USGA

1999 U.S. WOMEN'S
MID-AMATEUR
CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

1999 U.S. WOMEN'S MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
October 2-7,1999
at Cherokee Town & Country Club
Atlanta, Ga.

PAR AND YARDAGE - The North Course of Cherokee Town & Country Club will be set up at 6,129 yards for the championship and par is 36-36-72.

THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - The U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship began in 1987 and became the 13th national golf championship conducted by the United States Golf Association. It was originated to provide a national competitive arena for women amateur golfers age 25 and older.

ADMISSION IS FREE - The USGA and the membership of Cherokee Town and Country Club encourage and invite the general public to attend the 1999 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship free of charge. All ages are welcome.

DIRECTIONS - From I-285 going west, take Ga. 400 North to Exit 6 (North Ridge) and turn right. At Roswell, turn right. At the first light, turn left on Hightower Trail. The club is on both sides of the road. Follow signs to parking.

WHO CAN PLAY? - The U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur is open to female amateur golfers who will have reached their 25th birthday on or before October 2nd, 1999, and who have a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 9.4. Entries close Aug. 18

WWW.USGA.ORG - Log on to the USGA Internet site at www.usga.org for the latest and most complete U.S. Amateur Championship information.

THE FIELD AND THE PRIZE - Approximately 130 women will compete for the coveted U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur Championship trophy. A sterling Revere bowl, it was presented in 1987 by Mrs. Henri Prunaret, chairman of the USGA Women's Committee from 1959 through 1963. The champion retains custody of the trophy for the ensuing year.

GROUPINGS AND STARTING TIMES - Groupings and starting times will be available beginning October 1st.

TOTAL ENTRIES - The record for the largest number of entries is 515 in 1996. There were 469 entries in 1998.

TITLE DEFENSE - Virginia Derby Grimes, 34, of Montgomery, Ala., will defend the title she won in 1998. Grimes was a standout in the 1998 Curtis Cup Match for the U.S. team, never losing in three matches. She is a former coach of the Auburn University women's golf team. In the 1998 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur, Grimes defeated Robin Weiss, 45, of Palm Beach, Fla., 4 and 3. The Women's Mid-Amateur was her first national title.

EXEMPT - Exemptions for the championship include: * The U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur champions. * U.S. Women's Amateur champions for the last ten years (1989-98). * Winners of the U.S. Women's Amateur prior to 1989 who meet the handicap requirement. * British Ladies Amateur champions from 1990-99. * Members and alternates from the 1996 and 1998 U.S. Curtis Cup and U.S. Women's World Amateur teams. * Excluding members of the U.S. team, eight lowest scorers and ties for eighth place in the 1998 Women's World Amateur Team Championship. * Members of the 1998 Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup Team. * Players reaching the round of 16 in the 1998 U.S. Women's Amateur. * Players reaching the round of 32 in the 1998 or 1999 U.S. Women's Amateur. * Amateurs completing 72 holes in the U.S. Women's Open in 1997, 1998 or 1999. * Semifinalists in the 1998 and 1999 USGA Senior Women's Amateur. * Quarterfinalists in the 1999 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links. * Semifinalists in the 1997 or 1998 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur. * Special exemptions selected by the USGA.

EIGHT ROUNDS IN SIX DAYS - The championship begins with 18 holes of stroke play qualifying on Oct. 2nd. The second round of stroke play qualifying will be conducted on Oct. 3rd, after which the field will be cut to the low 64 players who will enter match play. The first round of match play will be conducted on Oct. 4th.

The second and third rounds of match play will be on Oct. 5th. The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of match play will be conducted on Oct. 6th, and the final match, scheduled for 18 holes, will be on Oct. 7th. A prize presentation ceremony will be held immediately following completion of the final match.

GEORGIA AND THE USGA - The U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur is the 17th USGA championship to be conducted in the State of Georgia and the seventh championship in Atlanta. Atlanta Athletic Club has hosted four championships: the 1990 U.S. Women's Open, the 1984 U.S. Mid-Amateur, the 1976 U.S. Open, and the 1950 U.S. Women's Amateur. North Fulton Park Golf Club in Atlanta hosted the 1948 U.S. Amateur Public Links and Atlanta's Peachtree Golf Club was the site of the 1989 Walker Cup Match.

USGA champions from Atlanta include: Bobby Jones, who won the U.S. Amateur in 1924,'25, '27, '28, and '30, and the U.S. Open in 1923, '26, '29, and '30; Alexa Stirling won the U.S. Women's Amateur in 1916, 1919 and 1920; Louise Suggs won the 1947 U.S. Women's Amateur and the 1949 and '52 U.S. Women's Open; Dorothy Kirby won the 1952 U.S. Women's Amateur; Martha Wilkinson Kirouac won the 1970 U.S. Women's Amateur; Danny Yates won the 1992 U.S. Mid-Amateur.

MEMBER OF THE CLUB - Louise Suggs - 1947 U.S. Women's Amateur champion, 1949 and 1952 U.S. Women's Open champion, and a member of the LPGA Hall of Fame - has been a member of Cherokee Town & Country Club for more than 40 years.

HOLE BY HOLE - Holes 1-9; No. 1, 347-yard, par 4; No. 2, 172-yard, par 3; No. 3, 369-yard, par 4; No. 4, 382-yard, par 4; No. 5, 496-yard, par 5; No. 6, 344-yard, par 4; No. 7, 143-yard, par 3; No. 8, 326-yard, par 4; No. 9, 519-yard, par 5. 3,098 yards and par 36.

Holes 10-18; No. 10, 328-yard, par 4; No.11, 188-yard, par 3; No. 12, 364-yard, par 4; No. 13, 319-yard, par 4; No. 14, 154-yard, par 3; No. 15, 436-yard, par 5; No. 16, 401-yard, par 4; No. 17, 377-yard, par 4; No. 18, 464-yard, par 5. 3,031 yards and par 36

FUTURE SITES - The 2000 United States Women's Mid-Amateur Championship will be conducted October 3 - 8 at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach, Calif, and the 2001 Championship will be played at Fox Run Golf Club in Eureka, Mo. from October 6-11.

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