Ford qualifies for U.S. Open

Former IU women's golf star Danah Ford qualified for the 2005 Women's U.S. Open on June 14, recording rounds of 73 and 68 for a three-under par total of 141 at Wynstone Golf Club in North Barrington, Ill. Ford also earned co-medalist honors in the process of qualifying for the Open, which will be held today through Sunday at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colo. \nFord's qualification came as no shock to her, \n"I wasn't surprised that I qualified, but I was extremely excited," she said.\nFord attributed her success to her ability to stay attentive on the task at hand, she said.\n"I stayed consistent and focused on my game," she said. "This helped me going into the qualifier and I think it will help me at the Open."\nFord, who played for the Hoosiers from 1999-2004, nearly qualified last year for the Open, which she said gave her confidence in her quest this year. The U.S. Open will not be Ford's debut on the LPGA. In April, she played in the Franklin American Mortgage Championship in Franklin, Tenn. Ford finished tied for 130th, but she said playing the tournament gave her much valuable understanding of how to compete in the LPGA.\n"It was great experience and should help me be comfortable here."\nDespite the magnitude of the U.S. Open, Ford isn't nervous about her ability to perform.\n"It's just like any other tournament; I'm going to take it shot by shot and really enjoy myself," Ford said. "Every round I play I try to enjoy myself. I'm really fortunate to be playing professional golf."\nThe presence of women's golf superstars such as Annika Sorenstam, Michelle Wie, and defending champion Meg Mallon won't intimidate \nFord either.\n"I'm not nervous, more excited," she said. "I don't really get nervous." \nAs a Hoosier, Ford capped her outstanding career in her senior year by winning the Women's Big Ten Championship title. In winning the title, Ford also set a new Big Ten Conference record with her four-round score of 287, which bested the previous mark by one stroke. Ford finished her Hoosier career with the fifth lowest average round score in school history at 77.28 strokes per round.