur at the 2008 Kraft Nabisco Championship on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club. She is one of 79 current Duramed FUTURES Tour members hoping to advance to the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament this December in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Also in this year's field are 2009 Ladies European Tour (LET) winners Beatriz Recari (Finnair Masters) and Marianne Skarpnord (Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open), and Mallory Blackwelder, daughter of veteran LPGA member and University of Kentucky women's golf coach Myra Blackwelder.
This year's field once again showcases the international reach of the LPGA Tour and women's golf. In all, 52 of the 139 players in the Southern California qualifier are from outside the U.S. Eleven players born in South Korea lead the way, followed by six from Canada, four born in Australia, Japan, Spain and Sweden, respectively, and three each from Norway and Columbia. Other countries represented include Ecuador (1), Finland (1), France (1), Germany (2), Greece (1), Mexico (1), Scotland (2), Switzerland (1), Taiwan (2), Thailand (1) and Venezuela (1).
Within the U.S., 33 states are represented in the first LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournament as California leads the way with 24 entrants. Florida (9), Arizona (6), Hawaii (4) and Nevada (3) are also well-represented.
The 72-hole sectional will be played on the Palmer and Dinah Shore Courses at Mission Hills Country Club. The Dinah Shore Course is the host site of the Tour's first major of the season, the Kraft Nabisco Championship. The field will be cut to the low-70 players and ties after 36 holes. After four rounds, the top-30 players and ties will advance to the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament, Dec. 2-6, 2009, at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The second LPGA Tour Sectional Qualifying Tournament will be Sept. 29-Oct. 2, 2009, at Plantation Golf and Country Club's Bobcat and Panther Courses in Venice, Fla. The top-30 finishers and ties from the Venice qualifier will join the top-30 players and ties from next week's sectional qualifier at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. Making up the rest of the field in Daytona Beach will be current LPGA Tour members attempting to improve their priority standing and eligible Duramed FUTURES Tour players who automatically advanced based on their position on the 2009 season-ending money list.
All media interested in covering the upcoming LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournaments and the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament should apply for credentials at www.lpgamediacredentials.com.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Sept 9, 2009 - Former Duke University standout Amanda Blumenherst leads a cast of 139 players hoping to reach the pinnacle of women's golf when they tee it up at next week's LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournament. Mission Hills Country Club will once again host the first of two sectional qualifiers this season, Sept. 17-20, 2009 in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Blumenherst, the 2008 U.S. Women's Amateur Champion, brings an impressive resume to the Southern California desert this fall. A four-time American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Rolex All-American with 14 AJGA victories to her name, Blumenherst went on to become a three-time NCAA Player of the Year (2006-08) with 12 victories at Duke University. She was also the low amateur at the 2008 Kraft Nabisco Championship on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club. She is one of 79 current Duramed FUTURES Tour members hoping to advance to the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament this December in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Also in this year's field are 2009 Ladies European Tour (LET) winners Beatriz Recari (Finnair Masters) and Marianne Skarpnord (Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open), and Mallory Blackwelder, daughter of veteran LPGA member and University of Kentucky women's golf coach Myra Blackwelder.
This year's field once again showcases the international reach of the LPGA Tour and women's golf. In all, 52 of the 139 players in the Southern California qualifier are from outside the U.S. Eleven players born in South Korea lead the way, followed by six from Canada, four born in Australia, Japan, Spain and Sweden, respectively, and three each from Norway and Columbia. Other countries represented include Ecuador (1), Finland (1), France (1), Germany (2), Greece (1), Mexico (1), Scotland (2), Switzerland (1), Taiwan (2), Thailand (1) and Venezuela (1).
Within the U.S., 33 states are represented in the first LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournament as California leads the way with 24 entrants. Florida (9), Arizona (6), Hawaii (4) and Nevada (3) are also well-represented.
The 72-hole sectional will be played on the Palmer and Dinah Shore Courses at Mission Hills Country Club. The Dinah Shore Course is the host site of the Tour's first major of the season, the Kraft Nabisco Championship. The field will be cut to the low-70 players and ties after 36 holes. After four rounds, the top-30 players and ties will advance to the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament, Dec. 2-6, 2009, at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The second LPGA Tour Sectional Qualifying Tournament will be Sept. 29-Oct. 2, 2009, at Plantation Golf and Country Club's Bobcat and Panther Courses in Venice, Fla. The top-30 finishers and ties from the Venice qualifier will join the top-30 players and ties from next week's sectional qualifier at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. Making up the rest of the field in Daytona Beach will be current LPGA Tour members attempting to improve their priority standing and eligible Duramed FUTURES Tour players who automatically advanced based on their position on the 2009 season-ending money list.
All media interested in covering the upcoming LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournaments and the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament should apply for credentials at www.lpgamediacredentials.com.
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