Amy Anderson, 19, Oxbow, N.D.
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Amy Anderson burst onto the national golf scene with her victory at the 2009 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, where she defeated 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Kimberly Kim in the final. She made the cut at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open Championship at The Broadmoor, where her opening-round 68 put her in second place. Anderson also advanced to match play at the 2009, 2010 and 2011 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships.
Anderson is a rising senior at at North Dakota State University, where she is majoring in accounting. She qualified for the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship as an individual in 2010 and 2011. In 2011, she received the Elite 88 Award, which is presented to the championship participant with the highest grade-point average. Anderson is the two-time Summit League Golfer of the Year, and she earned second-team All-America honors in 2011 from the National Golf Coaches Association. She was named honorable mention in 2010. She won five tournaments during the 2011-12 season, including her second consecutive Summit League Championship, and has 15 career collegiate victories. She twice broke NDSU’s scoring record in the spring, with a 67 at the Campbell Fighting Camel Classic and then a 66 at the Jackrabbit Invitational.
Anderson recently was honored with LPGA’s Dinah Shore Award, which is presented to a female collegiate golfer who has demonstrated academic and athletic excellence, as well as strong leadership skills and community involvement.
Anderson is the daughter of Mark and Twyla Anderson. Her brother, Nathan, is a member of NDSU’s men’s golf team. She was born July 10, 1992, in Oxbow, N.D. Anderson will also represent the United States at the 2012 World University Championships in the Czech Republic.
Notable Links:
Anderson Receives Dinah Shore Award - http://www.usga.org/news/2012/May/Anderson-Receives-Dinah-Shore-Award/
Hard, Cold Facts (an article Anderson penned for Sports Illustrated) - http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1195474/index.htm
Anderson Wins 2009 Girls’ Junior - http://www.usgirlsjunior.org/2009/news/SaturdayFinal.html
VIDEO: Meet Amy Anderson - http://bit.ly/LlU7UE
Lindy Duncan, 21, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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Lindy Duncan made the cut at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, and also competed in the 2009 Women’s Open. She was a semifinalist at the 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur at age 15 and has competed in that championship each year since. She also appeared in four U.S. Girls’ Junior Championships.
Duncan is a rising senior at Duke University, where she is majoring in psychology. Her standout 2011-12 season, in which she took four victories, including the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship, earned her Division I Player of the Year honors from the National Golf Coaches Association. Duncan also won the Golfstat Cup, which is presented to the player with the season’s lowest stroke average. Duncan has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year each of her three years at Duke, and was named to the NGCA’s All-America first team in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Duncan has won six collegiate tournaments for the Blue Devils, and captured the 2010 Dixie Amateur Championship.
Duncan is the daughter of David Duncan and Debbie Beckett. She has one younger sister, McKenzie. She was born Jan. 16, 1991 in Plantation, Fla.
Notable Links:
Getting to Know Lindy Duncan - http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22564&SPID=1838&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=204964671
Duncan Claims Top Honors at NGCA Banquet - http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=22558&SPID=1838&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=205434125
VIDEO: Meet Lindy Duncan - http://bit.ly/xfZw3l
Austin Ernst, 20, Seneca, S.C.
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Austin Ernst captured the individual title at the 2011 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship as a freshman at Louisiana State University, where she is majoring in business. Her NCAA victory was the first in LSU women’s golf history and the second of her collegiate career, following the 2011 Central District Invitational. Her final-round 66 included her first career hole-in-one.
Ernst followed her standout freshman season with a victory at the opening tournament of the 2011-12 season, the Cougar Classic. She received first-team All-America honors from the NGCA in 2011, was named an honorable mention in 2012. and was named to All-SEC second team in 2011 and 2012.
Ernst advanced to the semifinals of the 2011 U.S. Women’s Amateur and has also competed in the U.S. Girls’ Junior. She won the 2010 Carolinas Golf Association’s Carolinas Women’s Match-Play and Vicki DiSantis Junior Girls’ Championships. Ernst also received an exemption into the 2012 Kraft Nabisco Championship, where she made the cut.
Ernst is the daughter of Mark and Melanie Ernst. She has one brother, Drew, who played golf at Coastal Carolina University. She was born Jan. 31, 1992 in Greenville, S.C.
Notable Links:
Ernst Relishing First Major Experience - http://www.usga.org/ChampEventArticle.aspx?id=21474846362
Ernst Wins NCAA Golf Title - http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27882&SPID=2176&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=205153811
VIDEO: Meet Austin Ernst - http://bit.ly/LeXwVw
Tiffany Lua, 21, Rowland Heights, Calif.
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Tiffany Lua is the only returning member of the victorious 2010 USA Curtis Cup Team. She had a 1-2-0 record at the 2010 Match at Essex County Club, teaming with Jennifer Johnson for a 3-and-2 foursomes (alternate-shot) victory over Sally Watson and Rachel Jennings.
Lua has competed in more than 20 USGA championships, including three U.S. Women’s Opens, and has reached the semifinals at the Women’s Amateur (2009) and the Women’s Amateur Public Links (2008, 2011). In 2011, she also advanced to the round of 16 at the Women’s Amateur.
Lua will be a senior at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she is majoring in psychology. She finished in a tie for fourth place to help UCLA claim the 2011 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship. In 2010, she won her first collegiate tournament, the Landfall Traditions. Lua was named to the NGCA’s All-America second team and the Pacific-10 Conference’s first team in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Lua is the daughter of Michael and Donna Lua. She has two brothers, Matthew and Chris. She was born Feb. 22, 1991 in Alhambra, Calif.
Notable Links:
UCLA Wins Third NCAA Women’s Golf Championship - http://onlyfans.cstv.com/schools/ucla/sports/w-golf/recaps/052111aag.html
Tiffany Lua Talks 2012 Curtis Cup - http://www.usga.org/news.aspx?id=2147486122
VIDEO: Meet Tiffany Lua - http://bit.ly/GQfUVL
Lisa McCloskey, 20, Houston, Texas
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Lisa McCloskey recently completed her eligibility at the University of Southern California, where she is majoring in international relations. She tied for first at the 2012 NCAA Central Regional (considered a victory as there was no playoff), and was named to the NGCA All-American First Team. A rib injury kept her out of the 2011 NCAA Championships; however, her strong junior year garnered her second-team All-America honors from the NGCA in 2011. She also was named to the All-Pac-12 first team both seasons.
McCloskey spent her freshman and sophomore years (2008-2010) at Pepperdine University, where she won three tournaments, including the 2010 West Coast Conference Championship. While at Pepperdine, McCloskey became the first women's college player to post a 54-hole score better than 200 when she won the 2008 Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown with a 17-under 199. She won conference first-team and Freshman of the Year honors in 2009, and received NGCA honorable-mention honors in 2009 and 2010.
McCloskey was the runner-up to Emily Tubert at the 2010 Women’s Amateur Public Links. She qualified for the 2010 and 2011 Women’s Opens, and made the cut in 2010 as the third-lowest amateur. McCloskey also took medalist honors at the 2008 U.S. Girls’ Junior, where her second-round 63 tied for the second-lowest 18-hole score in championship history. She was the runner-up at the 2010 Women’s North & South Championship, and advanced to the semifinals in 2009 and 2011. McCloskey also received an exemption into the 2011 LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship, where she missed the cut.
McCloskey is the daughter of Jeff and Maria McCloskey. She has one brother, Jay. She was born Aug. 7, 1991, in Bogota, Colombia, where her father worked in the oil industry. She is a citizen of both the United States and Colombia, but represented her birth country at the 2010 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship and Copa los Andes.
Notable Links:
USC Wins Central Regional - http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/w-golf/recaps/051212aac.html
VIDEO: Meet Lisa McCloskey - http://bit.ly/HO2tEQ
Brooke Pancake, 22, Chattanooga, Tenn.
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Brooke Pancake recently completed an extremely successful career at the University of Alabama, where she majored in marketing and management. That career was undoubtedly highlighted by her 4-foot par putt on the 18th hole that earned the Crimson Tide its first NCAA Women’s Division I Championship title on May 25. Pancake was named to the NGCA’s All-America first team and the All-SEC first team in 2011 and 2012, and received All-SEC second-team honors in 2009 and 2010. On Tuesday, June 5, Pancake received the 2012 Honda Award, which is given annually to the nation's top female athlete in 12 sports, and is now nominated for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year award.
Pancake had one collegiate victory, the 2010 Tar Heel Invitational, and led Alabama to the school’s first Southeastern Conference Championship title in 2010.
Pancake reached the semifinals of the 2011 U.S. Women’s Amateur, where she fell to eventual champion Danielle Kang. Following four consecutive Tennessee State High School Championship victories (2005-08), she was inducted into the Tennessee Women’s Golf Hall of Fame in 2010. She also finished second at the 2011 Tennessee Women’s Open.
Pancake was as prolific in the classroom as she is on the golf course. She received the 2011 Edith Cummings Munson Golf Award, which is presented annually to an upperclassman who is both an NGCA All-American and All-American Scholar. Pancake was named a Capital One Academic All-American in 2011, and is on the ballot again in 2012. She is a three-time NCGA All-American Scholar (2009-11), a three-time SEC Women’s Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2010-12), and received the Elite 88 Award at the 2010 NCAA Women’s Golf Championships.
On May 29, Pancake qualified for her first U.S. Women’s Open. She will make her professional debut at the 2012 championship, conducted at Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wis.
Pancake is the daughter of Debbie Pancake. She has three sisters, Blaire, Debbie and Ally. She was born June 6, 1990, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Notable Links:
Alabama Wins 2012 NCAA Championship - http://golfweek.com/news/2012/may/25/alabama-wins-1st-title-jao-javanil-top-individual/?COLLEGE-Women
It’s Homecoming For Alabama’s Pancake at NCAAs - http://golfweek.com/news/2012/may/23/ncaas-homecoming-alabamas-pancake/?COLLEGE-Women
VIDEO: Meet Brooke Pancake - http://bit.ly/LTvjpJ
Erica Popson, 21, Davenport, Fla.
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Erica Popson is a rising senior at the University of Tennessee, where she is majoring in sports management. She tied for the victory at the 2012 LSU Classic, only her second tournament following surgery to correct a nagging thumb injury, and finished third at the 2012 Bryan National Collegiate.
Popson had a standout sophomore season with the Lady Vols, where she won four tournaments: the 2010 Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship and the 2011 Bryan National Collegiate, SEC Championship and NCAA West Regional. She also tied for first at the 2011 Rebel Intercollegiate, making her the first person to capture medalist honors at four consecutive tournaments since Lorena Ochoa won seven in a row in 2001-02. Her 2010-11 success earned her first-team All-America and All-SEC honors.
In 2010, Popson tied for first at the SEC Championship, where she lost in a playoff, and was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team.
Popson is the daughter of Fred and Diana Popson. She has one sister, Carissa. She was born April 18, 1991, in Davenport, Fla.
Notable Links:
Popson’s Curtis Cup Practice Session Blog - http://www.utladyvols.com/sports/w-golf/spec-rel/013012aaa.html
VIDEO: Meet Erica Popson - http://bit.ly/AymLSI
Emily Tubert, 20, Burbank, Calif.
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Emily Tubert won the 2010 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship in only her second USGA event. She advanced to the round of 16 at the 2011 Women’s Amateur Public Links.
Tubert is a rising junior at the University of Arkansas, where she is majoring in broadcast journalism. During her breakthrough freshman season, Tubert collected three victories: the 2010 Susie Maxwell Berning Classic, the 2010 Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown and the 2011 MountainView Collegiate. Tubert was named 2011 SEC Co-Freshman of the Year (along with Alabama’s Stephanie Meadow, a member of the 2012 GB&I Curtis Cup Team), and was also named to the NGCA and All-SEC first teams. While she did not claim any victories during the 2011-12 season, Tubert’s six top-10 finishes earned her first-team honors again from the NGCA and SEC.
Tubert earned All-American Scholar honors from the NGCA in 2011, and has been nominated for the Capital One Academic All-American Team.
Tubert represented the United States at the 2011 Spirit International, where she teamed with fellow Curtis Cup Team member Austin Ernst, 2011 U.S. Amateur champion Kelly Kraft and three-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Nathan Smith to win the overall title. She received a sponsor’s exemption into the LPGA Tour’s 2011 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, where she made the cut, and finished third at the 2012 Mexican Women’s Amateur.
Tubert is the daughter of Marcelo and Lori Tubert. She has one sister, Sarah. She was born May 15, 1992, in Burbank, Calif.
Notable Links:
Tubert Earns All-District, All-America Honors - http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=688&SPSID=11701&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205434111&DB_OEM_ID=6100
Tubert Claims 2010 WAPL Title - http://www.usga.org/ChampEventArticle.aspx?id=2147487594
VIDEO: Meet Emily Tubert - http://bit.ly/Jh2ELf