Blumenherst & Lee Named To USA Women?s World Amateur Team

DURHAM, N.C. ? Duke sophomores Amanda Blumenherst and Jennie Lee were two of the three golfers named this week to the 2006 USA Women's World Amateur team, which was selected by the women's committee of the United States Golf Association.

Along with Blumenherst and Lee, Kimberly Kim of Hilo, Hawaii was selected to the squad, which is conducted by the International Golf Federation, which comprises national governing bodies of golf in more than 100 countries. A record 51 teams from around the world have entered the 2006 Women's World Amateur Team Championship, which will be played Oct. 18-21 at De Zalze Golf Club and Stellenbosch Golf Club in Stellenbosch, South Africa. It is played in conjunction with the World Amateur Team Championship for men, which will be played on the same courses Oct. 26-29.

Jeanne Myers of Farmington Hills, Mich., USGA Women's Committee chairman in 2003 and 2004, will serve as the team's captain.

Blumenherst, 19, was a member of the victorious 2006 USA Curtis Cup team and earned a share of low-amateur honors at the 2006 U.S. Women's Open. During her freshman campaign with the Blue Devils, Blumenherst earned Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors from both the National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). She was also honored with the Edith Cummings Munson Golf Award, which is given to the All-America and Scholar All-America with the highest grade-point average in Division I women's golf. During a freshman season that saw her finish second at the NCAA Division I Central Regional and ninth at the NCAA Division I Women's Championship, Blumenherst won the ACC Championship, Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational and the Mason Rudolph Women's, which was her first collegiate event.

Lee, 19, was a member of the victorious 2006 USA Curtis Cup team, where she went 2-0 in singles and clinched the winning point for the United States team with her singles victory Sunday afternoon. She advanced to the quarterfinals of both the 2005 and 2006 U.S. Women's Amateurs. She has twice played in the U.S. Women's Open, finishing 50th in 2004 and missing the cut in 2006. As a freshman at Duke, she earned honorable mention All-America honors after finishing second at the 2006 NCAA Division I Championship, which helped Duke win the team title.

The World Amateur Team title is determined by four days of stroke play. A country may field a team of two or three players. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores by players from each team constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day total is the team's score for the championship.

The competition has been played every two years since 1964 for the Espirito Santo Trophy. Sweden is the defending champion, having won the 2004 championship at Rio Mar Country Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. The USA, represented by Paula Creamer, Sarah Huarte, and Jane Park, finished tied for second. The USA last won in 1998 and has won the trophy a record 13 times since 1966.

The championship is rotated biennially among three geographic zones: Asia-Pacific, American, and European-African. The 2006 competition is hosted by the South African Golf Association and Women's Golf South Africa.

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