BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — A rain delay and fog delay might have an effect on some players as they prepare or continue through their round, but in the end, the strongest will come out on top.
Marta Sanz Barrio sure didn’t let those delays get in her way of winning it all.
With a finish that came down to the wire, Sanz Barrio walked away with a one-shot victory at the FireKeepers Casino Championship, finishing at 13-under-par.
While Sanz Barrio was having a day to remember, competition was a hole behind her the whole day in Augusta James who finished at 12-under-par. Sanz Barrio headed to the 18th with a two-shot lead and gave herself a little challenge she overhit her second shot behind the green.
After taking several different looks at her upcoming chip, Sanz Barrio flopped the perfect shot onto the green, but her ball stopped short of going in by a matter of inches. With a par inked on her final hole of the day, Sanz Barrio’s lead was locked in at 13-under, but James was right behind her with one hole left to go standing at 12-under.
James hit her second shot on 18 on the front of the green, with the pen nestled roughly 25 feet away in the back left corner. James needed to sink the long putt to force a playoff with Sanz Barrio, as it was down to just the two of them on the leaderboard at the end of the day.
With volunteers, fans, and players alike all waiting on James’ decisive putt, complete silence fell over the crowd. James’ putt was rolling with the perfect speed to the cup, and for a matter of seconds, it seemed like a playoff push was inevitable, but James’ putt inched just past the cup.
Having secured her second-place finish, James walked over to Sanz Barrio, and hugged the champion, and the two of them walked off the green, both of them champions in the hearts of the fans.
“I didn’t know the exact score or know how well Marta was playing in front of me,” said James. “I wanted my putt to get there, it was a long putt and I left myself with a bit of a tester for second place but I’m happy i got it there at least.”
A second-place finish at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship left James feeling pretty pleased with her performance this week.
“I didn’t have the results I wanted at the beginning of the year but I’m really happy with the way I’ve been playing over the last two weeks and especially today,” said James.
Fans also saw a familiar face out there caddying for Sanz Barrio throughout the day as it was her sister, Patricia Sanz Barrio, who was looping for the eventual champion.
“She played amazing, especially on the back nine it just felt like she made everything,” said Patricia. “It felt like every hole she had the chance to birdie from everywhere.”
For Patricia Sanz Barrio, she got to experience a different point of view while being on the golf course.
“It was really cool and she was really calm, we had so much fun out there it was a great experience to share with her,” said Patricia Sanz Barrio. “I always keep her cool.”
For Marta, she believed today would be a day her and her sister would never forget.
“I actually wished that she was playing, but to have her have her read my putts and calm me down, this is something we will remember for the rest of our lives,” said Marta Sanz Barrio.
With Marta Sanz Barrio crowned the champion on the day, Maia Schechter earned championship honors of her own with her victory as the Potawatomi Cup Champion. The Potawatomi Cup takes place during four events on the tour, taking place in South Bend, Harris, Battle Creek, and Milwaukee. Each player who plays in those four events is automatically registered to compete in the Potawatomi Cup. It’s a point-based system, and whoever finishes with the most points at the end of the fourth round will be the victor.
“It’s a really fun mini-series within the schedule itself,” said Schechter. “I won in South Bend, played well in Harris and Milwaukee, and today simply settled the score.”
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — With a different day brings better weather, and that was very good news on Saturday at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship. August James sits 2 strokes behind the lead with a share of sixth. She fired five birdies and one bogey on Saturday to head into Sunday’s round 6-under for the tournament.
The weather wasn’t the most important factor of the day though, but rather who could sink the final putt to take over first place through two rounds of play.
Janie Jackson held the lead at 7-under prior to her 2:25 p.m. second-round tee time on Saturday, but her lead didn’t last for long. There was a 6-way tie for first place heading into the latter portion of the afternoon. Between Jackson, Karolina Vlckova, Linnea Johansson, Casey Danielson, Kendall Dye, and Maia Schechter, nobody could pull away to take over solo possession of the lead.
Schechter was playing lights out, marking five total birdies on the day, compared to a lone bogey on her card. However, it was experience over tenacity that changed the leaderboard late.
Former LPGA Tour player Silvia Cavalleri decided it was her time to shine.
Cavalleri got off to quite the rough start, starting her day with back-to-back bogeys in her first two holes. She quickly bounced back from her issues, and birdied the third hole.On the 15th hole, she tallied her third birdie of the day, which put her in a tie for first at 7-unde-parr. Her fourth birdie of the day came at just the right time on hole No. 17, as it pushed her into the sole possession of first place at 8-under-par.
With the lead in her hands, Cavalleri needed to par the 18th to maintain sole possession of the lead heading into Sunday’s final round. She was lyingtwo on the fringe in front of the green, and needed to two-putt to finish with the lead. With her short game consistently having her back all day long, she decides to putt from nearly 25 feet away, and ended up just about a foot short of the hole.
Cavelleri tapped in to preserve the lead, and will head into the final day of competition one stroke ahead of the field.
ALBANY, N.Y. — A total of 21 individuals completed their first round in the Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY before the rains hit Capital Hills at Albany Golf Course hard on Friday afternoon, suspending play for the day at 2:35 p.m. ET.
The low Canadian, Elizabeth Tong, was not able to finish her round but sits 4-under with a share of the lead after 17 holes. Tong was having a bogey free round before play was suspended. Tong has career top-10 finish in 2016 of T-9 at the Symetra Tour Championship and finished T41 at last year’s Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY
Playing in her first and only event of the season, Katie Kempter (Albuquerque, New Mexico) holds the overnight lead. She fired a bogey-free, 4-under par 67 before storms moved into the Capital Region today, surprising even herself along the way.
“It would be not fair to say that I didn’t,” Kempter said with a grin. “My only goal this whole week is to go enjoy being out here, seeing some friends and catching up with them. The golf shots and the putts and the score, that’s just all icing on the cake. Whatever happens the next 36 holes, honestly it doesn’t really matter. I’m just happy to be out here.”
After playing competitively last year, Kempter got to a point where she was ready to move on and make a regular paycheck. It just so happened that the University of Denver (DU) alumna received a job offer she couldn’t refuse.
A friend from her days at The Club at Admirals Cove in Jupiter, Fla., by the name of Steve Hosack reached out to the seven-year Symetra Tour veteran, who also played one full season on the LPGA Tour. Hosack is the Head PGA Golf Professional at Burlington Country Club in Burlington, Vt., where Kempter is now the Pro Shop Manager, also assisting with junior clinics.
“Basically, my job is to make sure our membership is happy and enjoying golf. They have someone to chat with when they come in and talk about their round,” said Kempter. “I love the game of golf so much that it’s fun to see other people enjoy it, so that is my position. That has been a nice change in my life.”
The opportunity kept her in the game she loves and brought back the little things she missed, from cooking dinner to spending time with her wife Libby Smith—the Director of Instruction at Burlington Country Club—more than once every five weeks. Kempter still has aspects of competition and travel that leave her wanting to get back, but only for a short time.
“The friendship and camaraderie that’s built around here, girls work their butts off to get to the LPGA and I think what’s so great about the Symetra Tour is a lot of girls support one another getting to that goal,” Kempter said. “You make lasting friendships. Yeah, I miss a lot of my host families and a couple of my volunteer caddies. That stuff I miss. I don’t miss the grind, the practicing.”
First round action will resume tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. ET with second round play to begin shortly after all players complete 18 holes
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Team Canada Young Pro Squad’s Augusta James recorded the best finish of her season so far after finishing the Symetra Tour Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic in a tie for sixth.
The Bath, Ont., talent shot her third 69 of the weekend to finish at 10 under, only two strokes behind the winners after firing three consecutive birdies on the back-nine.
It took 76 holes, but Eun Jeong Seong (Yongin, Republic of Korea) eventually walked away the victor at the fourth annual Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic for the Symetra Tour rookie’s first professional win.
Seong and Stephanie Meadow (Jordanstown, Northern Ireland) were tied atop the leaderboard at 12-under par following the conclusion of 72 holes. They proceeded to play the par-3 18th in a sudden-death playoff format until a winner was decided.
On the fourth hole, it was Seong who ran in a birdie putt to end the drama at Brook-Lea Country Club. After the trophy presentation, the 18-year-old still could not believe she had won.
“I didn’t think about winning to start the day, just focused on my goal,” said Seong. “I’m not feeling anything yet because I don’t know what a champion is supposed to feel. I know that I won, but the feeling has not come to me.”
To start the final round, Seong was tied for sixth at 7-under par, four shots behind Meadow. That deficit quickly disappeared when she carded five birdies, an eagle and only one bogey to record a 6-under par 30 going out.
“I started very nice and didn’t think about my score, not about being 13-under,” said Seong, who held the solo advantage when she made the turn.
From there, Seong added a birdie on No. 14 before back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 17 and 18 capped a 5-under par 67 afternoon.
“Just very nervous, but still had a chance and I just took my chance,” Seong said. “First playoff hole, I was very nervous with my tough chip. After two playoff holes I thought, ‘Just second, if I lose it’s just second,’ and not nervous.”
The two exchanged pars over the first three playoff holes. On the fourth effort, Seong hit her tee shot to 10 feet. Once Meadow missed her birdie putt from just off the green, it was Seong’s tournament for the taking and she redeemed herself from the earlier bogey.
After turning pro late last year and making just her seventh Symetra Tour start, Seong finds the winner’s circle for the first time.
“I think I just start new because I am a professional now and then I have to recover every tournament,” Seong said. “When I was an amateur, I was playing very hard and would just hit. If I hit bad it’s okay because I am not pro, but now I am pro and I want to learn from my play.”
For Meadow, it was the second time she found herself in a playoff this season. The first was at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa when she buried a 40-foot putt to win on the first playoff hole.
“Wish I had that again,” Meadow said laughingly. “I just made a couple mistakes, but made some great putts out there to get myself back in it. It was such a hard hole to have a playoff on because I was right between a 5-iron and a 4-hybrid. She made a great birdie.”
Coming out on the other side of things this time around stings, but also leaves Meadow feeling confident about what is to come. The performance marked the seventh top-10 finish for the former University of Alabama four-time First Team All-American.
“I played great, made really great decisions and it was way better than my last three weeks,” said Meadow, who shot 1-under par today. “I just have to take the positives and keep rolling with it.”
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Team Canada Young Pro Squad’s Augusta James shot a 71 during the third round of the Danielle Downey Credit Union after two consecutive rounds of 69.
The Bath, Ont., talent heads into the final day sharing a piece of sixth at 7 under, separated from the leader by four shots.
With three rounds complete in the fourth annual Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic at Brook-Lea Country Club, Stephanie Meadow (Jordanstown, Northern Ireland) has separated herself from the rest of the field at 11-under par overall.
On moving day in the Empire State, the former four-time First Team All-American performer for the University of Alabama signed a 4-under par scorecard, recording six birdies in the process.
“Anytime you can lead going into the final day is always a bonus,” said Meadow, who has hit 39-of-42 fairways so far this tournament. “I’m excited to have a tiny bit of a cushion, but tomorrow I just need to keep doing my same thing. Get as far ahead as I can as soon as possible.”
The only thing that held her back from an even lower number this afternoon was a double bogey on the par-3 9th hole.
“I was going good until I misjudged the wind and hit it over on nine, which is absolutely a no-go,” Meadow said. “To come back on the back nine with a 4-under was pretty awesome. The greens are firming up, so any downwind holes are pretty hard to get close.”
It may be the first time in the final pairing for Meadow, but she is no stranger to finding the winner’s circle. In early April, she captured the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.
That experience is something she is sure to use to get her through tomorrow.
“I can draw on that since I’ve already been there, in contention playing good golf,” said Meadow. “At the IOA Championship I played really well and came from behind. If I can go out with that mentality, even though I am not in that current situation, I think that will help. Once you do something you want to do it again, especially when you know the feeling.”
Meadow will be joined by Jenny Coleman (Rolling Hills Estates, California) in the final pairing off No. 1 tee at 1:10 p.m. ET tomorrow.
Furthermore, a group of four individuals sit at 8-under par overall, just three shots back of the lead. Among them is Natalie Sheary (New Britain, Connecticut), who has put together three consecutive rounds under par for the first time this season.
“I’ve hit my irons well all week, so that has been a strong point for me,” Sheary said after a 1-under par third round. “I have been working on my game for so long, but I have been working really hard lately and it’s just nice to see things pay off.”
Ranked No. 1 on the Symetra Tour in driving accuracy (88.2 percent) and greens in regulation (84.7 percent) coming into this event, Sheary could be found right back at the range once she left the scoring tent.
Hitting 12-of-14 fairways in each of the last two days, as well as 15 greens, has her work ethic wanting more.
“I had two missed fairways today which is a lot for me, but on the holes that you really need to have a perfect drive, I missed a little left and you can’t do that,” said Sheary. “This course allows so many birdie opportunities that it’s easy to bounce back after you made a really easy bogey. It’s a classic northeastern golf course that is tree-lined, with some holes that are open and some you have to hit certain targets.”
Final round action picks up tomorrow morning at 7:30 p.m. ET and all pairings will start off No. 1 tee.
MOVE(S) OF THE DAY ON MOVING DAY
Entering the third round of the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic, Jenny Coleman and Marissa Dodd (Allen, Texas) were both tied for 25th at 2-under par, but they launched up the leaderboard with strong efforts today.
At separate points during play this afternoon, both players saw their name atop the leaderboard holding a solo advantage.
“It feels really good to do that, especially at a tournament I love so much,” said Dodd. “It doesn’t matter where you are standing on the leaderboard, you can chase the number. You aren’t necessarily chasing a person.”
It was Coleman who fired the lowest round of day three. She carded a bogey-free, 5-under par 31 going out. Then coming in she stayed steady with two birdies and a bogey to complete a 6-under day.
“You just have to keep your gameplan, be confident in your game and see what it brings that day,” said Coleman, who tied her season-best round score with today’s performance. “I have hit the ball well enough all week and just needed some putts to drop, which they finally did. I know my plan and need to try to execute it as well as I can tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, Dodd found her way to a 5-under par round. Like Coleman, she also scored a bogey-free, 5-under par 31 on the front nine. Two birdies and two bogeys evened their way out from there.
All in all, it was a Symetra Tour career-best showing for Dodd.
“When I have those steady rounds, that’s me feeling really close and like everything is in good form, just waiting for it all to fall in place,” said Dodd, who will join Natalie Sheary in the third to last group tomorrow. “It’s honestly not that different of a game from the days before. Overall, it is just a little more concentrated and focused. It’s really getting dialed in on those putts, over those shots.”
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Augusta James fires a bogey free round on Friday at the fourth annual Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic at Brook-Lea Country Club. The Team Canada Young Pro Squad member sits T5 after recording 69 in back to back rounds with three birdies today.
Four players head into the weekend tied for the lead at 7-under par overall.
Symetra Tour rookie Eun Jeong Seong (Yongin, Republic of Korea), 18-hole leader Csicsi Rozsa(Budapest, Hungary), Stephanie Meadow (Jordanstown, Northern Ireland) and Natalie Sheary (New Britain, Connecticut) each sit atop the leaderboard after two rounds.
“Yesterday I was making a lot of putts and today I was making a lot of good rolls, but they were not falling as much,” said Rozsa, who went even par today with three birdies and three bogeys. “To be honest, my hands were shaking a little bit this morning when I went out. It was my first time on top of the leaderboard, but I think I handled it pretty well.”
Meanwhile, Meadow entered the day only one shot off the lead. She made that up with a 1-under par second round. Every time the former four-time First Team All-American seemed to get in trouble, she immediately bounced back.
Already a winner on the Symetra Tour this season at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, Meadow finished the day with three birdies, four bogeys and an eagle.
“It was a little more windy and honestly, my ball striking just wasn’t quite as good,” Meadow said. “I missed some fairways and hitting it out of the rough, combined with the wind, is a little tricky. I had similar rounds like this recently and then ended up two- or three-over. To keep it under par today was great and hopefully I can have another round like I did yesterday at some point during the weekend.”
Furthermore, it is only the seventh career Symetra Tour start for Seong. She has made the cut in all but one event, with a season-best tied for second finish coming in June at the Four Winds Invitational.
Today, Seong found her way to five birdies, surrendering only one bogey to turn in a 4-under par 68. She entered round two tied for eighth.
“This is a good chance for me, but we still have two more days,” said Seong. “I don’t think about being the leader, just focus on my game. If I think about the scores, that puts a lot of pressure on me.”
Rounding out the foursome the field will be chasing is Sheary. The Wake Forest University alumna fired a 3-under par this afternoon to join the mix at 7-under overall.
Playing in the first group off No. 10 tee today, Sheary signed a scorecard that featured six birdies and three bogeys. It is the third time this season that she has put together back-to-back rounds under par.
“You have to start off relatively strong and I think I have done a pretty good with that this week,” Sheary said. “I have missed a few fairways, but given myself the chance to get up and down. I’ve done the best I could and moved onto the next, which I think has really helped.”
A total of 70 players made the cut of 1-over par and third round action is set to start at 7:30 a.m. ET tomorrow. All pairings will begin on No. 1 tee.
FORSYTH, Ill. — It took 76 holes, but Isi Gabsa (Munich, Germany) did not melt under pressure or in the sweltering central Illinois heat, coming out with her first Symetra Tour win at the 34th annual Forsyth Classic presented by Decatur Park District.
When the final round was complete at Hickory Point Golf Course, Gabsa and Jillian Hollis (Rocky River, Ohio) were tied at 13-under par. They proceeded to play No. 18 in a sudden-death playoff format until a winner was decided. On the fourth playoff hole, Gabsa prevailed thanks to a birdie conversion.
“I’m still not realizing that I won, especially after the four playoff holes,” said Gabsa, who went 2-under par on the afternoon before the playoff. “It’s just speechless. To win in a playoff, it’s always a little bit special. A win is a win at the end. It always feels great.”
For a minute on the third playoff hole, it seemed as if Hollis would put an end to things. Her approach was well inside that of Gabsa, leaving her with the first solid chance at victory.
“I had like a 15-foot putt up the hill. I hit it perfect, I hit it right on my line,” said Hollis, who carded a 4-under par final round to reach the playoff. “It was supposed to break a little left and it just stayed straight.”
The birdie opportunity for Hollis even had Gabsa sweating.
“I was pretty sure she would make it,” Gabsa said. “I already had put my ball back and ready to congratulate her. But, we went back and did it all over again.”
That they did and this time Gabsa did not miss her mark. For Hollis, the runner-up title is nothing to be ashamed of in her first career Symetra Tour start.
“My last hole I had a downhill putt, just hit a little hard through the break,” said Hollis. “Congratulations to her, she played awesome. I proved that I can shoot the scores to win out here. I can shoot my personal best score and follow it up with another good round today. Just to be able to get into a playoff was great. It has been fun this week.”
A two-time winner on the Ladies European Tour (LET) Access Series, this win shows Gabsa exactly why she came to the United States to compete on the road to the LPGA Tour, playing on the Symetra Tour to give herself a chance at the highest level of women’s professional golf.
However, the routine won’t change.
“It will be the same next week, preparing for a tournament the same way,” Gabsa said. “I think the pressure is a little bit off when you win, but you still want to play well the next week and prepare the same way you did this week.”
With the Island Resort Championship in Harris, Mich., up next on the Symetra Tour schedule, a greater than 400 mile trip calls. However, you can bet Gabsa will find some time to celebrate between now and the first round on Friday.
“Our plan is to go to the Hofbräuhaus in Chicago and get some good German food,” said Gabsa, who had her mom on the bag for the win. “Probably have to do that tomorrow afternoon, get some schnitzel, yeah.”
FORSYTH, Ill. — When the sun finally set and the 144-player field at the 34th annual Forsyth Classic was reprieved of the Illinois heat, Karolina Vlckova (Kladno, Czech Republic) and Stacy Bregman (Johannesburg, South Africa) are tied atop the leaderboard at 7-under par.
A rookie this season, Vlckova has made the cut in all seven of her starts, with a season and career-best finish of tied for fifth in the Symetra Classic. The consistency she has demonstrated finally peaked its head today, as Vlckova signed a bogey-free scorecard.
“My game has been pretty good, I just never really put it together,” said Vlckova, who recorded seven birdies on the afternoon, including three straight from Nos. 2-4 to open her round. “I was hoping it would happen soon because I know how I play and what I can do. I’m happy that it finally showed.”
The other co-leader is Bregman, a Ladies European Tour (LET) veteran who turned professional in 2006. However, this year is her first competing on the Symetra Tour full-time.
When Bregman made the turn to No. 1 to play her second nine, she was a comfortable 2-under par. Then on the front, she was two lip outs away from firing a 29. Before play began today, Bregman made a gutsy move that ultimately paid off.
“I went to my spare putter that I always travel with. I haven’t actually putted with it properly in a tournament and it seemed to work,” said Bregman, who dialed up eight birdies in the first round, surrendering only one bogey. “I was hitting it close all day and put myself in a good position. I’m sure anyone would love to be a co-leader and just looking forward to the next two days ahead.”
Augusta James will head into the second round of the Forsyth Classic sharing a piece of fifth. The 25-year-old long-standing Team Canada member started the round of strong with consecutive birdies on her first two holes. She would fire four more birdies, carding a 5 under to sit only two strokes behind the co-leaders.
Meanwhile, just one shot behind Vlckova and Bregman in a tie for third at 6-under par is Jenny Haglund (Karlstad, Sweden), the current No. 1 in the Volvik Race for the Card, and Anneliese Newell (Tampa, Florida).
Haglund was part of the 2:22 p.m. CT pairing that featured Vlckova and Carleigh Silvers (Martinsville, Indiana). Even though she went back and forth with the co-leader, Haglund said there was one aspect of her game that held her back from an even lower number.
“My driver wasn’t really working that well, but I made it work somehow,” said Haglund, who could be found on the range immediately after walking off No. 18 green tonight. “The course is pretty generous off the tee so that’s why my drives didn’t really matter that they were a little off. You can really attack.”
Finally, Duke University alumna Leona Maguire (Cavan, Ireland) made her Symetra Tour debut today with a 3-under par 69 opening round at Hickory Point Golf Course. She was paired in the first group off No. 10 tee this morning with former Duke teammate Sandy Choi (Seoul, Republic of Korea) and a former ACC foe in University of North Carolina graduate Catherine O’Donnell (Ponte Vedra, Florida).
“It’s always nice to have that first round under my belt,” said Maguire, who found her way to four birdies and one bogey. “I wasn’t really nervous at all, felt pretty comfortable. It was nice being first off and that grouping was pretty familiar as well, so it didn’t really feel like all that new of an environment. Anytime you can break 70 is always a good round.”
After day one in Forsyth, a total of 62 players sit at 2-under par or better.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Team Canada member, Augusta James, finished T13 6-under 210 on Sunday at the Four Winds Invitational. She recorded rounds of 68-69-73. She struggled on the back nine of her final round, bogeying hole 12 and double bogeying hole 13. She finished strong with a birdie on hole 16 to finish 1-over 73.
A five-stroke deficit and 55-minute weather delay did not phase Maia Schechter (Chapel Hill, N.C.) today, who fired a 6-under par 66 in the final round to come away the victor.
After missing the cut in five of the first six tournaments this year, Schechter put it all together at Blackthorn Golf Club with an 11-under par overall showing. The win is her first on the Symetra Tour.
“It has been a lot of hard work and it definitely hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Schechter, who signed a bogey-free card this afternoon. “It was really just sticking to the gameplan that I had created at the beginning of the week. I feel like the game has been getting really good and felt really solid early in the week. Just been hitting good shots and making some good putts.”
The University of North Carolina alumna continues the trend of 2018 Symetra Tour champions all hailing from outside the final pairing. Climbing back into the hunt before eventually taking the cake was never in doubt for Schechter, who said her pre-tournament preparation got her ready for a result like this.
“I checked my fundamentals at the beginning of this week,” Schechter said. “My grip was getting a little weak and my stance was getting a little closed, so working on those two things I think was really helpful. It gave me a process and focused goal of getting a good setup on every shot.”
Meanwhile, off the course, Schechter and Leslie Cloots (Antwerp, Belgium) have teamed up to form “Birdiecast,” a new podcast about life on Tour. She pointed to the show as a factor in helping keep her mind at ease throughout the week.
“It has definitely been really helpful, that in-between shot time is something to focus on that’s outside of golf, but still relates to the golf world,” said Schechter. “We’ve been having a lot of fun doing that and is something to do during the week when they get a little long and you’re trying to kill some time.”
The win and $22,500 winner’s check launches Schechter to No. 7 in the Volvik Race for the Card, with $23,355 earned in seven starts. She entered the Four Winds Invitational at No. 132.
As for the 36-hole leaders, Louise Stahle (Lund, Sweden) went even par today and finished tied for second at 10-under, while Samantha Wagner (Windermere, Florida) shot 1-over par to end tied for fourth at 9-under.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Augusta James is the top Canadian at the Four Winds Invitational at Blackthorn Golf Club after two rounds. The Bath, Ont., talent sits T3 heading into the final round, three shots behind the lead at 7-under-par 137.
Also making the cut into the final round are Samantha Richdale of Calgary (-3) and Megan Osland of Kelowna (-2).
Just as there was two players tied for the lead after the first round of the Four Winds Invitational, such is the story following play on day two at Blackthorn Golf Club, only this time Samantha Wagner (Windermere, Florida) is joined by Louise Stahle (Lund, Sweden).
They both sit at 10-under par overall and will be joined by Jordan Britt (Chattanooga, Tennessee) in the final pairing tomorrow, who is three shots back at 7-under.
“I’ll keep being aggressive, it’s my gameplan,” said Wagner, who carded five birdies and one bogey for a 4-under par effort today. “If I deviate, that’s when I start to struggle. Keep going after things when I feel comfortable with it and that’s when I’ll play well.”
As for Stahle, she remained consistent, firing a second-straight 5-under par 65 to get her to the double-digit under par mark for the tournament.
“Really hot start with four consecutive birdies. The putter was just really strong today,” Stahle said after finding seven birdies in the second round. “A good course for my eyes and I’m enjoying it. I’m happy to have two really solid rounds and try to make a third good round.”
Meanwhile, Britt finds herself in the final pairing for the first time since the 2015 Garden City Charity Classic. She finished fourth in that event, so is looking to capitalize tomorrow with a better result.
“The opportunity is exciting and knowing what I’ve been working on in my game has put me into contention is great feedback,” said Britt, who shot 5-under par today. “I think I prefer to chase. I don’t know what it’s like to be chased on the Symetra Tour just yet, but I hope to find out what that feels like soon. Mentally, I will try to focus on my one shot and not get ahead of myself.”
Also at the 7-under par mark for the 7th annual Four Winds Invitational is Augusta James (Bath, Ontario). She’ll be joined tomorrow in the penultimate group by Panitta Yusabai (Pattaya, Thailand), one of 12 players at 5-under par, and Cheyenne Knight (Aledo, Texas), who is solo fifth at 6-under par in her first career Symetra Tour event following an illustrious career at the University of Alabama.
“I like this golf course, I’ve played well on it before and I’ve played well the last two days,” said James, who went 3-under par today to enter the final round tied for third. “I like courses that are in good shape, honestly that’s my No. 1 thing. Even if the layouts are different or whatever, this course is really in good shape.”
A total of 71 players made the cut of even par to compete on Sunday at Blackthorn Golf Club. Play begins at 9 a.m. tomorrow of No. 1 and No. 10 tees.
ABE NOT BACKING DOWN IN FIRST CAREER SYMETRA TOUR START
Another member of the University of Alabama women’s golf family is turning in a strong showing this week at the Four Winds Invitational, as Lakareber Abe (The Woodlands, Texas) is not letting the nerves take over in her first career Symetra Tour event.
“I’m just trying to handle them. They’re not going away, but they’re getting better,” Abe said.
The Crimson Tide record-holder for low round (63) is tied for 24th at 3-under par overall; pretty impressive for her first tournament as a professional.
“It’s exciting, a little nerve-racking,” said Abe, who shot 1-under par today. “It’s something you dream of since you were a kid, so it’s really fun to have this chance. There were a little bit [of nerves] today because you still have to go out and play a good 18 holes to make the cut.”
She had an impressive list of collegiate accomplishments, including former two-time Second Team All-SEC performer to her name. In addition, Abe was named a Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Third Team All-American her sophomore year.
One aspect of her amateur career that Abe said truly helped get her to this point is playing for Alabama. Not only did the team prepare her, but the tree of athletes who have gone through the program and now compete professionally that she has at her disposal to learn from.
“Every year we had five or six really good girls, so you’re constantly competing,” Abe said. “You’re lucky enough to have people like Stephanie [Meadow], and Janie [Jackson] and Emma [Talley], who have done it before you. Those people to call, ask for advice and ask for help. It definitely makes a huge difference coming out of there.”
If you’re lucky enough to don the Crimson and White like Abe, the plethora of guidance as she begins her professional career is never-ending.
“These are the girls that I recruited, so it’s cool to see them out here,” said Stephanie Meadow (Jordanstown, Northern Ireland), a 2014 University of Alabama graduate. “No matter what year you’re at, when you graduated, or if you played with them or not, Alabama alums are going to stick together and do what they can.”
Abe tees off No. 1 at 9:11 a.m. tomorrow in the final round and is paired with Muni He (Chengdu, China) and Annabel Dimmock (London, England).
