US Women's Open Sectional Qualifying Stories

From the USGA press release, we find out that Kelli Kuehne, Michelle Wie, and Alexis Thompson are among the notables to make the field.

Kuehne, the 1994 U.S. Girls’ Junior and 1995 and 1996 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, earned medalist honors at the sectional qualifier in Maryland by a stroke over the 18-year-old Wie, who in 2003 became the youngest winner of an “adult” USGA championship when she won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links at age 13.

Thompson, of Coral Springs, Fla., who a year ago became the youngest U.S. Women’s Open qualifier in history, will return for the 2008 championship after earning a spot at the qualifier at Loblolly Pines Golf Course in Hobe Sound, Fla. Sharing medalist honors at Loblolly were 14-year-old amateur Victoria Tanco of Bradenton, Fla., and 18-year-old professional Amy Yang of Korea.

Other noteworthy stories:

• 1988 U.S. Women’s Open champion Liselotte Neumann of Sweden earned medalist honors to qualify for her 22nd U.S. Women’s Open
• Four other USGA champions [are in the field]: Silvia Cavalleri (1997 Women’s Amateur); Marcy (Newton) Hart (1995 Girls’ Junior; 2000 Women’s Amateur); Jill McGill (Women’s Amateur; 1994 Women’s Amateur Public Links); and Virada Nirapathpongporn (2003 Women’s Amateur).
• Michele Redman of Minneapolis will play in the Women’s Open in her home state, as will Martha Nause of Inner Grove Heights, who at 53 will be the oldest player in the 2008 field.
• Stacy Lewis of The Woodlands, Texas, won the sectional qualifier at Eastern Hills Country Club in Garland, Texas, by four strokes. Lewis, who recently helped lead the USA Curtis Cup to victory on the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, turned professional prior to playing her sectional qualifier.