2007 USGA Women's State Team Championship Fact Sheet

Sept. 18 – 20, 2007
The Club at Carlton Woods
The Woodlands, Texas

PARS AND YARDAGES – The Nicklaus Course at Carlton Woods, for the USGA Women’s State Team Championship, will be set at 6,133 yards and play to par 36-36—72. The Fazio Course, for the USGA Men’s State Team Championship, will be set at 7,184 yards and play to a par of 36-36—72.

CARLTON WOODS – The two golf courses at Carlton Woods were designed by Tom Fazio and Jack Nicklaus. The original Nicklaus Course was opened in 2001, while the newer Fazio Course opened in 2005.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY – The field of golfers will play 18 holes on each of three stroke play rounds Sept. 18-20 (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 championships are 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 – Fifty-two teams – all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico – are entered in the Men’s State Team Championship. It is the fourth consecutive Men’s State Team where 52 teams have entered. Fifty-one teams have entered the Women’s State Team. Puerto Rico has not entered the championship.

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 Sept. 15. 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

NICKLAUS COURSE HOLE BY HOLE – 5,918 yards, par 36-36--72;

WOMEN’S COURSE PREPARATION – Green speeds will be maintained at 10 1/2 feet as determined by the USGA Stimpmeter. The deepest rough will be 1¾ inches. There will be no intermediate rough.

The fairways and roughs on the Nicklaus course are Tiff Way Bermuda grass, and the putting greens are Tiff Eagle Bermuda grass.

MEN’S STATE TEAM

FAZIO COURSE HOLE BY HOLE – 7,184 yards, par 36-36--72;

MEN’S COURSE PREPARATION – Green speeds will be maintained at approximately 11 feet as measured on the USGA Stimpmeter. The primary rough will be maintained 1¾ to 2 inches; and an intermediate swatch of 8 feet in width just off the fairway will be trimmed to measure 1 inch.

The fairways on the Fazio course are Zeon Zoysia grass; the roughs are Carezo Zoysia; and the putting greens are Tiff Eagle Bermuda grass.

COURSE SLOPE/RATING – The USGA Course Rating^TM for the Nicklaus course is 76.3 and the Slope Rating^® is 136. For the Fazio course, the USGA Course Rating^TM is 74.1 and the Slope Rating^® is 138.

THE HOME TEAMS – The Texas women’s team is represented by Carolyn Creekmore of Dallas, Mina Hardin of Ft. Worth and Anna Schultz of Rockwall. The Texas men’s team is being represented by Terrence Miskell of New Braunfels, Jonathan Mathias of San Antonio and Trip Kuehne of Irving. Miskell played on Texas’ victorious team in 2005. Kuehne previously played on the 1997 team.

2005 WOMEN’S RE-CAP – Laura Coble shot a final-round 1-over-par 74 and was her team’s low scorer for the third day in a row, leading Georgia to a two-stroke victory over Alabama on Berkeley Hall’s North Course in Bluffton, N.C.

Georgia finished with a 54-hole total of 4-under-par 434, followed by Alabama’s 436. Texas and Maryland finished third at 450.

Coble teamed with Jean Reynolds and Kyu Ri Ban for the win.

2005 MEN’S RE-CAP – Terrence Miskell recorded his third consecutive sub-par round to lead Texas to the title at Berkeley Hall’s South Course in Bluffton, S.C. Texas, which also won the 1999 Men’s State Team, won by four strokes over Alabama and seven over defending champion Tennessee.

Miskell, 38, of New Braunfels, carded a 2-under 70 to lead the champions. He was the only player to record three sub-par rounds and finished as the low individual scorer for the championship at 8-under-par 208.

USGA WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS/CURTIS CUPPERS – There are nine USGA champions in the field for the 2007 Women’s State Team. They are Carolyn Creekmore (2004 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur); Nancy Fitzgerald (1997 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur); Virginia Grimes (1998 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur); Kathy Hartwiger (2002 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur); Diane Lang (2005 and 2006 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur); Martha Lang (1988 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur); Ellen Port (1995, 1996 and 2000 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur); Carol Semple Thompson (1973 U.S. Women’s Amateur; 1990 and 1997 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur; and 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur); and Jean Smith (1995 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur).

Four players have represented the USA at a Curtis Cup. They are: Virginia Grimes (1998, 2000, 2006); Martha Lang (1992); Ellen Port (1994, 1996); and Carol Semple Thompson (1974, 1976, 1980, 1982, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002).

USGA MEN’S CHAMPIONS/WALKER CUPPERS – There are four USGA champions in the field for the 2007 Men’s State Team: Indiana’s Mike Bell (2006 USGA Senior Amateur); Pennsylvania’s Nathan Smith (2003 Mid-Amateur); Tennessee’s Danny Green (1999 Mid-Amateur); and Tim Jackson (1994 and 2001 U.S. Mid-Amateurs). Green (2001) and Jackson (1995, 1999) have also represented the USA at a Walker Cup, as has Trip Kuehne of Texas, who has played in the 1995, 2003 and 2007 Matches.

SEVEN IN A ROW: Seven players will be making their seventh consecutive appearance in the USGA Women’s State Team Championship in 2007. They are: Mary Jane Hiestand of Florida; Martha Lang of Louisiana; Joan Garety of Michigan; Susan Marchese of Nebraska; Liz Haines and Carol Semple Thompson of Pennsylvania; and Karen Ferree of South Carolina.

On the men’s side, two players are appearing in their seventh consecutive USGA Men’s State Team. They are: Keith Decker of Virginia 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, Ohio in 2003 and Georgia in 2005.

MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY – Virginia’s team won the first championship in 1995, followed by Minnesota in 1997, Texas in 1999, Minnesota in 2001, Tennessee in 2003 and Texas in 2005.

USGA AND TEXAS – Texas has hosted 22 USGA championships prior to the 2007 State Team Championships. The most recent USGA championship in Texas was the 2005 Women’s Mid-Amateur played at Shadow Hawk Golf Club in Richmond.

THE CLUB AT CARLTON WOODS – The club is hosting its first USGA championship.

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.

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 Ken Klavon (women’s) or Beth Murrison (men’s) of the USGA Media Relations staff by phone at 908-234-2300 prior to the championship.