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Eleven AJGA players to compete at U.S. Women's Open

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By Emily Greenwood, AJGA Communications

After a record 1,873 competitors submitted applications to the USGA, 11 current AJGA members have qualified to play in the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open and seven juniors will be alternates. The U.S. Women’s Open will be played at Lancaster Country Club, July 9 – 12, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  

Six players in this year’s field also competed at Lancaster Country Club in the 2013 Rolex Tournament of Champions. Alison Lee, winner of the 2013 Rolex Tournament of Champions, was a nine-time AJGA champion and six-time Rolex Junior All-American during her junior career.  Casey Danielson finished third in 2013 at Lancaster Country Club and earned Rolex Junior All-America honors three times during her time with the AJGA. Current juniors Megan Khang, Hannah O’Sullivan, Lilia Vu and Samantha Wagner are also returning to Lancaster Country Club after competing in the 2013 Rolex Tournament of Champions.

The 11 juniors playing in the U.S. Women’s Open are Maria Fassi, Mariel Galdiano, Kristen Gillman, Muni He, Megan Khang, Beth Lillie, Hannah O’Sullivan, Nikolette Schroeder, Angella Then, Lilia Vu and Samantha Wagner.

Tee times for these juniors are as follows.

 

Thursday

Friday

Lilia Vu

6:45 a.m.

12:30 p.m.

Nikolette Schroeder

6:56 a.m.

12:41 p.m.

Kristen Gillman

7:51 a.m.

1:36 p.m.

Megan Khang

8:46 a.m.

2:31 p.m.

Angella Then

8:57 a.m.

2:42 p.m.

Hannah O’Sullivan

12:41 p.m.

6:56 a.m.

Maria Fassi

12:41 p.m.

6:56 a.m.

Samantha Wagner

12:41 p.m.

6:56 a.m.

Beth Lillie

2:20 p.m.

8:35 a.m.

Mariel Galdiano

2:31 p.m.

8:46 a.m.

Muni He

2:42 p.m.

8:57 a.m.

 

 

Bios

After serving as an alternate at the 2014 tournament, 17-year-old Maria Fassi is competing in her first U.S. Women’s Open. A native of Pachuca Hidalgo, Mexico, Fassi has collected six top-20 performances in her AJGA career and advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2013 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship. Fassi has verbally committed to the University of Arkansas.

Mariel Galdiano of Pearl City, Hawaii, returns to the U.S. Women’s Open Championship after qualifying in 2011 and 2013, and serving as an alternate last year. Since joining the AJGA, the two-time Rolex Junior All-American has tallied 13 top-10 finishes on her way to a No. 10 Polo Golf Ranking. Galdiano has verbally committed to UCLA.

Currently No. 8 in the Polo Golf Rankings, Kristen Gillman earned a spot in the U.S. Women’s Open field by winning the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur. The University of Alabama verbal commit is a two-time Rolex Junior All-American and has 16 top-10 finishes in her six seasons with the AJGA. Gillman also participated in the 2014 Wyndham Cup and won the 2014 Junior PGA Championship.

Three-time AJGA champion Muni He of Rancho Santa Fe, California, will be competing in her first U.S. Women’s Open, after recording 15 top-10 finishes in her five seasons with the AJGA. He, a verbal commit to the University of Southern California, is a two-time Rolex Junior All-American and currently No. 56 in the Polo Golf Rankings.

Megan Khang, a two-time Rolex Junior All-American from Rockland, Massachusetts, is returning for her third U.S. Women’s Open after qualifying in 2012 and 2014. The No. 36 junior golfer according to the Polo Golf Rankings, Khang has tallied four top-10 AJGA performances and won at the 2013 PING Invitational in her six seasons with the AJGA.

After qualifying in El Dorado Hills, California, Beth Lillie is set to compete in her first U.S. Women’s Open.  The 16-year-old is a Rolex Junior All-American and AJGA champion. Lillie, a native of Fullerton, California, has placed in the top 15 at 12 AJGA tournaments in the last four seasons and is currently No. 70 in the Polo Golf Rankings.

Hannah O’Sullivan of Chandler, Arizona, is playing in her second U.S. Women’s Open after qualifying in 2012. O’Sullivan, currently No. 2 in the Polo Golf Rankings, has earned Rolex Junior All-America honors three times and participated in the Wyndham Cup in 2013 and 2014. She is coming off of back-to-back wins at the Rolex Girls Junior Championship and Rolex Tournament of Champions. A four-time AJGA winner, O’Sullivan has verbally committed to the University of Southern California.

Another first-time participant in the U.S. Women’s Open, Nikolette Schroeder is currently No. 87 in the Polo Golf Rankings. The 18-year-old has collected seven top-10 performances, including a win at the 2014 IZOD AJGA Championship. Schroeder is a Rolex Junior All-American and will take her talents to The Ohio State University this fall.

Since joining the AJGA in 2011, Angella Then has tallied eight top-10 finishes. Her best performance came at the 2014 Under Armour® / Scott Stallings Championship, where the 16-year-old placed second.  A native of Rancho Cucamonga, California, Then will be competing in her first U.S. Women’s Open.

As a three-time Rolex Junior All-American, Lilia Vu has recorded 24 top-10 AJGA finishes, including three titles. The 2013 Wyndham Cup participant is competing in her first U.S. Women’s Open after playing in the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in 2011 and 2012. Vu is currently No. 20 in the Polo Golf Rankings and will attend UCLA in the fall.

Samantha Wagner, currently No. 22 in the Polo Golf Rankings, has earned Rolex Junior All-America honors for five consecutive years.  In her seven seasons with the AJGA, the 18-year-old has tallied 20 top-10 performances, two AJGA championships and two Wyndham Cup appearances. Wagner served as an alternate for the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open and will attend the University of Florida in the fall.

 

Alternates

Morgan Baxendale: Vanderbilt University verbal commit

Sierra Brooks: Six-time AJGA champion

Nelly Korda: Won 2015 Yani Tseng Invitational presented by the Swinging Skirts

Aiko Leong: Verbally committed to Brigham Young University

Grace Ni: Four top-10 finishes in AJGA career

Simar Singh: Eight top-15 AJGA performances

Angel Yin: 2015 ANNIKA Invitational champion