TURNBERRY, Scotland – There’s a Ko atop the leaderboard after three rounds of the Women’s British Open.
Just not the one many were expecting.
Jin-Young Ko, a 20-year-old South Korean with no links experience and playing in her first major championship, shot a 3-under 69 on Saturday to share the lead with Taiwan’s Teresa Lu heading into the final round at Turnberry. They have an 8-under total of 208.
Ko’s story is all the more remarkable considering she met her temporary caddie for the week – a locally born, 27-year-old digital advertiser called Jeff Brighton – for the first time on Tuesday. She said she is taking advice from Brighton on every stroke, and hasn’t been adapting her usual game for the links despite the wind and rain that has lashed the Ailsa course.
“I give her a number and a line and she just hits it,” Brighton said after the round. “We’re working well. She trusts my numbers.”
Lydia Ko, the No. 2-ranked golfer looking to become the youngest winner of a major at 18, started the third round in a four-way tie for second place, alongside her namesake on 5 under.
The New Zealander recovered from a double-bogey at No. 1 to shoot a 72 and was three strokes off the lead, with top-ranked Inbee Park (69) and Minjee Lee (70).
Park, who has been acting as a mentor for Jin-Young Ko in her compatriot’s start to her career, is bidding to complete a career Grand Slam.
“Having somewhat of a chance on the last day is just a great opportunity,” said Park, who would be the sixth woman to sweep the majors. “You just keep cracking and someday it’s going to crack.”
Second-round leader Suzann Pettersen was a stroke off the lead after shooting 72 on another day of changeable weather in western Scotland. Mika Miyazato of Japan shot 70 to lie on her own in fourth place.
Jin-Young Ko took the lead outright for the first time when she birdied No. 6 and went two shots clear after another birdie on No. 7. She lost the lead when she bogeyed No. 16 after missing the green with her approach from the middle of the fairway, the only poor shot in her round.
Both Ko and Lu birdied No. 17 and parred No. 18.
“I feel nothing, not even nervous or anything,” said Ko, who has won four events on the Korean tour and played only one event on the U.S. LPGA Tour, in South Korea, where she finished tied for 42nd at the 2014 KEB HanaBank Championship.
Asked if it will be a life-changing experience to be a major champion, the 28th-ranked Ko replied: “If I won, my life will be the same.”
Ko is playing in Scotland for the first time and has been shocked by the weather conditions. She said she has never played in such high winds.
“There are many different seasons in one day – sun, rain, wind,” she said, laughing.
The 30th-ranked Lu shot 69, too, and was also chasing a first major title. She rolled a birdie putt just wide on the 18th hole that would have given her the outright lead.
“I have to try to stay relaxed,” Lu said, “because it’s going to be a tough day tomorrow.”
Rain is forecast all Sunday.
Park has seven come-from-behind victories, including two in major championships – at the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open and 2014 Women’s PGA Championship.
“Three back is not that bad,” Park said.
Alena Sharp shoots a third-round 77 while Brooke Henderson signed for a 79.
TURNBERRY, Scotland – If the first day of the Women’s British Open was all about Donald Trump, the second day belonged to Suzann Pettersen.
The Norwegian took a two-stroke lead into the weekend after being one of just two players to break 70 in a soggy second round at Turnberry that left many in the 144-woman field scurrying for shelter and bemoaning the un-summerlike conditions.
Out at 6.41 a.m. Friday in the second group, Pettersen shot a 3-under 69 for a score that only looked better and better as a grueling day on the wind-beaten Ailsa links wore on. Maria McBride of Sweden was the only player to beat Pettersen’s score with a bogey-free 66 but was still way off the pace after an opening-round 79.
“I was in 100 percent control of the ball, the flight, the spin, everything you need to do in conditions like this,” said the sixth-ranked Pettersen, who called it one of the best rounds of her career. “It felt like I was pulling off every shot I was standing over.”
Pettersen’s 7-under 137 put her two shots clear of a quartet tied for second that included Lydia Ko, who shot a 73 in some of the worst conditions in the afternoon, when the winds swirled and gusted up to 25 mph.
“I was eating my sandwich – my bread was getting wet in the rain,” said the 18-year-old Ko, who wore four layers of clothes, hand warmers and ear muffs at times during her round.
And Pettersen’s 69?
“Pretty amazing,” Ko said.
Teresa Lu (71) of Taiwan and South Korean pair So Yeon Ryu (72) and Jin-Young Ko (70) were also on 5 under with Ko, who is trying to become the youngest winner of a major.
Top-ranked Inbee Park, seeking to complete the career sweep of the majors, shot a 73 to sit five strokes off Pettersen. Michelle Wie withdrew after aggravating a left ankle injury when she slipped to the ground as she walked off the 13th tee.
Defending champion Mo Martin shot an 80 and missed the cut, which was at 5 over, as did Morgan Pressel, Paula Creamer and U.S. Solheim Cup captain Juli Inkster.
Golf reclaimed center stage after the Donald Trump Show on Thursday. The American presidential contender, who owns Turnberry, had made the opening round of the year’s fourth major a mere sideshow by landing in his private helicopter during play and grabbing the attention of the media by continuing his election campaigning in the plush hotel overlooking the course.
The Republican was less conspicuous on Friday, although his cell phone went off as he watched Martin tee off at No. 1.
Instead, it was Pettersen who hogged the spotlight.
On a day when more than a quarter of the field shot 80 or higher, Pettersen tamed a course she described as a “beast.” She hit an 8-iron to three inches on No. 2 for the first of four birdies in her round, and emerged from holes 12-18 – playing into the wind – 1 under par.
Pettersen is oozing confidence right now. A switch of coach at the start of the year, from David Leadbetter to Butch Harmon, has led to a minor change in her swing and major change in her mentality.
“I always thought playing through the Olympics (in 2016) would be a good goal for me,” Pettersen said. “But now, feeling and seeing what I can do differently and how easy I can do stuff, it definitely has changed my perspective of my own career.
“I have a lot of goals left out there that I want to achieve.”
First-round leader Hyo-Joo Kim dropped seven shots in her last eight holes for a 78, to slip to 1 under.
McBride’s score in a round that finished in the gloom was scarcely believable, given what had happened to the rest of the field.
“It’s one of the worst rounds I’ve played, conditions-wise,” said the Swedish player. “It’s probably the best round ever in my golfing career.”
Canada’s Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp make the cut to the weekend. Henderson signed for a round of 3-over 75 and sits 4-over for the tournament. Sharp sits at 5-over after a second-round 77.
TURNBERRY, Scotland –Donald Trump’s show-stealing arrival at the Women’s British Open on Thursday upstaged another strong start to a major by South Korea’s Hyo-Joo Kim.
Kim was midway through compiling a 7-under 65 in the first round when Trump, the American presidential candidate, landed in a private helicopter to begin a two-day visit at the tournament at his Turnberry resort in western Scotland.
The on-course action was initially a sideshow for Trump, who seized the attention by inviting the media to his hotel near the course to continue his presidential campaign. The Republican celebrity billionaire eventually watched some golf, although the leaderboard was virtually locked in by then.
The fourth-ranked Kim, who shot a first-round 61 in winning the Evian Championship on her major championship debut last year, was leading by one stroke from Lydia Ko of New Zealand and Cristie Kerr of the United States.
Ko, whose 66 was her lowest score in a major, is looking to become the youngest winner of a major. She’ll be 18 years, three months, nine days on Sunday, seven months younger than Morgan Pressel when the American won the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2007.
Top-ranked Inbee Park began her quest to complete a sweep of the majors by shooting 69 in what she described as “perfect conditions for golf,” with three of her five birdies coming in her last five holes.
Defending champion Mo Martin shot 70, and Michelle Wie, wearing a brace on her left ankle because of a bone spur, had a 76.
Australia’s Karrie Webb, the last champion at Turnberry in 2002, shot 80 and was joint 141st in the 144-woman field.
Trump’s grand arrival at 10:30 a.m. certainly didn’t go unnoticed by the early starters on the Ailsa Course. Ko, who went out in the second group after waking up at 3:30 a.m., was on the 16th hole when the real-estate mogul’s helicopter twice circled the Ayrshire links.
“I was like, `Man, that’s a really nice helicopter,'” Ko said. “I would love one.”
The world No. 2 already was 6 under par by then, with a run of four straight birdies from No. 2 giving her momentum. On No. 5, she gripped a 5-wood from 179 yards to inside 2 feet.
Ko is trying not to think about the history she could create this weekend.
“My goal is to have one major in my career,” Ko said, “but it doesn’t need to be now.”
Ko held the clubhouse lead for barely an hour before being overtaken by Kim, who rolled in five birdies and an eagle putt from 10 inches at the par-5 14th in her first round in a British Open.
This is only her fifth major championship – and she already has a victory as well as ninth and 11th-place finishes.
“I kept playing good today,” said Kim, who donned earmuffs to combat the early morning chill. She was one of three players in the field to be bogey-free in her first round.
Canada is represented in the field this week by Alena Sharp with an opening-round of even-par and Brooke Henderson with a score of 1-over 73.
The Trump circus is scheduled to leave Turnberry on Friday, allowing the players to take center stage at the fourth major of the year.
ALBANY, N.Y. – Australia’s Breanna Elliott won the Fuccillo Kia Championship by a stroke Sunday for her first Symetra Tour title.
Elliott closed with a 2-under 69 to finish at 13-under 200 at Capital Hills at Albany. She earned $15,000 and a 2015 Kia Optima LX.
“My new Kia, this is amazing,” said Elliott, sporting green hair and a nose ring. “I’ve been driving a rental all year and this car is definitely the cherry on top.”
She jumped from 78th to 23rd on the money list with $20,722. The top 10 at the end of the season will earn 2016 LPGA Tour cards.
“This is so sweet, I am so stocked and this is just unbelievable,” Elliott said. “I’m so happy right now, this is what I have been working for and this is huge for me. This is the first step in the right direction. This is for my family back home. I know they are going to be celebrating tonight.”
Elliott birdied the par-3 16th and closed with two pars.
“I felt really calm and I am normally a pretty relaxed person, but I thought when I was put into the moment that the nerves would creep in, but I felt this unbelievable calm,” Elliott said. “It was nice to hit a great shot on the last hole and then roll a good putt up there. Waiting to tap in the putt was just agony, but I am super pleased.”
France’s Fiona Puyo and Canada’s Augusta James tied for second. Puyo had a 65, and James shot 69.
Casey Grice, Lindy Duncan and Canada’s Sue Kim followed at 10 under. Grice and Duncan shot 67, and Kim had a 70.
Brooke Henderson finished T9 after a final round 1-under 70.
ALBANY, N.Y. – She’s done it as an amateur, but never as a professional. Breanna Elliott (Yarrawonga, Australia) drained a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to grab sole possession of the 36-hole lead at the Fuccillo Kia Championship at Capital Hills on Saturday. Elliott turned in a 5-under 66 to get to 11-under 131, one shot clear of rookie Augusta James (Bath, Ontario).
Saturday was another scoreable day as 44 players posted rounds in the 60’s.
Elliott, whose best finish this year is a tie for 24th last week in Rochester, will look to be the first Aussie to win on the Symetra Tour since Julia Boland won the 2012 Four Winds Invitational.
“Yes, a win would be huge, obviously it would be awesome to get a win under the belt,” said Elliott, who has been smiling from ear-to-ear the entire week. “Especially since I’m playing away from home, it would mean a lot to show people that I am taking my game to the next level.”
Elliott stepped on the 18th tee box in a share of the lead and landed her tee shot on the par-3 pin high and inches from the fringe.
“I wasn’t pulling the trigger today and I was leaving putts short so I gave that last putt a little extra,” said Elliott. “That was a nice way to finish and I think I needed that one.”
There is no doubt Elliott has elevated her game this week. She has 12 birdies against just one bogey through 36 holes. Her length off the tee has really helped. She is averaging 267 yards with the driver and has hit 33 of 36 greens in regulation.
“My whole season has kind of led up to the last couple of weeks,” said Elliott, who ranks 78th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. “I’ve been hitting the ball well all season and to finally be up there on the leaderboard is something I was hoping would happen. One good week can really turn your year around and last week was a good confidence booster for me.”
Elliott also got a boost of confidence two weeks ago when she played in the U.S. Women’s Open and played practice rounds with Karrie Webb, Michelle Wie and Stacey Lewis.
“From watching them play, I definitely saw that they were all aggressive,” noted Elliott of the top players in the world. “I feel like my game is there and I need to go for it instead of playing defensive golf like I have in the past. Players like Karrie that just go for the pins is really inspiring.”
The 23-year-old enjoyed a successful amateur career that included seven wins in 2012. Her best finish on the Symetra Tour is a tie for 12th at the 2014 Four Winds Invitational.
A win could move Elliott as high as 21st on the Volvik Race for the Card money list and put her in striking distance of the top 10 with eight events remaining.
The winner of the Fuccillo Kia Championship will also drive away in a 2015 Snow White Pearl Kia Optima LX courtesy of Fuccillo Kia of Schenectady.
JAMES AIMS FOR WIN NUMBER TWO: Augusta James is potentially one big finish away from locking up an LPGA Tour card. She has the chance to do that Sunday after carding a 4-under 67 to get to 10-under 132 at the Fuccillo Kia Championship at Capital Hills.
James, who started on the back nine, finished with back-to-back birdies on holes eight and nine to put an exclamation point on her day.
“It was definitely important to end with birdies because I wanted to finish strong and I felt like there was more in my round than what I was at after hole six which was just 2-under,” said James, who curled in a 20-footer to end the day. “It was a little bit outside regular range, but you have to hit a few of those to shoot low numbers.”
The 22-year-old has made just two bogeys through 36-holes and has hit 23 of 26 fairways. She has needed only 52 putts so far.
“I’m happy with the spot I put myself in for tomorrow,” said James, who was followed by a large group of friends and family again on Saturday. “I have really great hometown support and a great community that I live in. They are very special and for them to come down here means a lot.”
James won the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial earlier this season and could become the first player to win two official events this season. She currently ranks ninth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list, but is just $1,495 in front of number 11 on the money list (Casey Grice).
“Of course you look at the money list, but then you have to give your head a shake and stop,” said James. “As cheesy as this sounds, it really is about one shot at a time and one moment at a time. If you get ahead of yourself, it is really game over.”
Every player that has won at least twice in a single-season has earned their LPGA Tour card.
In her win earlier this season, James entered the final round one shot off the lead and carded a 5-under 67 to win by four shots. She’ll be one shot back on Sunday.
BROOKE HENDERSON ‘EXCITED FOR SUNDAY’: Brooke Henderson has played in four Symetra Tour events this year. She is a combined 16-under on Sunday in those four events. Last week, she carded a 6-under 66 in Rochester to finish in a tie for seventh. On Saturday, Henderson posted a 5-under 66 to give herself a chance at her second Symetra Tour win.
“I made a lot of putts, which is always nice,” said Henderson. “I’m now very comfortable around this golf course and I’m excited for tomorrow.”
Henderson has finished in the top 10 in all four Symetra Tour starts including a win at the Four Winds Invitational. She currently ranks 39th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.
Henderson was asked if she plans on being aggressive early to make up the deficit.
“Generally, I am an aggressive player from the get go so I’ll just stick to that plan,” said Henderson. “I’m going to try and push early to put a little pressure on the leaders.”
ALBANY, N.Y. – Breanna Elliott (Yarrawonga, Australia) played a practice round two weeks ago at the U.S. Women’s Open with the likes of Michelle Wie, Stacy Lewis and Karrie Webb. The appearance at the Open rejuvenated her as she carded a 6-under 65 to share the lead with Volvik Race for the Card No. 9 Augusta James (Bath, Ontario) at the Fuccillo Kia Championship at Capital Hills after day one.
It was a scoreable day as 41 players finished under-par and 62 are at even-par or lower.
Elliott made seven birdies including one on her first hole, the par-5 tenth. She also posted four birdies on a six hole stretch to open her back nine.
“I think off the tee I was really strong, I hit the lines I picked out in my practice rounds and I was quite long today,” said Elliott, who hit 10 of 13 fairways and birdied three of four par-5 holes. “For a good number of the holes, I only had a 9-iron in and that made things so much more comfortable.”
Elliott, who had her best finish of the year last week at the Toyota Danielle Downey Classic (T24), said she felt no stress on the course on Friday.
“The weather was brilliant and I didn’t feel any stress, I felt happy on the golf course,” said Elliott, who ranks 78th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. “The putter was really working, I got the pace of the greens early on and had good rhythm.”
Elliott qualified and played in the U.S. Women’s Open two weeks ago and said that she felt refreshed and excited for golf again after competing against the best in the world.
“I played the U.S Women’s Open and that really motivated me and I had some really awesome practice partners,” said Elliott. “When you play in a massive championship like that, you can’t help but enjoy golf. I had my coach there, I had my mom and dad and it just felt like a special week and it is showing in my golf now that I am in a good place.”
So, what was it like playing with Wie and Lewis and Webb and recent World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Laura Davies?
“If you were going to choose practice partners before the tournament, those would be the names,” said 23-year-old Elliott. “I got really lucky and they were all nice girls.”
Just before the Open, Elliott did something else. She died her hair green.
“I was feeling restless and I wanted to do something different,” said Elliott. “I played with it at the Open and it stood out, there aren’t many girls out there or here with green hair.”
James, who was born on the first round of The Masters in 1993, made seven birdies in her first 15 holes of the day. Her lone hiccup was on the par-4 17th hole.
“I was hitting the ball really well today and hitting it very close and that made things a lot easier,” said James, who won the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial earlier this year. “This round sets me up for the weekend well.”
James, who played with fellow Canadian National team member Brooke Henderson, had a nice gallery of family and friends all afternoon.
“I think Canadian women out here this year have been proving themselves with some Canadian wins and a lot of top 10’s,” said James. “Golf in Canada is progressing very well and it is nice to have that camaraderie out here.”
The 22-year-old grew up playing with Henderson and used to room with her on the road. When asked if Brooke has a bright future ahead of her, James did not hesitate.
“Brooke is playing very well and I think it is clear that she has a bright future.”
After James was done with the media, Brooke addressed James and the state of Canadian women’s golf.
“Gus (Augusta) is a great girl and a great player so we had fun out there today,” said Henderson. “Golf in Canada is growing and getting a lot stronger. As you can see, every week on the Symetra Tour there is a player from Canada near or at the top. On the LPGA, we haven’t really dominated yet, but I think it is coming.”
BURLINGTON, Ont. — Canadian golf superstar Brooke Henderson successfully defended her PGA Women’s Championship of Canada title Wednesday at the Burlington Golf and Country Club.
The 17-year-old’s two-day total of 8-under-par was two shots better than American Doris Chen and Team Canada member Elizabeth Tong.
“Last year when I won it was really special because I was still an amateur, but this year I wanted to win again and host the trophy as a professional,” Henderson said.
The Smiths Falls, Ont., native started the day T2 three shots back of the first round leader Tong, but climbed the leaderboard after a trio of birdies early in her round.
“The front nine was really good because I was making a bunch of birdies,” she said about her outward nine of 3-under-par 32, which vaulted her to the top of the leaderboard into a tie with Tong. “But then on the 13th Elizabeth made birdie and I made bogey, so I was saying to myself ‘uh oh, now it’s really time to get going.’”
Henderson converted birdie on No. 16 before watching Tong make bogey and Chen double-bogey on the 17th.
The win is Henderson’s second of the summer, with her first coming in June at the Four Winds Invitational on the Symetra Tour. Currently ranked No. 32 in the world, Henderson recently finished T5 at the U.S. Women’s Open at the Lancaster Country Club. Henderson also finished T5 at the Women’s PGA Championship—the second of the LPGA Tour’s five majors—in June.
“Everyday I’m trying to become a better person and a better golfer,” Henderson said about her development as both a professional golfer and as a person. “I think it’s really important to be a nice person, do what’s right and help others when you can. My family has really played a huge role in instilling that in me since I was a little girl.”
Kelowna, B.C.’s, Samantha Richdale finished fourth at 5-under-par, while Natalie Gleadall of Stratford, Ont., and, Americans Sydney Cox and Lauren Mielbrecht rounded out the top five.
Jennifer Jaszek of South Muskoka Curling and Golf Club took home low PGA of Canada professional honours.
The PGA Women’s Championship of Canada counted as the third and final stop on the Canadian Women’s Tour, with points awarded toward the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year at the conclusion of the championship.
Similar to past years, the champion of each Canadian Women’s Tour stop and the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada will receive an exemption into the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open to be held Aug. 17-23, 2015 at the Vancouver Golf Club in Vancouver. As well, two (2) additional exemptions were awarded to the top competitors, not otherwise exempt into the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open from the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit.
As well, the top five (previously the top 3) players on the Canadian Women’s Tour season-ending Order of Merit will be awarded direct entry into LPGA Stage-2 Qualifying.
Henderson captured the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year award, with Mielbrecht and Suel-Ki Park earning exemptions into the CP Women’s Open.
For complete results, CLICK HERE.
The next PGA of Canada national championship takes place Aug. 12-14 at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont., for the Mr. Lube PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada presented by Adams Golf.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – In just her fourth event as a professional golfer, Annie Park (Levittown, N.Y.) gutted out her first victory by the narrowest of margins in the final round of the Toyota Danielle Downey Classic at Brook-Lea Country Club on Sunday. She posted a 4-under 68 and survived a late rally from 2011 Solheim Cup member Vicky Hurst (Melbourne, Fla.) to win at 16-under 272, one stroke ahead of Hurst.
“I’m speechless, this is my first professional win and it has been happening all so fast,” said 20-year-old Park. “For me to win this tournament is crazy right now.”
Park becomes the second native New Yorker to win in the storied history of Rochester professional golf. Dottie Pepper (Saratoga) won the 1996 Rochester Invitational.
The former NCAA national champion (2013) was challenged early and late by Hurst, who made birdie on the second hole to cut the deficit to two shots. Composed beyond her years and experience, Park responded with birdies on the third, fourth and sixth holes to get to 15-under and a four shot lead.
At the turn, Park held a four shot lead. Hurst made up ground with an eagle on the 10th hole. Park made bogey on the 13th and all of a sudden the lead was back down to two shots. On the 15th hole, Hurst rolled in a birdie to cut the deficit to one shot. Park misjudged the wind on 17 and 18 and had to make two very difficult up-and-down pars to hold off Hurst.
“I knew Vicky is a phenomenal player and I knew she was going to play great today, she was putting so well,” said Park. “I miscalculated yardages on 16, 17 and 18, but for me to make that 7-foot par putt on 17 was shocking to me. I was like ‘yes, I made it’.”
With a one shot lead, Park left her tee shot on the par-3 18th hole short and it rolled down the classic Donald Ross designed front slope. She chipped up to a foot and tapped in for par. Hurst missed a 15-foot putt that would have forced a playoff.
“I don’t know how I converted that chip shot,” said Park with a wide smile. “I thought Vicky was going to make the putt so I was ready for a playoff, but I am just speechless.”
Park said that this round was one of the best of her life considering all the circumstances.
“Every shot was some of the shots of my life,” said the former USC Trojans golfer. “If I had to pick one shot, it was the par putt on 17, that was so nerve-racking.”
The first place payout vaults Park from 93rd on the Volvik Race for the Card money list to 17th with nine events remaining in the season.
Park is the third rookie to win on the Symetra Tour this season (Augusta James – Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial and Haruka Morita-WanyaoLu – Symetra Classic). Park is now third amongst rookies in earnings behind Morita-WanyaoLu and James, who are both inside the top 10.
Nancy Lopez, who was the honorary host of the event, addressed the packed crowd on the 18th green during the trophy ceremony. When Park spoke, she said that she wrote an autobiography on Lopez during her sophomore year of high school.
“Growing up, I looked up to Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez,” said Park. “I did a lot of research on her and it was great to be able to meet her in person today.”
Hurst’s second place finish skyrockets her from 127th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list to 30th. Maude-Aimee Leblanc turned in a 4-under 68 on Sunday to finish in a tie for third at 8-under 280. She moves from 13th to eighth on the money list.
BROOKE HENDERSON TIES ROUND OF TOURNAMENT: Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ontario) wasn’t thrilled with her first three rounds of the Toyota Danielle Downey Classic. She admitted making mistakes she doesn’t normally. On Sunday, she posted a 6-under 66 to tie the low round of the tournament and finish in a tie for seventh at 7-under 281.
“It was a lot fun today, it wasn’t anything special until the back nine when I made some birdies late and I had my cousin on the bag and he gave me a lot of good reads,” said Henderson. “It is always awesome to be able to finish strong on Sunday.”
Henderson, who started on the back nine, made three birdies and an eagle on hole seven on her second nine. She started the day in a tie for 34th.
“I wasn’t super happy with the way I played this week, I made mistakes I don’t normally,” said Henderson. “I got a little more focused today and I was able to dial it in a little better and it is really good momentum moving forward.”’
Henderson will play in the Fuccillo Kia Championship at Capital Hills on the Symetra Tour next week in Albany.
“Every week, I’m trying to get a little better and improve on some things,” said Henderson, who has the RICOH Women’s British Open in two weeks. “Next week, I’ll really have to take good notes during the practice rounds and continue to gain more knowledge as the week progresses.”
Henderson is now 39th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.
Fellow Canadian Sara-Maude Juneau finished alongside Henderson at T7 with a final round 70. Natalie Gleadall finished T10 with a final round 68.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Annie Park (Levittown, N.Y.) said one of her favorite hobbies is sleep. She’ll need a good night’s rest tonight as she takes a 54-hole lead into the final round of her fourth event as a professional. Park carded a 3-under 69 and stands at 12-under 204, three strokes ahead of 2011 Solheim Cup member Vicky Hurst (Melbourne, Fla.). Park is the lone player in the field with three rounds in the 60’s.
“A good finish tomorrow would mean a lot, everything really is happening so fast like I said yesterday,” explained the 20-year-old Park. “I just need to focus on me and regardless of the results if I just try my best out there I think I’ll be happy.”
Park started strong with a birdie on the second and a birdie on the seventh to get to 11-under. She hit a bump in the road with back-to-back birdies on the eighth and ninth to make the turn at even par for the day.
“The first few holes, I missed some greens, but I made 10-foot par putts so I was like ‘thank god’,” said Park. “On the back nine, I started putting better and that was key to my round.”
Park rebounded immediately with birdies on the 10th and 11th holes. Her final birdie of the day came on the 15th hole. Putting has been key all week for Park, who has attempted 28 putts or less all three rounds.
Although she has been in the lead before, she said this position feels different.
“There are so many great golfers out here,” said Park, who won five times at USC including the 2013 NCAA individual title. “It is definitely different than college golf, but I am having a lot of fun out here.”
Park had a chance to sleep in this morning after play was delayed until 12:00 p.m. due to nearly three inches of rain overnight. Her original tee time of 11:43 a.m. was pushed back to 2:01 p.m.
“I don’t have any special meals or routine tonight, I just need to be able to sleep,” said Park. “I woke up at 10 today and saw my phone said flash flooding so I said ‘yes, I get to sleep more’ and then I got the email that play was delayed.”
Park won’t be able to sleep in on Sunday as she’ll tee at 10:01 a.m. in the final group with Hurst and Marina Choi (-8).
Canadians Sara-Maude Juneau and Jessica Wallace both shot rounds of 70 today and are T7. Maude-Aimee Leblanc also signed for a round of 70 and currently holds the 18th spot. Natalie Gleadall fell to T22 with a round of 74. Brooke Henderson is T34 with a score of 73.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Annie Park of Levittown, New York was playing in the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships a month and a half ago. Now, she has the 36-hole lead at her fourth event ever as a professional golfer. She posted a 5-under 67, tied for the low round of the day, to vault to 9-under 135. Emily Talley (Napa, Calif.) and Giulia Molinaro (Treviso, Italy) are in a tie for second at 6-under 138.
“I just turned professional a month ago so this is all happening so fast,” said Park, who was surrounded by her first media scrum as a professional. “The transition was really quick, after Nationals I had the Open qualifier and then a week later I had my first professional event so I didn’t really have time to breathe.”
Her 11th round as a professional turned out to be her best so far.
“I was hitting it better than yesterday so that was an improvement,” said soft-spoken Park. “My putting wasn’t as hot as it was yesterday, but just being able to hit fairways and greens was nice.”
Park hit 13 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation.
The 2013 NCAA individual champion at the University of Southern California made the turn at 1-under for the day. She kicked it into high gear with four birdies on the back nine including a 20-footer on 16.
“I was struggling with some shorter putts and that putt made me feel a lot better about myself,” said the 20-year-old Park. “My putting got better as the round went along and I’m happy that I was bogey-free.”
Since turning professional, Park has two top 20 finishes in three events including a tie for 13th two weeks ago at the Tullymore Classic.
In addition to pursing an LPGA Tour card this year, she is also going to continue her communications degree at USC starting this fall when she’ll take classes between Symetra Tour events.
“I’ll be headed into my senior year and I’ll have a year and a half left and I’d rather finish now than later,” said Park. “I’m planning on taking less classes each semester and I’ll talk to my professors and see how that works out.”
Park’s mom, who got her into golf, has been her travel companion and caddie in her rookie season on Tour.
“My mom has been my caddie basically my entire career so she knows me well on the course and I know her well,” said Park. “We work pretty well together. She got me started as a kid on the driving range when she said ‘I think you should play golf’ and I just said ‘OK’.”
Park earned Symetra Tour status by getting through stage one and two at 2014 LPGA Qualifying Tournament.
She is 93rd on the Volvik Race for the Card money list since she has only played in three events. A first place pay check of $22,500 would do wonders for her position on the money list.
Canadian Natalie Gleadall currently sits T8 with a second-round 71. Sara-Maude Juneau and Natalie Wallace are T11. Brooke Henderson signs for round of 70 to sit T19 alongside Maude-Aimee Leblanc. Brittany Henderson and Nicole Vandermade are T44.
