July 6, 2010
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State sophomore golfer Christine Wong (Richmond, B.C.) will begin play at the 2010 U.S. Women's Open at 11:09 a.m. PT on Thursday, July 8, at the historic par-71, 6,598-yard Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa.
Wong will be playing alongside a pair of professionals for the first two rounds in Becky Brewerton of Wales and Joo-Mi Kim of Korea, who boast six wins between them across the LPGA, Ladies European and LPGA of Korea tours. The trio will be the 23rd of 26 groups to tee off from the par-4, 437-yard first hole on Thursday, while they start Friday's second round from the par-4, 440-yard 10th hole at 5:39 a.m. PT.
The 2010 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year is one of just 28 amateurs in the field. She qualified for the event by winning a USGA sectional qualifier at the Tumble Creek Club in Roslyn, Wash., on May 26. Her 3-over 147 bested the field of both professional and amateur golfers by six strokes.
The field of 156 participants at the 65th annual U.S. Women's Open Championship will be whittled down to 60 after the tournament's first two days. Should Wong make the cut, she will advance to the final 36 holes on July 10-11.
ESPN2 will provide television coverage on Thursday and Friday from noon to 4 p.m. PT, while NBC will broadcast the final two rounds from noon to 3 p.m. PT.
Wong has had a busy last few weeks leading into the U.S. Open. She advanced to match play at the 2010 Ladies' British Open Amateur Championships in Yorkshire, England, June 22-26, tying for 17th place out of 224 golfers. Wong then returned home to Canada to win the British Columbia Women's Amateur Championship on July 2, by a whopping 11 strokes with a 5-under par 283.
Wong earned two individual titles in her first year on The Mesa, helping the Aztecs reach the NCAA Regionals for the first time in six seasons.