Kim, Mayorkas, Park, McPherson and Francella Earn
2007 Exempt LPGA Status

ALBANY, N.Y., Sept. 10, 2006 -- Five players qualified today as exempt LPGA Tour members for the 2007 season by finishing in the top five on the Duramed FUTURES Tour Money List.

This year's Tour graduates are: Song-Hee Kim of Seoul, Korea; Charlotte Mayorkas of Las Vegas; In-Bee Park of Las Vegas; Kristy McPherson of Conway, S.C.; and Meaghan Francella of Port Chester, N.Y. The 2006 season is the eighth year in the 26-year history of the Tour that players have been able to earn automatic exemptions onto the LPGA Tour and the fourth year that five exemptions are rewarded. From 1999 to 2002, three exemptions were offered to top money winners.

Also today, the next 10 players on the Tour's money list, excluding LPGA non-exempt players, earned automatic entry into the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla., set for November 29-December 3. Those players, in order of finish, are as follows: Ashley Prange of Noblesville, Ind.; Angela Park of Torrance, Calif.; Mollie Fankhauser of Columbus, Ohio; Brandi Jackson of Greenville, S.C.; Jin Young Pak of Kang Leung, Korea; Sarah Huarte of Shingle Springs, Calif.; Ji Min Jeong of Kyungki, Korea; Salimah Mussani of Burlington, Ontario; Sarah Lynn Johnston of St. Charles, Ill.; and Smriti Mehra of Calcutta, India.

Other top money winners on the Duramed FUTURES Tour, Allison Fouch of Grand Rapids, Mich.; Hye Jung Choi of Seoul, Korea; Ashley Hoagland of Palmetto, Fla.; and Ha-Na Chae of Seoul, Korea, all are non-exempt LPGA Tour members and will automatically advance into the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament.

"We know these players will transition seamlessly to the LPGA Tour as they are fully prepared after competing for 19 weeks on the Duramed FUTURES Tour," said Zayra F. Calderon, the Tour's president and CEO. "Our promise to the LPGA Tour is to deliver the best young talent in the world and with this new class of graduates, that promise will be fulfilled in 2007."

Kim, 18, who is in her rookie season, recorded five wins, matching the record set by alumna Grace Park in 1999 on the FUTURES Golf Tour. Kim also recorded 11 top-10 finishes this year, competing in 18 events and earning a total of $76,287. She won her first tournament at the Louisiana FUTURES Classic in Lafayette, La., followed by wins at the IOS FUTURES Golf Classic in El Paso, Texas, the Aurora Health Care Championship at Lake Geneva, Wis., the CIGNA Chip In For A Cure FUTURES Golf Classic in Bloomfield, Conn., and The Gettysburg Championship in Gettysburg, Pa.

"I never dreamed this year would end this way," said Kim, who became the youngest woman touring pro to win a professional tournament in the United States at 17 years, 10 months and 24 days with her win in Lafayette, La., on April 9. "I have accomplished so much. I'm overwhelmed."

A three-time All-American at UCLA, Mayorkas stepped up in her second season on the Duramed FUTURES Tour and won twice -- first at the Tucson Duramed FUTURES Golf Classic in May in Tucson, Ariz., and again in August in Concord, N.H., at the Laconia Savings Bank Golf Classic. The San Diego native recorded 13 top-10 finishes, including three finishes as runner-up. With season earnings of $66,351 in 16 events, Mayorkas secured the No. 2 position on the Tour's money list. She turns 23 on Sept. 11.

Holding on to the No. 3 spot was rookie In-Bee Park of Las Vegas, who earned $49,079 in 17 tournaments while also completing her high school studies on the road to graduate in June. Park, now 18, began the season as a 17-year-old professional. The teen posted 11 top-10 finishes with one second-place and four third-place finishes.

"It was a really tough year for me and I had both fun and felt the pressure," said Park, a native of Seoul, Korea, who won the 2002 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship. "I wish I could have won, but I'm pleased with the way I performed because I played very consistently."

Finishing fourth with earnings of $40,558, was McPherson, a two-time winner this season. McPherson won her first title in April on the Duramed FUTURES Tour at the Jalapeno FUTURES Golf Classic in McAllen, Texas, and then won again in early August at the Betty Puskar FUTURES Golf Classic in Morgantown, W.Va. After three and a half seasons on the Tour, McPherson finished the 2006 season with six top-10 finishes, including one finish for third place.

"We have such great players and I knew anything could happen on the money list this week," said McPherson, 25, who played collegiately at the University of South Carolina. "I feel extremely relieved and kind of lucky to be sitting here right now with an LPGA card in my hand."

Earning the fifth and final exempt LPGA Tour card for 2007 was Francella, who played on the Duramed FUTURES Tour for two and a half seasons after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The New Yorker recorded seven top-10 finishes and won the Tour's kickoff tournament in March at the Lakeland Duramed FUTURES Classic in Lakeland, Fla. She finished second once and third once and earned the fifth LPGA Tour card by $2,590 with her tie for third at today's ILOVENY Championship in Albany, N.Y.

"As far as the money list goes, nothing was set in stone," said Francella, 24. "I knew that Allison Fouch, Ashley Prange, Hye Jung Choi and Angela Park could all shoot a low number and take the fifth spot today because they're all great players. I had to work really hard to stay focused and not get ahead of myself. This feels really good."

About the Duramed FUTURES Tour

Celebrating its 26th competitive season this year, the Duramed FUTURES Tour has remained committed to developing the skills and dreams of women golfers, establishing role models for youth and creating LPGA stars of tomorrow. With more than 280 alumnae as current members of the LPGA Tour, former Duramed FUTURES Tour players currently have won a total of 308 LPGA titles, including 33 major championships. Designated as "the official developmental tour of the LPGA," the Duramed FUTURES Tour has become the largest international developmental tour and the second largest women's golf tour in the world. At season's end each year, the top five players on the Tour's money list earn automatic LPGA Tour exemptions for the following year. Throughout its first quarter century, membership has increased from approximately 150 North American players to more than 300 players from 31 different nations. The Duramed FUTURES Tour currently conducts 19 tournaments in 14 states and has raised nearly $4 million for charitable organizations since 1989. For more information, please visit www.duramedfuturestour.com.

Contact: Lisa D. Mickey, director of communications at the Duramed FUTURES Tour at 863-709-9100, Ext. 2 or lisa@duramedfuturestour.com.

2007 LPGA card winners' photo: Available for download at the following address:

http://duramedfuturestour.com/2007CardWinners.jpg