2005 USGA Women's State Team Fact Sheet

September 27 – 29, 2005
Berkeley Hall
Bluffton, S.C.

PARS AND YARDAGES – The North Course at Berkeley Hall, for the Women's State Team Championship, will be set at 6,115 yards and play to par 36-37—73. The South Course, for the Men's State Team Championship, will be set at 7,073 yards and play to a par of 36-36—72.

BERKELEY HALL – The two golf courses at Berkeley Hall were designed by Tom Fazio. The original North Course was opened in April 2001. The South Course was opened in a year later.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY – The field of golfers will play 18 holes on each of three stroke play rounds Sept. 27-29 (Tuesday-Thursday). The two lowest scores from each three-person team constitute the team score for each round. The three-day total is the team's score for the Championship.

ADMISSION IS FREE – The general public is invited to attend the championship. Both admission and parking are free of charge.

ELIGIBILITY – The championship is open to female and male amateur golfers as selected by each state golf association or administrative body. At present, collegiate players are not eligible to compete in this championship. The NCAA rules state that a player may only play in an international team competition when that team is sponsored by the national governing body, such as the Curtis Cup Match (female), Walker Cup Match (male) or the World Amateur Team Championships. Any infraction of that rule means the collegiate player may be declared ineligible for the remainder of the season and the following season.

TEAMS ENTERED – For the Women's State Team Championship, 50 teams are entered – all states except North Dakota and Puerto Rico. For the USGA Men's State Team Championship, 52 teams are entered – all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. This is the third consecutive Men's State Team where 52 teams have entered.

WWW.USGA.ORG/CHAMPIONSHIPS – Log on to the USGA Internet site (www.usga.org/championships) for the latest USGA State Team Championships information during the week.

GROUPINGS AND STARTING TIMES – Groupings and starting times for the first two rounds will be available (Saturday) Sept. 24. They will be posted on the USGA Internet site at www.usga.org/championships. Starting times for Thursday will be available shortly after play on Wednesday has concluded.

WOMEN'S STATE TEAM

NORTH COURSE HOLE BY HOLE – 6,115 yards, par 36-37--73;

WOMEN'S COURSE PREPARATION – Green speeds will be maintained at between 10-10½ feet as determined by a Stimpmeter test. The deepest rough will be 2 inches; and an intermediate swatch of about 5 feet in width just off the fairway will be trimmed to measure ¾".

MEN'S STATE TEAM

SOUTH COURSE HOLE BY HOLE – 7,073 yards, par 36-36--72;

MEN'S COURSE PREPARATION – Green speeds will be maintained at between 10-10½ feet as determined by a Stimpmeter test. The deepest rough will be 2 inches; and an intermediate swatch of about 5 feet in width just off the fairway will be trimmed to measure 1 inch.

THE HOME TEAMS – The South Carolina women's team is represented by Lee Ann Brown of Mt. Pleasant, Karen Ferree of Hilton Head, and Cecilia Fournil of Columbia. The South Carolina men's team is being represented by Alex Hamilton of Aiken, Emmett Turner of Greenwood and Todd White of Moore.

2003 WOMEN'S RE-CAP – Emily Bastel of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, shot a 1-under-par 72 on the last day of the three-day competition to lead a three-woman team from Ohio to the team title. Ohio's team total of 9-over-par 447 at Wellesley Country Club in Wellesley Hills, Mass., was four strokes better than that of runner-up North Carolina. Georgia led after the first round, but Ohio took over by the close of the second round. The best two scores counted each day toward the team total.

2003 MEN'S RE-CAP – Danny Green of Jackson, Tenn., shot a 3-under-par 67 on the last day to lead the three-man team from Tennessee to a four-stroke victory over runners-up California and North Carolina at Charles River Country Club in Newton Centre, Mass. On the final day, the Tennessee squad of Green, Tim Jackson and Brandt Snedeker improved its position by seven strokes – going from three down to Massachusetts to a four-stroke winning margin. California was the first round leader. The best two scores counted each day toward the team total. Two members of the 2003 Tennessee team, Green and Jackson, will return in 2005, joined by Andrew Black.

USGA WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS – There are eight USGA champions in the field for the 2005 Women's State Team. They are 2002 Women's Mid-Amateur winner Kathy Hartwiger of Alabama; 2004 Women's Mid-Amateur champion Corey Weworski of California; 1997 Senior Women's Amateur champion Nancy Fitzgerald of Indiana; 1995 Senior Women's Amateur winner Jean Smith of Idaho; 1988 Women's Mid-Amateur champion Martha Lang of Louisiana; 1972 Women's Amateur winner Mary Budke of Oregon; seven-time USGA champion Carol Semple Thompson of Pennsylvania; and 2005 Senior Women's title-holder Carolyn Creekmore of Texas.

USGA MEN'S CHAMPIONS – There are six USGA champions in the field for the 2005 Men's State Team, including two from Tennessee: Danny Green (1999 Mid-Amateur) and Tim Jackson (1994, 2001 Mid-Amateurs). The others are 2004 Senior Amateur winner Mark Bemowski of Wisconsin; 2004 Mid-Amateur champion Austin Eaton III of New Hampshire; 1984 Mid-Amateur champion Mike Podolak of North Dakota; and 2003 Mid-Amateur winner Nathan Smith of Pennsylvania.

SIX IN A ROW: Eight players will be making their sixth consecutive appearance in the USGA Women's State Team Championship in 2005. They are: Martha Lang of Louisiana; Andrea Kraus of Maryland; Joan Garety of Michigan; Susan Marchese of Nebraska; Marcia Fisher of Oregon; Liz Haines and Carol Semple Thompson of Pennsylvania, and Karen Ferree of South Carolina.

On the men's side, three players are appearing in their sixth consecutive USGA Men's State Team. They are: Keith Decker of Virginia; Michael Podolak of North Dakota; and Frank Vana Jr. of Massachusetts.

WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY – Pennsylvania's team won the inaugural championship in 1995, followed by Alabama in 1997, Florida in 1999, Minnesota in 2001 and Ohio in 2003. South Carolina finished tied for 12^th place, with a team of Mallory Hetzell of Summerville, Karen Ferree of Hilton Head Island and Beth Lever of Kiawah Island.

MEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY – Virginia's team won the first championship in 1995, followed by Minnesota in 1997, Texas in 1999, Minnesota in 2001 and Tennessee in 2003. South Carolina finished tied for 18^th, with a team of Bert Atkinson of Charleston, Todd White of Moore and Kevin King of Bluffton.

USGA AND SOUTH CAROLINA – South Carolina has hosted 10 USGA championships prior to the 2005 State Team Championships. The most recent USGA championship in South Carolina was the 2003 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur at Long Cove Club in Hilton Head, won by Amber Marsh of Greensboro, N.C. The 1991 U.S. Mid-Amateur was also played at Long Cove. Jim Stuart of Macon, Ga., edged Charleston's Bert Atkinson in the match play final, 1 up.

Other Hilton Head hosts have been Harbour Town Golf Links, for the 1974 USGA Senior Amateur and Moss Creek Golf Club for the 1979 U.S. Junior Amateur.

BERKELEY HALL – The club is hosting its first USGA championship.

GENERAL CHAIRMAN DUKE DELCHER – A sales executive, Duke Delcher of Bluffton, S.C., was a quarterfinalist at the 1995 and 1996 U.S. Amateurs, and was named to the winning USA team for the Walker Cup Match in 1997. He also represented South Carolina at the 1997 USGA Men's State Team. A reinstated amateur as of 1988, Duke qualified for the 1994 U.S. Open. He has at least 13 holes-in-one, including one in his quarterfinal match at the 1996 Amateur.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY – The State Team Championships grew out of the celebration of the USGA Centennial in 1995 and was fashioned after the biennial World Amateur Team Championships. Each state is invited to send its three best players. State associations are given the option to choose their teams by any method, with one restriction: college players are ineligible because of NCAA bylaws.

Some states use a point system to select a team. Others use the top finishers in their state championships or conduct qualifying tournaments. A few states employ a selection committee to determine team members. Just as in the World Amateur Team Championships, the State Team Championships format mean that only the best two scores of each state's three players are counted in each of three days.

The inaugural State Team Championships proved to be such a popular competition that the decision was made to conduct the championships every two years, in odd–numbered years.

USGA MEDIA CONTACT – For more information contact Craig Smith (women's) or Beth Murrison (men's) of the USGA Media Relations staff by phone at 908-234-2300 prior to the championship.