June 22, 2005

CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, COLO. - Four Blue Devils will tee off on Thursday in the 60th U.S. Women's Open Championship at the Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colo. Competing this week will be junior Brittany Lang, former four-time All-America Virada Nirapathpongporn, former two-time All-America Candy Hannemann and 13-year LPGA Tour member Jean Bartholomew.

The field consists of 156 golfers, which is broken down to 138 professionals and 18 amateurs. It will be a 72-hole tournament beginning on Thursday, June 23 going through Sunday, June 26.

Lang, a product of McKinney, Texas, is one of 18 amateurs playing on the week and will be making her first appearance in the U.S. Women's Open after qualifying at the Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas. She fired a total of 140 to lead all golfers at the site. A two-time first team All-America and ACC Champion, Lang recently tied for 15th at the LPGA Corning Classic with a four-day total of 281.

Currently second on the FUTURES Tour money list with $26,109 through eight events played, Nirapathpongporn will be making her fourth straight appearance in the U.S. Open. A native of Bangkok, Thailand, Nirapathpongporn qualified for the national championship at the Wynstone Golf Club in North Barrington, Ill., with a total of 143.

The 2001 NCAA Individual Champion and current member of the LPGA Tour, Hannemann has made 11 starts in 2005 earning $86,845 to rank 54th on the money list. She qualified with a 36-hole total of 143 at the Webster Golf Club/Ontario Golf Club in Rochester, N.Y. Hannemann, a product of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last competed in the 2003 U.S. Open as she finished tied for 35th with a total of 297.

Bartholomew will be competing in her fifth straight U.S. Open and it is her ninth overall appearance in the national championship. Currently, Bartholomew has competed in 13 events in 2005 earning $52,039 to rank 83rd on the money list. Her best finish in the U.S. Open was tied for 28th in 1995.

Kicking things off for the Blue Devils on Thursday will be Nirapathpongporn at 7:55 a.m., along with Patricia Meunier-Lebouc and Reilley Rankin off hole number 10. Lang will begin her play on hole one at 12:48 p.m., with Lorie Kane and Sarah Lee. Bartholomew will start on hole 10 at 12:37 p.m., along with Lindsey Wright and Kaori Higo, while Hannemann will also begin on number 10 at 2:05 p.m. with Kristi Albers and Riko Higashio.

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