12-Year-Old Qualifies For U.S. Women's Open

Pretty amazing...

THOMPSON BECOMES YOUNGEST TO EVER QUALIFY

FOR U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

Far Hills, N.J. – Twelve-year-old Alexis Thompson of Coral Springs, Fla., became the youngest to ever qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open when she did so Monday to earn a spot in the 156-player field via sectional qualifying for the 2007 championship, which will be played June 28-July 1 at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C .

Sixty-eight players were fully exempt into the championship, leaving 87 spaces open in the field for qualifiers. One spot is still being held open for the winner of next week’s LPGA Tour event, should that winner not already be fully exempt into the Women’s Open. The sectional qualifier at the Turtle Bay Club in Kahuku , Hawaii , where three players were competing for one spot, had yet to finish Monday.

Thompson, after recording scores of 72-71 at Heathrow Country Club in Heathrow , Fla. , qualified at the age of 12 years, 4 months and 1 day, besting the previous record of Morgan Pressel, who was 12 years, 11 months and 21 days old when she qualified for the 2001 Women’s Open, which was also conducted at Pine Needles.