Lydia Ko
CLEVELAND, Ohio (Aug. 6, 2012) -- The youngest player in the championship is 10-year-old Latanna Stone, of Valrico, Fla. She is the third youngest qualifier in USGA history, following Allisen Corpuz at the 2008 Women’s Amateur Public Links and Michelle Wie at the 2000 Women’s Amateur Public Links. The oldest player in the championship is 56-year-old Brenda Pictor, of Marietta, Ga.
The average age of the Women’s Amateur field is 20.4 years of age.
The field is composed of players from 18 countries: Australia, Canada, Colombia, England, France, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Paraguay, the People’s Republic of China, the Philippines, Scotland, South Africa, Thailand and the United States.
There are 35 states represented in the Women’s Amateur field: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.
There are eight USGA champions in the field: Amy Anderson, 20, of Oxbow, N.D. (2009 Girls’ Junior); Mina Hardin, 51, of Fort Worth, Texas (2010 Senior Women’s Amateur); Ariya Jutanugarn, 16, of Thailand (2011 Girls’ Junior); Martha Leach, 50, of Hebron, Ky. (2009 Women’s Mid-Amateur); Minjee Lee, 16, of Australia (2012 Girls’ Junior); Ellen Port, 50, of St. Louis, Mo. (1995, 1996, 2000, 2011 Women’s Mid-Amateur); Meghan Stasi, 34, of Oakland Park, Fla. (2006, 2007, 2010 Women’s Mid-Amateur); and Emily Tubert, 20, of Burbank, Calif. (2010 Women’s Amateur Public Links).
There are 10 USGA runners-up in the field: Dottie Ardina, 18, of the Philippines (2011 Girls’ Junior); Karen Chung, 17, of Livingston, N.J. (2008 Girls’ Junior); Marissa Dodd, 18, of Allen, Texas (2011 Women’s Amateur Public Links); Mina Hardin (2011 Senior Women’s Amateur); Moriya Jutanugarn, 18, of Thailand (2011 Women’s Amateur); Martha Leach (2011 Women’s Mid-Amateur); Alison Lee, 17, of Valencia, Calif. (2012 Girls’ Junior); Lisa McCloskey, 20, of Houston, Texas (2010 Women’s Amateur Public Links); Ellen Port (2001 Women’s Mid-Amateur); and Ashlan Ramsey, 16, of Milledgeville, Ga. (2012 Women’s Amateur Public Links).
There are six members of the 2012 USA Curtis Cup Team in the field: Amy Anderson; Austin Ernst, 20, of Seneca, S.C.; Tiffany Lua, 21, of Rowland Heights, Calif.; Lisa McCloskey; Erica Popson, 21, of Davenport, Fla.; and Emily Tubert. Tiffany Lua also represented the USA at the 2010 Match. Ellen Port played on the 1994 and 1996 USA Teams, while Meghan Stasi played on the 2008 Team.
There are three members of the 2012 Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup Team in the field: Holly Clyburn, 21, of England; Bronte Law, 17, of England; and Stephanie Meadow, 20, of Northern Ireland. Holly Clyburn also represented GB&I in 2010, while Sally Watson, 20, of Scotland, was a member of the 2008 and 2010 GB&I Teams.
Ten players in the Women’s Amateur field competed in the 2012 Women’s Open: Elisabeth Bernabe, 17, of Anaheim Hills, Calif.; Jaye Marie Green, 18, of Boca Raton, Fla.; Moriya Jutanugarn; Megan Khang, 14, of Rockland, Mass.; Lydia Ko, 15, of New Zealand; Alison Lee; Maria Gabriela Lopez, 18, of Mexico; Stephanie Meadow; Kelly Shon, 20, of Port Washington, N.Y.; and Emma Talley, 18, of Princeton, Ky. Lydia Ko, Alison Lee and Emma Talley made the cut, with Lydia Ko taking low-amateur honors.
As of Aug. 1, 15 players in the Women’s Amateur field are in the top 25 of the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking: Celine Boutier, 18, of France (No. 15); Casey Danielson, 17, of Osceola, Wis. (No. 22); Breanna Elliott, 20, of Australia (No. 9); Austin Ernst (No. 13); Jaye Marie Green (No. 11); Whitney Hillier, 21, of Australia (No. 16); Chirapat Jao-Javanil, 19, of Thailand (No. 24); Ariya Jutanugarn (No. 2); Moriya Jutanugarn (No. 10); Hyo-Joo Kim, 17, of Korea (No. 3); Lydia Ko (No. 1); Minjee Lee (No. 4); Lisa McCloskey (No. 25); Stephanie Meadow (No. 12); and Su-Hyun Oh, 16, of Australia (No. 23).
Thirteen players have participated in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship: Jayvie Marie Agojo, 26, of the Philippines (2004); Dottie Ardina (2006, 2010); Isabelle Boineau, 23, of France (2006); Holly Clyburn (2010); Diana Fernandez, 20, of Paraguay (2010); Moriya Jutanugarn (2008); Jennifer Kirby, 21, of Canada (2010); Lydia Ko (2010); Maria Gabriela Lopez (2010); Lisa McCloskey (2010, representing her birth country of Colombia); Marijosse Navarro, 15, of San Antonio, Texas (2010, representing her birth country of Mexico); Sally Watson (2010); and Christine Wong, 20, of Canada (2010).
There are four sets of sisters in the field: Carly and Emily Childs, 18 and 22, of Alameda, Calif.; Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn; McKenzie and Steffi Neisen, 17 and 20, of New Prague, Minn.; and Mariana and Sierra Sims, 17 and 16, of Austin, Texas. There is also one set of cousins: Cherokee Kim, 16, of Dupont, Wash., and Erynne Lee, 19, of Silverdale, Wash.
For a full look at the players that make up the 2012 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship, follow this link: