LAUREN TAYLOR EXEMPT from QUALIFYING FOR US WOMEN'S OPEN

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION
The United States Golf Association today announced an expanded list of exemptions for international amateur players, beginning in 2012, for the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open championships.
The USGA also announced exemption changes for the U.S. Senior Open and USGA amateur championships. The expanded list of exemptions was announced during the USGA’s Annual Meeting in Houston.
The winners of the (men's) British Amateur and Ladies British Open Amateur championships, as well as the winners of the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the top-ranked male and female on the World Amateur Golf Ranking will be fully exempt from qualifying for the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open championships, respectively.
The winners must remain amateurs to retain the exemption. Bryden Macpherson, of Australia, who plays collegiately at the University of Georgia, has earned a berth in the 2012 U.S. Open as the 2011 British Amateur champion. Macpherson defeated Michael Stewart, of Scotland, 3 and 2, in the championship final at Hillside Golf Club in Southport, England.
Patrick Cantlay, the low amateur at last year’s U.S. Open and a member of the 2011 USA Walker Cup Team, won the McCormack Medal as the No. 1-ranked player at the close of the 2011 summer competitive season.
Both Macpherson and Cantlay are fully exempt for the 2012 U.S. Open, to be played June 14-17 at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif.
In 2011, Lauren Taylor, pictured above, a 16-year-old from England, became the youngest winner of the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship, conducted by the Ladies Golf Union. She defeated Alexandra Bonetti, of France, in the 18-hole final, 6 and 5, at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland.
Lydia Ko, 14, of New Zealand, became the first female recipient of the Mark H. McCormack Medal in 2011. Ko, who was born in (South) Korea, recently became the youngest player to win a professional event, capturing the New South Wales Open by four strokes with a 54-hole score of 202.
Both Taylor and Ko are fully exempt into the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open, to be played July 5-8 at Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wisconsin.
“There are close and enduring links between The R and A and United States Golf Association in the governance of the sport and as custodians of the amateur game,” said Peter Dawson, chief executive of The R and A.
“Both organisations have always placed an emphasis on the presence of amateur golfers in the fields for their respective major championships and I am very pleased that this now extends to the inclusion of our Amateur champion in the field for the U.S. Open.”