Two Lady Paladins Set For U.S. Women's Amateur Championship

July 29, 2005

ROSWELL, Ga. - Two members of the Furman University women's golf team have qualified to play in the 105th U.S. Women's Amateur, slated for August 1-7 at the Roswell, Ga., Ansley Golf Club's Settingdown Creek Course.

Rising senior Haley Gildea (East Greenwich, R.I.) and incoming freshman Kathleen Ekey (Wadsworth, Ohio) will play two rounds of stroke play with 154 other qualifiers from all over the United States. At the end of stroke play, the top 64 finishers will advance to the single elimination match play portion of the championships, a part of which will be televised on the Golf Channel Aug. 3-7 from 4-6 p.m., EDT.

Past champions of the U.S. Women's Amateur include Patty Berg (1938), Babe Didrickson-Zaharias (1946), Juli Simpson Inkster (1980, 1981, 982), Grace Park (1998), and Furman's own Beth Daniel (1975, 1977).

The 2004 championship was won by Jane Park, who needed all 36 final round holes to defeat Amanda McCurdy of El Dorado, Ark.

Furman's Brandi Jackson was the last Lady Paladin golfer to make a big splash in the U.S. Amateur. She advanced to the match play finals in 2002, before falling 3 and 2 to Becky Lucidi on the 34th hole of the final match.

Ekey begins her U.S. Amateur quest on Monday, August 1, with a 9:42 a.m. tee time off No.1, while Gildea tees off No. 10 Monday at 12:57 p.m.