Hannah Burke, the first alternate from the European Sectional Qualifier at Buckinghamshire Golf Club in England last month, has secured a place in the field for the US Women’s Open Championship taking place on July 7-11 at CordeValle in San Martin, California.
Burke, the 2015 Tipsport Golf Masters champion from Hertfordshire, earned the first alternate spot after making a birdie putt on the first play-off hole playing against Amy Boulden from Wales and will join the other five LET members who qualified from Europe: Frenchwomen Jade Schaeffer and Valentine Derrey, Camilla Lennarth of Sweden, German Rookie professional Olivia Cowan and Pamela Pretswell from Scotland.
“It’s very exciting and I’m just trying to get everything sorted now with a week to go,” said Burke, 28, of England, who is competing in her first U.S. Women’s Open. “I didn’t sleep after hearing about it on Tuesday night and I played in Ian Poulter’s charity day at Woburn on Wednesday. He was certain that I’d get in and so I messaged him when I heard the news. I’ll just try to take in the whole experience and hopefully I’ll make the most of the opportunity.”
Inbee Park has withdrawn from the 2016 US Women’s Open Championship due to a left-thumb injury. Park, 27, who is a two-time US Women’s Open champion (2008, 2013) and was fully exempt, has been replaced in the field by amateur Yunjie Zhang, the first alternate from the People’s Republic of China qualifying site. Zhang, 17, of the People’s Republic of China, is also competing in her first US Women’s Open.
