July 2, 2003

DURHAM, N.C. - For the second straight year, the Duke women's golf team will be well- represented at the 58th U.S. Women's Open beginning Thursday in North Plains, Oregon. The tournament will take place from July 3-6 at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course.

Three current members of the Duke women's golf team and three former Blue Devils will be teeing off on Thursday. The current members of the Duke squad include senior's Virada Nirapathpongporn and Leigh Anne Hardin along with sophomore Liz Janangelo. It marks the second straight year Duke has had three current members of the Blue Devil squad playing in the U.S. Open. No other Division I women's golf team has more current members playing this week.

Nirapathpongporn will tee off on Thursday at 1:07 p.m. and Friday at 7:37 a.m., Hardin will tee off at 1:18 p.m. on Thursday and 7:48 a.m. on Friday and Janangelo will fire away at 9:05 a.m. on Thursday and 2:35 p.m. on Friday.

Former Blue Devils Candy Hannemann, Jean Bartholomew and Beth Bauer will also be playing. Hannemann will tee off at 2:35 p.m. on Thursday and 9:05 a.m. on Friday, Bartholomew will fire away on Thursday at 2:57 p.m. and on Friday at 9:27 a.m., while Bauer will begin action on Thursday at 8:54 a.m. and on Friday at 2:24 p.m. Everyone except for Bauer will tee off Thursday on hole 10 and Friday on hole one.

Hardin will be making her third straight appearance in the U.S. Open after carding a 36-hole total of 148 at the Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit, N.J. on June 10 to qualify. The Martinsville, Ind., product will be looking to make her first cut at the U.S. Open in 2003. Nirapathpongporn, a Bangkok, Thailand native, will be making her second straight appearance in the open after posting a total of 146 at the Charlotte Country Club in Charlotte, N.C. Last year, Nirapathpongporn missed the cut with rounds of 75, 78.

Janangelo, from West Hartford, Conn., earned her third invitation to play in the U.S. Open after turning in a 149 at the Webster Golf Club/Ontario Golf Club in Rochester, N.Y. on June 17. A 2003 NGCA first team All-America, Janangelo qualified in 2002 and 2000, but missed the cut both years.

Hannemann, a current member of the Future's Tour, will be making her third appearance in the U.S. Open. Hannemann qualified with a total of 147 at the Lake Forest Country Club/Rosemont Country Club in Hudson, Ohio on June 16. A Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, product, Hannemann is coming off low amateur honors in 2001 as she carded rounds 73-73-72-73=291 to finish tied 30th at the Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Pinehurst, N.C. in 2001.

Bartholomew qualified for the U.S. Open with a 150 at the Webster Golf Club/Ontario Golf Club in Rochester, N.Y. It will mark her eighth appearance in the U.S. Open with her best finish in 1996 as she tied for 28th, prior to joining the LPGA Tour.

Bauer, the 2002 LPGA Rolex Rookie of the Year, received an automatic bid in 2003 as she finished in the top 40 of the LPGA money list last season. This will mark her fifth appearance in the U.S. Open and is coming off her best open finish last season with a four-day total of 289, which was tied for 18th.

The championship is conducted at stroke play over 72 holes with 18 holes each day and a total of 156 players are in the field. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the lowest 60 scorers and anyone tying for 60th place or within 10 strokes of the leader. The final two rounds will be played on Saturday and Sunday.

ESPN and NBC will televise the event this year. On July 2, ESPN will have a preview show from 4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ESPN will also broadcast the first two rounds on July 3-4 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., while NBC will have the final two rounds on July 5 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and July 6 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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