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King leads sectional qualifiers for 2011 US Women’s Open

Far Hills, N.J. (June 6) – Two-time U.S. Women’s Open champion Betsy King of Arizona leads the list of sectional qualifiers for the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, which will be played July 7-10 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo. Eighty-two players were fully exempt into the championship’s 156-player field, leaving 74 spots open in the field for qualifiers. Two spots are still being held open for the winners of the two LPGA Tour events to be played before the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, should those winners not already be fully exempt. King, who won the 1989 and 1990 championships, will be playing in her 30th Women’s Open. She last played in the 2004 championship. King, at age 55, will be the oldest player in the field at The Broadmoor, where she tied for third in the 1995 U.S. Women’s Open. Five other USGA champions also qualified: Amy Anderson, 18, of Oxbow, N.D. (2009 Girls’ Junior); Silvia Cavalleri, 38, of Italy (1997 Women’s Amateur); Doris Chen, 18, of Bradenton, Fla. (2010 Girls’ Junior); Julieta Granada, 23, of Paraguay (2004 U.S. Girls’ Junior); and Jane Park, 24, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. (2004 Women’s Amateur). At age 12, Mariel Galdiano, of Pearl City, Hawaii, will be the youngest player in the U.S. Women’s Open field. Galdiano, who earned medalist honors at the sectional qualifier at Poipu Bay Golf Club in Koloa, Hawaii, is the third-youngest qualifier in Women’s Open history, at 12 years, 11 months and 3 days old. Alexis Thompson was 12 years, 4 months and 18 days old when she qualified for the 2007 championship and Morgan Pressel was 12 years, 11 months old when she qualified in 2001. Jessica Korda, 18, of Bradenton, Fla., who won her sectional qualifier at The Oaks Club in Osprey, Fla., by six strokes, leads the list of teenage qualifiers for the 2011 Women’s Open. Korda, Anderson and Chen will be joined by sisters Ariya (15) and Moriya (16) Jutanugarn of Thailand, who both qualified at Oak Valley Golf Club in Beaumont, Calif. Other teenagers who earned a place in the field via sectional qualifying are: Emily Collins, 18, of Colleyville, Texas; Jennifer Johnson, 19, of Carlsbad, Calif.; Kyung Kim, 17, of Chandler, Ariz.; Erynne Lee, 18, of Silverdale, Wash.; Xi Yu Lin, 15, of the People’s Republic of China; Brittany Marchand, 18, of Canada; Lisa McCloskey, 19, of Montgomery, Texas; Chelsea Mocio, 19, of Fort Worth, Texas; Harukyo Nomura, 18, of Japan; Kelly Shon, 19, of Port Washington, N.Y.; Mariah Stackhouse, 17, of Riverdale, Ga.; Victoria Tanco, 17, of Argentina; and Gabriella Then, 15, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. The U.S. Women’s Open is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the USGA. Other championships include the U.S. Open, the U.S. Senior Open, and 10 national amateur championships.