Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City has earned her LPGA Tour card for the 2018 season following the Symetra Tour Championship on Sunday at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.

The 26-year-old Oklahoma State graduate is among the top-10 Symetra Tour athletes to finish atop the season-long money list, the Volvik Race to the Card:

1. Benyapa Niphatsophon $124,492
2. Hannah Green $113,880
3. Celine Boutier $112,044
4. Nanna Koerstz Madsen $93,115
5. Yu Liu $86,110
6. Erynne Lee $80,780
7. Lindsey Weaver $76,755
8. Anne-Catherine Tanguay $76,663
9. Emma Talley $76,556
10. Katelyn Dambaugh $63,023

Tanguay is set to join the current Canadian contingent on the LPGA Tour: Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.), Alena Sharp (Hamilton, Ont.), Maude-Aimee LeBlanc (Sherbrooke, Que.), and Jennifer Ha (Calgary).

Tanguay started the year red hot with six straight top 15 finishes including a tie for second at the IOA Championship and a third-place finish at the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club. She had her breakthrough moment in September when she won the Garden City Charity Classic. She played her college golf at Oklahoma and totaled 15 top 10 finishes and 26 top 20’s. She got engaged to her now-fiancé midway through the 2017 season.

“It’s been my dream, and when you work your whole life to get there it’s such a big accomplishment. Words are hard to explain what I’m feeling, and I think it’s hitting me today. It’s just awesome, it’s such a good Tour, and the level and recognition all over the world. I’m really excited to start traveling the world next year.”

When you see mom after realizing the @LPGA dream! @ACTanguay looking safe for a spot on the big tour!! pic.twitter.com/TELkungtQk

— Symetra Tour (@ROAD2LPGA) October 9, 2017

The next 15 players on the season-ending money list will be exempt from Stage II of LPGA Qualifying School, excluding those with LPGA status already. Fellow Canadian Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont. joins those who punched their tickets directly to Stage III which will be on Nov. 27-Dec. 3 at LPGA International. Marchand came in at No. 25 after a season that was highlighted by a win at PHC Classic.

Rachel Rohanna (-10) remains the leader through two rounds of the Symetra Tour Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla. Second round play was suspended on Saturday evening at 6:47 p.m., with 21 groups left to complete play on Sunday.

Round-one leader Yu Liu, finished her second round on a high note with a birdie on 18 on Sunday to play her way into Monday’s final group at 8-under par.

When Liu completed her second round, which spanned the course of two days, she was beaming when she heard the final round wouldn’t be starting until Monday.

“It was a very hot round out there today, so I kind of lost my concentration towards the end,” Liu said. “It’s definitely great for me to have some time off and recharge to get ready for tomorrow.”

Liu is No. 8 on the Volvik Race for the Card and is looking forward to putting in a good round on Monday to secure her LPGA Tour card. “I’m very excited to be where I am right now heading into the final round of the final tournament of the season,” Liu said.

No. 1 on the Volvik Race for the Card Benyapa Niphatsophon rocketed up the leaderboard on Sunday as she turned in a bogey-free 6-under par 66. She is one of five players to have locked in their 2018 LPGA Tour cards.

Emma Talley entered the Symetra Tour Championship on the bubble at No. 10 on the Volvik Race for the Card, and has put herself in a great spot heading into the final round at 7-under par in fourth place.

“I’m playing really well right now, hitting my irons really well and giving myself a lot of birdie opportunities,” Talley said. “I had a lot of lip outs, so it feels good coming off the round feeling like I could’ve played better, but I’m still near the top of the leaderboard.”

Talley, the 2013 U.S Women’s Amateur Champion and 2015 NCAA Golf Individual Champion, won her first Symetra tournament earlier this season and is ready to lock in her LPGA card.

“I’m excited. I’m glad to have given myself this opportunity,” Talley said. “Hopefully tomorrow I can play well and get my card, but I’ve got 18 more holes, so it’s not over till the fat lady sings.”

The third and final round of the Symetra Tour Championship will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 9, with the leaders teeing off at 10:20 a.m.

The final five holes of the Symetra Tour Championship will be broadcast on Facebook Live hosted by Amy Rogers and Gail Graham with interviews by Baily Mosier on www.facebook.com/LPGA.

Volvik Race for the Card Update

The top 10 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list at the conclusion of the Symetra Tour Championship will earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2018 season. There are five players – No. 1 Benyapa Niphatsophon, No. 2 Celine Boutier, No. 3 Hannah Green, No. 4 Nanna Koerstz Madsen, No. 5 Erynne Lee – who have already secured their Tour cards. There are five spots up for grabs.

Here’s how the top 15 players in the Volvik Race for the Card sit heading into the final round of the tournament (place, score).

1. Benyapa Niphatsophon (T2, -8)
2. Celine Boutier (T8, -3)
3. Hannah Green (T17, -1)
4. Nanna Koerstz Madsen (T17, -1)
5. Erynne Lee (T17, -1)
6. Lindsey Weaver (T33, +1)
7. Anne-Catherine Tanguay (T23, E)
8. Yu Liu (T2, -8)
9. Katelyn Dambaugh (T72, +5)
10. Emma Talley (4, -7)
11. Daniele Darquea (T62, +4)
12. Sophia Popov (T23, E)
13. Kendall Dye (5, -6)
14. Paola Moreno (T8, -3)
15. Elizabeth Szokol (T72, +5)

If the tournament ended after the second round there would be no changes among the top ten players in the Volvik Race for the Card, though a few players would swap positions:

1. Benyapa Niphatsophon
2. Hannah Green
3. Celine Boutier
4. Erynne Lee
5. Nanna Koerstz Madsen
6. Yu Liu
7. Lindsey Weaver
8. Anne-Catherine Tanguay
9. Emma Talley
10. Katelyn Dambaugh

Rachel Rohanna is the clubhouse leader midway through the second round of the Symetra Tour Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla. Second round play was suspended due to darkness at 6:47 p.m. with 21 groups left on the course.

Rohanna shot a 65 in the second round to take a three-shot lead over Emma Talley and Kendall Dye, who followed up an opening-round 70 with a second-round 68. Talley only completed four holes in her second round before play was called.

Rohanna was six under on the front nine in the second round, including an eagle on the par-5 ninth. Similar to her first round, she was extremely accurate off the tee and was error-free around the greens.

“I was hitting the ball really well,” said Rohanna. “I was just trying to smile. We played 30 holes today, so you get a little bit tired out there.”

The players in the morning wave completed their first rounds and then went back out on the course to begin the second round.

“I think it’s harder whenever you’re on and off the course, kind of how the morning wave had to do it the first day,” she added. “Luckily for me I kind of was able to watch the forecast and get the updates at home, know I can stay in my pajamas or go to Starbucks for a little bit.”

Yu Liu, the first-round leader, joined three players at 5-under par.

The Symetra Tour Championship was shortened to a 54-hole event after the lingering effects of Hurricane Irma and 6-1/2 inches of additional rain rendered the course unplayable until Friday afternoon.

Second round play will resume Sunday at 10:00 a.m.

Volvik Race for the Card Update:

The top 10 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list at the conclusion of the Symetra Tour Championship will earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2018 season.

Liu (8), Talley (10), Boutier (2), and Benyapa Niphatsophon (1) each finished the opening round in the top 10 on the leaderboard for the Symetra Tour Championship. Lindsay Weaver (6) Katelyn Dambaugh (9) were the only top 10 players projected to miss the cut after the first round.

Round one of the Symetra Tour Championship resumed Friday at 2 p.m. in Daytona Beach, Fla., and was suspended at 6:46 p.m. due to darkness. The morning wave finished first-round play on Friday, with the afternoon groups still to complete the first round. No. 8 on the Volvik Race for the Card Yu Liu had a stretch of five birdies from holes 15-1 and holds the unofficial lead on Friday at 5-under par.

“Since this is our last tournament of the season, and I haven’t secured my card yet, I’m really excited and pumped to go. I think anything can happen,” Liu said on Friday evening.

The first-round of the Symetra Tour Championship will resume on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 9:00 a.m.

The Symetra Tour Championship has been shortened to a 54-hole tournament with a Monday finish due to significant rain and saturated course conditions at LPGA International.

While still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Irma, LPGA International received 2 1/2 inches of rain on Thursday, to total more than 6 1/2 inches of rain in the past week. Rain is also forecasted for the Daytona Beach area through the weekend and into early next week.

“Our staff is working tirelessly alongside the LPGA International crew to make the course playable,” said Mike Nichols, Chief Business Officer of the Symetra Tour. “We want to ensure we have a fair, competitive tournament to determine our final champion of the year, as well as the 10 players who graduate to the LPGA next season.”

The cut will be made after 36 holes with the top 60 players and ties advancing to the final round. The final two hours of play will be broadcast on Facebook Live, with specific timing to be announced.

OF NOTE:

The top 10 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list at the conclusion of the Symetra Tour Championship will earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2018 season. The top 23 on the current money list have a mathematical chance to earn their LPGA card this week. There are five players – No. 1 Benyapa Niphatsophon, No. 2 Celine Boutier, No. 3 Hannah Green, No. 4 Nanna Koerstz Madsen, No. 5 Erynne Lee – who have already secured their Tour cards. There are five spots up for grabs.

Six of the current top 10 players in the Volvik Race for the Card sit inside the top-6 on the leaderboard at the end of play on Friday, including the top three players.

The Symetra Tour Championship has been shortened to a 54-hole tournament due to significant rain and saturated course conditions at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla. The tournament, which has been suspended since one hour and 55 minutes into first-round play, is now scheduled to finish on Monday, Oct. 9.

The first round started on time at 8 a.m. on Thursday. Weather intensified around 9:30 a.m. and play was suspended at 9:55 a.m. While still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Irma, LPGA International received 2 1/2 inches of rain on Thursday, to total more than 6 1/2 inches of rain in the past week. Rain is also forecasted for the Daytona Beach area through the weekend and into early next week.

“Our staff is working tirelessly alongside the LPGA International crew to make the course playable,” said Mike Nichols, Chief Business Officer of the Symetra Tour. “We want to ensure we have a fair, competitive tournament to determine our final champion of the year, as well as the 10 players who graduate to the LPGA next season.”

Round one is currently scheduled to resume Friday at 2 p.m. local time. The starting times for the groups in the original second wave of round one will now begin no earlier than 4:45 p.m., with the last time being 6:13 p.m. Second-round starting times will be on Saturday and published later today. 

The cut will be made after 36 holes with the top 60 players and ties advancing to the final round. The final two hours of play will be broadcast on Facebook Live, with specific timing to be announced at a later time.

The Symetra Tour, the official qualifying Tour for the LPGA, is in Daytona Beach for the final event of the 2017 season. The top 10 money-earners at the end of the Symetra Tour Championship will earn LPGA Tour cards for the 2018 season. Canada’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec City) currently sits at No. 7 with $73,309 while Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.) is No. 21 with $32,638.

The Symetra Tour Championship is a 72-hole tournament that starts on Thursday, October 5 and concludes on Sunday, Oct. 8. There will be a cut to the low 60 and ties following second-round play on Friday, Oct. 6.

After 21 events in 14 states around the country, the top 108 rising stars in women’s golf are at LPGA International to vie for a share of the $200,000 purse and the winner’s payout of $30,000. The field includes players from the United States and 23 countries around the globe.
Play will start at 8 a.m. all four rounds. The final-round will be broadcast on Facebook Live from 1 -3  p.m. with host Amy Rogers and analyst Gail Graham, a two-time LPGA Tour winner.

The battle to get into the top 10 will be as fierce as ever. While the top 10 has created more separation from the rest than in years past, everyone in the top 23 still has a mathematical chance to finish inside the top 10. If No. 23 on the money list, Laura Wearn (Charlotte, N.C.), wins the $30,000 she would move to $61,914, which is $114 more than No. 10, Emma Talley (Princeton, Ky.), has currently earned. Talley is $7,639 in front of No. 11 Daniela Darquea (Quito, Ecuador).

The Symetra Tour Championship is the sixth event in a row for the Tour. The grueling stretch started in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on August 31. As you would expect, the field is incredibly strong with all the top players fighting for a spot in the top 10 or a chance to skip Stage II of LPGA Qualifying Tournament (top 15 after the top 10 excluding LPGA Tour members). The top 23, all with a fighter’s chance to make the top 10, are in the field. In fact, the top 30 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list are all in the field.

Additionally, there are 26 current LPGA Tour members in the field. There are also nine players in the field from Florida: Daniela Iacobelli (Melbourne), August Kim (Saint Augustine), Cindy LaCrosse (Tampa), Alexandra Newell (Tampa), Catherine O’Donnell (Ponte Vedra), Erica Popson (Davenport), Madison Pressel (Boca Raton), Sierra Sims (Tampa) and Carlie Yadloczky (Casselberry).

The Symetra Tour has played the Tour Championship at LPGA International since 2012. Daniela Iacobelli won the inaugural event at LPGA International to earn her Tour card. She is back in the field this week. Megan McChrystal won in 2013, Marita Engzelius won in 2014 and Sherman Santiwiwatthanphong won in 2015. Nicole Broch Larsen won the Tour Championship in 2016, which was played at Alaqua Country Club in Longwood due to Hurricane Matthew.

WHO’S LOCKED FOR THE LPGA: The Symetra Tour has determined that the top five on the Volvik Race for the Card money list – No. 1 Benyapa Niphatsophon, No. 2 Celine Boutier, No. 3 Hannah Green, No. 4 Nanna Koerstz Madsen and No. 5 Erynne Lee – have already secured their LPGA Tour cards for 2018. Regardless of what they do this week, they are safe to finish in the top 10. Here is information on all five:

Benyapa Niphatsophon, 20, Bangkok, Thailand – She finished in the top 10 in 11 of 19 starts with five second place finishes. She has not won this season, which makes her position atop of the money list even more impressive. Niphatsophon has five second place finishes and ranks second on Tour with a 69.933 scoring average. Her nickname is “Gift”.

Celine Boutier, 23, Montrouge, France – She won two of the biggest purses on Tour this year – the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic and the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge. She is as consistent as they come and has made the cut in 18 of 19 starts. She was the 2013-14 WGCA National Player of the Year at Duke. Hannah Green, 20, Perth, Australia – She captured her third victory on Monday at the IOA Golf Classic and also won the Sara Bay Classic and the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout. She has 11 top 10 finishes. Green has become good friends with Karrie Webb and grew up playing junior golf with Minjee Lee. She finished second to Lydia Ko at the 2015 New Zealand Women’s Open.

Nanna Koerstz Madsen, 22, Copenhagen, Denmark – She won her third tournament in just her 11th start of the season. Koerstz Madsen played in three LPGA events this year through her Battlefield Promotion. She won on the Ladies European Tour (LET) in 2016 and represented Denmark at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Erynne Lee, 24, Silverdale, Washington – She won twice this year at the Donald Ross Centennial Classic and the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship and has six top 10 finishes. She won her first event on the Symetra Tour to start the 2016 season, but did not win again until the middle of this year. She didn’t notch a top 10 finish in the first seven events and then dad, Brian, came out on her bag and things changed for the better. Lee’s mom passed away in 2011 while she was a freshman at UCLA.

11-23 HAVE A CHANCE AT A TOUR CARD: Every year, someone from outside the top 10 jumps into the top 10 at the final event. There are 13 players currently outside the top 10 that have a chance to spoil the party for someone inside the top 10.
Here is a look at what players 11 through 23 must do to have a chance. The projections are based on solo finishes and a cut of exactly 60 players. It also assumes that players in the top 10 don’t earn money.

HISTORY MADE WITH THREE PLAYERS OVER $100K: For the first time in the 37-year history of the Symetra Tour, three players have earned over $100,000 in a single-season. Niphatsophon ($109,736), Boutier ($108,690) and Green ($105,054) have all crossed six-figures. There are five other players that have a chance to cross $100,000 this week.

Niphatsophon, Boutier and Green are just the third, fourth and fifth players in the history of the Tour to earn at least $100,000. In 2016, Madelene Sagstrom ($167,064) and Ally McDonald ($110,359) became the first two.

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – The Symetra Tour, the official qualifying Tour for the LPGA, will broadcast the final-round of the Symetra Tour Championship on Sunday, October 8 to a worldwide audience on Facebook Live. The broadcast will originate on the LPGA Tour’s Facebook page.

The broadcast will begin at 1:00 p.m. and run through the conclusion of the tournament and the card ceremony, where ten players will become LPGA members.

The Symetra Tour Championship, which will be contested at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, is the final event of the 2017 season. Following the conclusion of play, the top ten on the Volvik Race for the Card money list will receive their LPGA Tour cards for 2018.

This is the second time ever that the Tour has broadcast live golf on Facebook Live. The final-round of the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic to open the season was also broadcast on Facebook Live. Between the two Facebook feeds, there were more than 60,000 views.

“Facebook is a great platform for the Symetra Tour because it allows us to showcase our global talent to people in the United States and around the world,” said Chief Business Officer Mike Nichols. “Our first Facebook Live attempt was a success and a good launching point, but we’ve really invested in this second attempt and believe that people will really enjoy this. Figuring out how to do this more frequently in 2018 is a priority.”

The broadcast will cover holes 14 through 18 on Sunday, October 8 with a full scale production truck and crew on site.

The broadcast will be produced by Ohlmeyer Kusserow Group, which is led by Executive Producer/Managing Editor Chris Ohlmeyer, who has over 25 years experience in the television industry. Ohlmeyer produced all of ESPN’s LPGA coverage from 1998-2009 and also produced the Ricoh Women’s British Open from 2006-2013. Furthermore, he produced the Kraft Nabisco Championship, now the ANA Inspiration, from 2006-2010.

The all-female announce team will be led by LPGA.com Managing Editor Amy Rogers, who hosted the first broadcast. Prior to joining the LPGA, Rogers was a reporter at WESH in Orlando. She also was a host and feature reporter of the Emmy Award winning show “ONE” on WUCF-TV in Orlando. She began her broadcast career as a sports anchor and reporter at WRNN/Fios 1 in New York City. Two-time LPGA winner Gail Graham, who freelances for Golf Channel, will serve as the analyst. Graham served as the on-course reporter at numerous LPGA events in 2017 and also both played and was the on-course reporter at the Senior LPGA Championship. Graham has also spent time around the Symetra Tour while playing in the joint Symetra Tour/Legends Tour events over the years. She also serves as a mentor to Symetra Tour professional Megan Osland.

“I am excited to be part of the broadcast team for the Symetra Tour Championship,” said Graham. “The event is the culmination of an exciting year and with ten LPGA cards on the line, I am sure we will see some great play. The Symetra Tour has produced some of the LPGA’s young stars and as a former LPGA player, I think it is great that the broadcast of this event will give fans the chance to meet the next stars before they reach the LPGA.”

The Symetra Tour will likely add a third member of the broadcast team at a later date.

GARDEN CITY, Kansas, September 10, 2017 – When Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec, Canada) woke up Sunday morning, she was so nervous she cried. The nerves didn’t show down the stretch as she made critical birdies on holes 14, 16 and 17 to win the Garden City Charity Classic at Buffalo Dunes by three-strokes. Tanguay carded a 1-under, 71 on Sunday to earn her first career victory. She finished with a three-day total of 5-under, 211. She was one of only two players that finished under-par for the tournament. Katelyn Dambaugh (North Charleston, S.C.) finished second at 2-under, 214 while Emma Talley (Princeton, Ky.) finished third at even-par, 216.

Wind was a major factor again on Sunday with gusts exceeding 35 miles-an-hour and sustained winds over 20 miles-an-hour.

Tanguay, 26, pockets the $22,500 first-place check to jump from eighth to fifth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list with four events remaining in the season. She has now earned $70,995 in 16 starts this season. While Tanguay is not a lock to earn her LPGA Tour card yet, she is in great position. For perspective, No. 10 on the money list in 2016 earned $67,577.

Tanguay entered the day one shot off the lead and was one shot back after the front nine.

“It is just really incredible,” said Tanguay, who gave a lot of credit to her former Oklahoma head coach Veronique Drouin-Luttrell for learning to play in the wind. “Honestly, I feel like this win is a bit out of the blue because last week my confidence wasn’t very high. These past few months have been hard because I don’t feel like I was getting the results. This week, everything clicked. I had really good process goals. I tried to boost my confidence all week and my fiancé (Jean-Hubert Trahan) was doing that for me too.”

Katelyn Dambaugh (North Charleston, S.C.), who slept on the lead, made bogeys on holes 9, 10 and 13 and Tanguay made her run. She made a 6-foot par putt on 13 to take the outright lead at 2-under. Then, she stuck her approach on hole 14 to 12-feet and made a critical birdie to go up two shots with four left. She let out two emphatic fist pumps.

“I’m not sure how it happened because I was extremely nervous today,” said Tanguay, who wrote down goals in her yardage book and referred to them on the back nine. “One of my biggest goals was to pick a target and take an aggressive and fearless swing and that is really what got me through.”

Tanguay made par on 15 and then reached the par-5 16th in two and two-putted for birdie. She kept the momentum going with a 15-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to build a three-shot lead. Tanguay nearly finished with another birdie on 18, but tapped in from a foot for par to win.

“This year was almost go big or go home,” admitted Tanguay, who made ten starts on the LPGA last year with conditional status. “Last year, I had the taste of playing there (LPGA) and I knew I belonged and I really wanted to accomplish getting back. That has been a huge goal of mine. We will see how it plays out, but I think I’m in a really good position now. I have a lot of trust and confidence now.”

Tanguay will head to the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout in El Dorado, Arkansas next week.

Before the trophy ceremony started, Tanguay made a special call to her mom and dad, Luice and Yvan, in Quebec. Her parents travel to several events throughout the season, but weren’t in Garden City this week.

“I just thought I was going to burst into tears, but the only emotion I feel right now is happiness,” said Tanguay. “I want to share that with them and I’ve been sharing that with JH this week. They just told me that they are really, really proud of me because now they want to come to the rest of the tournaments. They have always been so supportive of me.”

Tanguay now has six top 10 finishes this season, but this is her first since May. While she hasn’t had the results on the course lately, Tanguay had a life-changing moment occur in late July. She got engaged.

She made a bet with her fiancé, who also serves as her full-time caddy, on Sunday that if she won, he would have to shave his beard. The beard will be gone next week.

“He didn’t want to shave this week so I said we’re playing for the beard,” joked Tanguay. “The beard is going.”

Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ontario) handled the pressure of her first Sunday lead like a veteran that has won many times before. She posted a bogey-free 4-under, 68 at Brown Deer Park to win the PHC Classic by three shots. Marchand finished with a three-day score of 13-under, 203.

After a 1-under, 71 on Friday, Marchand made 13 birdies and just one bogey over the final two rounds to earn her first win on the Symetra Tour and her first win as a professional. Marchand pockets the $15,000 and moves from 41st to 17th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list with six events remaining. She has now earned $28,680 in 14 starts this year.

Marchand also earns a spot in The Evian Championship, the final major on the LPGA schedule from September 14-17. The top two finishers at the PHC Classic earned spots. Marion Ricordeau, a native of Laon, France, finished in second place at 10-under, 206 to stamp her ticket to compete in her first Evian Championship.

How sweet is the win?!

41st to 17 on @volvikUSA Race for @LPGA and she’s in @EvianChamp!!

Congrats again, @Britt_Marchand! pic.twitter.com/DdA4c8dRkg

— Symetra Tour (@ROAD2LPGA) August 7, 2017

“It’s a really special moment,” said Marchand, a second-year pro. “I know that I have the ability and I know it’s in me, it’s just really cool to see it shine through.”

Marchand never once showed signs of struggling with the nerves and she credited the experience at the Manulife LPGA Classic, when she made the cut and was in the top 10 after three rounds.

“The experience there where I was up in a really good position really helped me today,” said Marchand, who slipped on Sunday at the LPGA event, but still finished T46. “It really helped me today to keep calm and just keep doing my thing. This is pretty awesome and pretty surreal at this point.”

Marchand started a little slow with pars on the first two holes, but then made a critical birdie from just on the second cut of grass on the par-3 third. She decided to use the flatstick and hit a 20-footer.

“When you are nervous, eliminating a lot of hand movement is key so that is why I decided to putt instead of hitting a fine chip shot,” explained Marchand. “That helped me relax and it made me think that if I play like I did yesterday I would be fine.”

.@Britt_Marchand wins with birdie!!!! pic.twitter.com/fDD7NPxhLu

— Symetra Tour (@ROAD2LPGA) August 6, 2017

On hole nine, Marchand hit what she described as a “bad drive”, but recovered with a 5-iron to 15 feet.

“After making that putt on nine I felt really good,” said Marchand, who built a three-stroke lead to the back nine. “I was really pleased with three-under on the front and the putt gave me a boost to end strong. Even though I didn’t drop many putts on the back, I felt like I played really solid.”

Marchand has had a bit of inconsistent year by her own standards. She felt the win comes at a perfect time.

“I feel like I’ve been very up-and-down this season and it has knocked my confidence down a bit because I know I am there, but I haven’t been able to see it shine through, “ said Marchand. “It definitely gives me a good boost going into the last six events feeling confident to make a push for my (LPGA) card.”

Marchand still has some ground to make up. She is approximately $14,000 short of No. 10 on the money list. The good news is that the next Symetra Tour event is the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge, which offers the highest purse ($210,000) and winner’s payout ($31,500) on Tour. The Tour will take three weeks off before heading to South Dakota.

The top ten remained completely unchanged after the PHC Classic with Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Copenhagen, Denmark), Benyapa Niphatsophon (Bangkok, Thailand) and Erynne Lee (Silverdale, Washington) holding the top three spots. No. 11 Lindsey Weaver (Bellefontaine, Ohio) was unable to close the gap on No. 10 Kendall Dye (Edmond, Oklahoma) as they both finished in a tie for 14th.

Click here to view the full leaderboard.

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin – Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ontario) made nine birdies and posted the lowest round of her career to vault into the 36-hole lead at the PHC Classic on Saturday at Brown Deer Park. Marchand turned in an 8-under, 64 to get to 9-under, 135. She has a two-stroke lead over Krista Puisite (Riga, Latvia), Laura Wearn (Charlotte, N.C.) and Rachel Rohanna (Waynesburg, Pa.).

The 64 is a tournament record for the PHC Classic, which started in 2015.

Marchand took full advantage of ideal scoring conditions. After cool and windy conditions on Friday, players were greeted with warm and calm weather on Saturday. There were a total of 28 rounds in the 60’s on Saturday.

There will be 70 players competing on Sunday as the cut was made at 1-over, 145.

Marchand, 25, started on the back nine with a string of three birdies in a row on holes 11, 12 and 13. She also made birdie on 15 and then made her lone bogey of the day on hole 17. Marchand made five birdies on her inward nine including finishing with birdies on holes six, eight and nine.

“I don’t really have many words for the round, it was one of those experiences that just happens and you don’t force it,” explained Marchand. “I told my caddy that I wanted to make some putts today and they just started dropping. I didn’t force anything and it turned out great.”

Marchand, who turned in a 1-under, 71 on Friday, said the early start gave her confidence for the rest of the round.

“I was making better contact today and I started to feel more comfortable with my swing,” said Marchand. “I wasn’t doubting anything, everything was just happening. I built a lot of confidence on the front.”

Marchand will sleep on the lead for the first time in her career on the Symetra Tour.

“I take it as a challenge,” said the former N.C. State golfer. “I want to be in these positions to gain experience and try and come out on top. I want to do my same routine tonight and tomorrow morning and act like it is any other day. I think it is possible, I know I can play well.”

Marchand said she would lean on the experience at the Manulife LPGA Classic when she went into the final-round in the top 10 and had the pressure of playing in her home country on a sponsors exemption.

A win would serve two purposes. The $15,000 first-place payout would move her from 41st on the Volvik Race for the Card money list to likely inside the top 20. A victory would also send her to The Evian Championship, the fifth major on the LPGA schedule.

“Being able to play in the Evian would obviously be a great experience,” said Marchand. “I have a sponsors exemption into the Canadian Open at the end of August so getting another opportunity the next week would be awesome. Anytime I can play up there (LPGA) is great because that is the goal. To go to France would be great too because I have never been there.”

Marchand has four career top 10 finishes on the Symetra Tour including one this season. Her best result is a third place finish at the 2016 Garden City Charity Classic in Kansas.

Marchand and Puisite will play in the final group on Sunday starting at 1:10 p.m.

DORI CARTER EYES EVIAN AFTER WHIRLWIND WEEK: Dori Carter (Valdosta, Georgia) flew to
Scotland last week to compete in the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open. She made the cut and then flew back to the U.S. to compete in the PHC Classic and arrived in Milwaukee on Monday night.

She carded a 3-under, 69 on Saturday to get to a tie for 12th.

“A week ago I woke up in Scotland and I’m here now playing in Milwaukee so I’ve had a crazy last two weeks,” explained Carter, who has made 117 career starts on the LPGA. “I was a little jet-lagged and
never quite adjusted to what we had over in Scotland. It was a last minute trip, but I had fun.”

Carter is playing the PHC Classic to try and qualify for The Evian Championship.

“It’s a major on the LPGA so it’s a huge deal,” said Carter. “It would be a big confidence boost to help me finish the year strong.”

Carter plans on being in full attack mode with quite a few stokes to make up Sunday.

“Honestly, being in attack mode is not a bad way to play regardless of the situation,” said Carter. “I don’t have anything to lose, I’m here to win a golf tournament and I’m also here to maintain the
competitiveness.”

LORI BETH ADAMS 16 STROKES BETTER: Lori Beth Adams (Burlington, N.C.) shot an 8-over, 80 on Friday and was in a tie for 147 (out of 156 golfers). Only seven golfers turned in scores higher than 80 on Friday. Beth Adams not only made the cut, but moved all the way up to a tie for 38th with an 8-under, 64 on Saturday.

It was an incredible turnaround that saw her improve by 16 strokes. She made eight birdies on Saturday compared to just one on Friday. She made seven birdies and a double on Friday compared to a bogey-free card on Saturday.

“I just made a bunch of long putts,” said Beth Adams. “I saw one go in and it continued from there. It was definitely a different feeling.”

Her longest putt of the day was a 60-footer on hole five.

“I just proved to myself that I know I can post low scores,” said Beth Adams, who has two top 10 finishes this season. “I hope the putts continue to fall on Sunday.”

FRENCH NATIVE STILL IN HUNT AFTER 25-FOOTER ON 18: French native Marion Ricordeau (Laon, France) didn’t have the putter going like she did on Friday when she turned in a 6-under, 66, but she
ended her round with a 25-footer on nine to post a 1-over, 73. She is four shots off the lead at 5-under through 36.

“Finally, I made one,” said Ricordeau, who was in good spirits after the round. “I was just hoping I could make one today as I had only three birdies and they were all in close range. The hole seemed to be very big yesterday and very tiny today. I’m just glad the last one dropped. I just didn’t have the pace today.”

Ricordeau said she didn’t sleep well last night. She woke up at 1:30 a.m. and couldn’t go back to sleep. She was scared of over sleeping so when she woke up at 1:30 a.m., she didn’t go back to sleep and was at the course by 6:15 a.m. for her 7:30 tee time.

“I hope I’m not too far back to play for the spots in Evian and even for the win,” said Ricordeau. “I just want to do my normal routine and hopefully I get more rest.”

Ricordeau is a tie for sixth.

RACHEL ROHANNA IN MIX FOR SECOND WIN: Rachel Rohanna started slow with two bogeys over her first six holes, but finished with four birdies and no bogeys over her final 12 holes.

She is in a tie for second into the final-round.

“I started rough with a bogey on the first hole, but I brought it back with a 2-putt birdie on my 9th hole (the 18th),” said Rohanna. “Overall, I’m hitting the ball really well and putting great.”

Rohanna is hoping for a win or second place finish to qualify for The Evian Championship.

“It would be my first time to France and it would be my second major championship in two years so it would be really exciting,” said Rohanna. “To have LPGA status and give myself a shot to play Evian and move up the money list would be big. I just have to keep it going and keep smiling.”