MESA, ARIZONA, April 1, 2017 – Liv Cheng (Auckland, New Zealand) made a par on the second playoff hole to win her first career Symetra Tour event on Saturday at the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club. Cheng posted a 2-under, 70 to come from two shots back heading into the day to get into the playoff. Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec, Canada) finished third at 6-under, 210 while Kyung Kim (Chandler, Arizona) finished fourth at 5-under, 211. 

Cheng earns the first place check of $15,000 and moves to fourth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list after three events. She was 72nd entering the week. 

“It feels amazing and I still can’t believe it,” said Cheng. “I’m over the moon excited.”

Cheng made a 17-foot par putt on the 17th hole and a par on 18 to get into the clubhouse with the lead at 7-under, just ahead of Tanguay, who closed at 6-under. With the finish, Tanguay posts her third consecutive top-10 Symetra Tour finish. 

Mina Harigae (Monterey, California), who was the co-leader entering the day, made a 10-foot par putt on the 18th to force the playoff.

“I was out of position with my driver, but I stuck to it and scrambled,” explained Cheng, who hit some tricky shots on the final two holes and in the playoff. “I never gave up and trusted myself and the putts rolled in. I think I had 11 putts on the back nine and that really helped with scoring.”

After two pars on the first playoff hole, Harigae’s second shot went into the hazard on the second playoff hole and that opened the door for Cheng, who was able to drop an 8-footer for par to claim the victory. 

“I feel like we kept going in the bunker together,” said Cheng about the bunker shots both had to pull off in the playoff. “I once again got out of position with my driver, but I scrambled to make the par which was great.”

Cheng attempted just 24 putts on the day.

“My putter feels really good right now, definitely the best club in my bag right now,” said Cheng. 

Cheng had just one top 10 finish over her first two years on Tour. The win certainly puts her in a great spot early in the season.

“I feel really good about my game,” said Cheng. “This is my third year playing on the Symetra Tour and I feel like this year I have the tools in my game to play better and get myself on the LPGA Tour.”

Cheng finished 63rd on the money list in 2016 and 108th as a rookie in 2015. 

“The win this week makes me really happy that the hard work is starting to pay off,” said Cheng. “I’m definitely starting to see results.”

Cheng was a four-time WCC First-Team performer while in college at Pepperdine. 

“After college, I decided that I wanted to play professional golf and pursue a career,” said Cheng. “I’ve seen some of my friends do well on the LPGA and that is where I want to be.”

Cheng grew up playing junior golf with and against world No. 1 Lydia Ko. 

She if the first player from New Zealand to win on the Symetra Tour since 2011 when Cathryn Bristow won. Bristow and Cheng are the only two from New Zealand to win in Tour history. 

Olivia Jordan-Higgins, who has WD’d from the last two events, remains in the top spot on the Volvik Race for the Card money list while Tanguay, who has finished inside the top 10 in all three events, moves from third to second. 

The Tour heads to Northern California next week for the inaugural POC MED Golf Classic at Windsor Golf Club from April 7-9. 

MESA, ARIZONA, March 30, 2017 – Mina Harigae (Monterey, Calif.), the 2009 Symetra Tour Player of the Year, carded a 4-under, 68 to move into a share of the 36-hole lead at 7-under, 137. Late in the day, Stephanie Kono (Honolulu, Hawaii) made birdie on her last hole to get to 7-under as well. Harigae, who lives ten minutes from Longbow Golf Club, will go for her fourth career win on Saturday in the final round while Kono aims for her first. 

A total of 63 players made the cut, which fell at 3-over 147. 

“My driver was good, my irons were good, but mostly my putter has been solid,” said Harigae, who has six

career top 10 finishes on the LPGA Tour. “I’ve played mostly mistake free golf which has really helped me.”

The highlight of her round was the 13th hole, when she chipped in for birdie. 

“I actually didn’t see the golf course at all on that hole,” joked Harigae. “I hit it in the fairway bunker, then I hit it over the green and had an elevated chip and I chipped it in. It was definitely a fun birdie.”

Harigae got into the first LPGA Tour event of the year in the Bahamas to kick off her eighth year on Tour and finished T31, but hasn’t been able to get into events since. Therefore, she decided to play this week in order to keep fresh and because of how close she lives to the course.

“I just wanted to play in a tournament because I’ve been playing well and it has been so much fun playing somewhere so close to my house,” explained Harigae. “This was my home course for the first three years that I lived here so I know it very well.”

Harigae won the Heather Farr at Longbow as a junior.

Kono, who has known Harigae for a long time starting with junior golf, made three birdies and just one bogey to post a 70. She turned in a bogey-free 67 on Thursday.

“I’m playing solid right now and hit a lot of good shots today, but didn’t quite make as many putts as 

yesterday,” said Kono. “I stayed patient today and I am really proud of myself for that.”

Kono has five career top 10 finishes on the Symetra Tour and two of them have come at Longbow Golf Club.

“I feel ready (to win),” said Kono. “It will be fun tomorrow.”

The final group of Harigae, Kono and Emma Talley (Princeton, Ky.) will tee at 8:50 a.m. The Tour has planned a split-tee start in order to allow players ample time to travel to the next event in Northern California at Windsor Golf Club. 

Canadians Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec City) and Samantha Richdale (Kelowna, B.C.) are both at 4-under par and hold shares of seventh place.

GROUP OF THE DAY; TALLEY, LAW, CHENG ALL END T3: Emma Talley (Princeton, Ky.), Bronte Law (Manchester, England) and Liv Cheng (Auckland, New Zealand) played together in rounds one and two and all three stand at 5-under, 139 in a share of third place. 

Talley posted a 4-under, 68 on Friday while Law and Cheng shot 3-under, 69. 

“It’s great to get to play with people you get along with really well,” said Law, who won the ANNIKA Award in 2016. “I’ve been playing with Emma for a long time at college tournaments and national team events and I met Liv this week and have played a few practices rounds with her now and we all get along well.”

Law, who left UCLA with the most wins in school history, is happy with her first two starts on the Symetra Tour.

“I’m really taking it in stride and learning a lot as I go along,” said Law. “It’s my first year out on tour and I’m just trying to make sure I make myself accountable and work really hard because this is a very good tour.”

Talley, who finished T10 at the season opener, closed with four birdies on the back nine. 

“It was a very consistent day, I think I hit 17 greens today,” said Talley, who has four career top 10’s on the Symetra Tour in 16 career starts. “I definitely left some putts out there and I feel confident going into tomorrow.”

Talley finished 26th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list in 2016 in just a half year on Tour.

“It’s a long season and I am enjoying myself and I have a lot of really good friends on Tour,” said Talley. “I played well the first week, I was shaky the second week, but if I stay consistent hopefully I will be there at the end.”

DANIELA IACOBELLI SWITCHES TO LEFT HAND LOW LAST NIGHT: Daniela Iacobelli (Melbourne, Florida) took 33 putting strokes on Thursday and shot a 5-over, 77. She even three-putted from two feet. 

After the round, she went to the practice putting green and decided to switch to a left-hand low putting grip. It seems to have worked as she made birdie on four of her final five holes on Saturday to post a 4-under, 68 in windy and cold morning conditions. 

“I definitely had the rock rolling on the final four or five holes and then I holed out from the bunker on 17,” said Iacobelli. “I left myself a 40-footer on 18 and I was thinking ‘god, just two-putt’ and I did.” 

Iacobelli moved from T115 to T26. 

MESA, ARIZONA, March 30, 2017 – Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec, Canada) continued her stellar start to the 2017 season with a 6-under, 66 to lead after day one of the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club. Tanguay, a Team Canada Young Pro Squad member, made five birdies and an eagle to shoot her low round of the season. Former UCLA All-American Stephanie Kono (Honolulu, Hawaii) is one back at 5-under, 67. There are five players two off the lead including Chandler, Ariz. native Kyung Kim, who was the 2010 Arizona High School Player of the Year. 

There are ten players within three shots of the lead. 

Tanguay, who ranks third on the Volvik Race for the Card money list with two top 10 finishes to start the season, has posted seven straight under-par rounds. 

“It was a good day, I got the putter rolling,” said Tanguay, who needed just 27 putts. “I had a really good par save on 12 and that really keep me rolling and then the eagle on 15. As the round went on, I kept hitting it closer and closer. Being in good position off the tee gave me good chances from the fairway and I think the pins were pretty accessible today.”

Tanguay had 225 yards to the pin on the par-5 15th. 

“I just had a downhill lie so I hit a bullet down towards the flag and it was a great shot and it fed to the green,” explained Tanguay. “I drained a 25-footer and just gave myself chances.”

Tanguay felt her putter was a tad light during practice for the IOA Championship last week. So, she found a Golf  Galaxy an hour from Beaumont and drove mid-week to pick up lead tape to add weight to the bottom of her putter.

“My putter is now 10 grams heavier and since then it has been rolling really good.” 

In seven rounds this year on the Symetra Tour, Tanguay is 19-under with no over-par rounds.

“These are the best seven consecutive rounds that I’ve had because of how consistent they are,” explained Tanguay. “I’m just really happy with where my game is at right now.”

The 26-year-old is familiar with Longbow Golf Club. While in college at Oklahoma, she played in the Culver Cup at Longbow Golf Club. 

“It’s great to be back and I really like to play golf courses again to test my game,” said Tanguay. “Arizona golf is great. I had a lot of wedges in and a lot of opportunities. The greens are rolling really, really pure and it was a fun day overall.”

Meanwhile, Kono made three birdies on her front nine and two on the back. She did not have a blemish on her scorecard.

“I hit almost every fairway and I only missed two greens where I had to chip so I gave myself a ton of 

chances,” explained Kono, who made birdies on both nine and 18. “I started off hitting the ball really well. It felt like I could go even lower, but 5-under isn’t too bad.”

Kono has had great success at Longbow Golf Club in the past. She finished third in 2013 and T4 in 2015. 

“I have some good memories here and I like playing desert golf,” said the former UCLA Bruins golfer. “I like seeing the ball go far and the greens are a little easier to read.”

Kono has a unique routine after each round. She purchased a Trackman in the middle of 2016 and uses it before and after each round she plays.

“The Trackman gives me certain numbers and I try to hit them to work out distance control,” explained Kono. “It has really helped my wedge game and keeps me consistent.”

Kono has conditional LPGA Tour status and expects to bounce back-and-forth between the two tours. She made 14 starts on the LPGA in 2016. 

SEPMOREE’S CONFIDENCE GROWING; AIR FORCE CONNECTION: Katelyn Sepmoree (Tyler, Tx.), who celebrated her 26th birthday last week in Beaumont, turned in a 4-under, 68 to start the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club. 

“Even last week when I missed the cut, I was hitting it well but I couldn’t get some putts to fall and today they fell,” explained Sepmoree. “My caddy and I have worked really hard on the greens to get the speed down and get comfortable over it (ball) and it showed up today.”

Sepmoree made eight birdies including a stretch on the back nine when she dropped four in a row between 11 and 14. 

“It’s a mindset that I have to get in to get the ball to the hole,” said Sepmoree, who classified herself as a “die putter” where the ball slowly drops into the hole rather then speeding right in. “I just have to be more aggressive.”

Sepmoree is now in her fourth year on the Symetra Tour and hopes that her comfort leads her to the LPGA.

“It’s all about confidence,” said Sepmoree. “There is nothing that surprises me anymore, I know the ropes. With everything I’ve done in my life, it has taken baby steps and I just need to keep taking them and I’ll get there (LPGA).”

Sepmoree said that while she’d love to be on the LPGA, she’s not surprised by the slow climb. It took her “awhile” in college to settle down and play well.

Sepmoree celebrated her birthday by going on a 14-mile hike in Beaumont on Sunday. With so many hiking trails in greater Phoenix, she is considering going on another this week. 

Off the course, Sepmore is a huge supporter of the military. Her ball marker showcases the group “Hope for the Warriors” and she started doing clinics at Air Force bases last year. Prior to the 2017 season, she helped lead a two-day clinic in Vegas at Nellis Air Force Base. Doug Quirie organizes clinics at Air Force bases around the world and utilizes professional golfers to help lead. 

“I met the coolest people,” said Sepmoree. “I’ve always loved the military and I’ve always said that if I wasn’t playing golf that I’d consider joining myself. If I don’t join the military, I want to give back some way and golf is a great outlet for them. I still have guys I met at Kirtland Air Force Base (New Mexico) that say ‘come back, come back, I want to play with you’ and that makes it totally worth it.”

RICHDALE CONTINUES HOT PLAY; CLOSING IN ON CAREER MONEY LIST: Samantha Richdale (Kelowna, Canada) turned in one of the better afternoon rounds, a 4-under, 68. Richdale made six birdies on the day. 

Richdale registered her 29th career top 10 finish to open the season at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic. She ranks 14th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list through two events.

Richdale could become the all-time career money leader in Symetra Tour history this week. She has earned $225,618 over 134 starts, only $504 short of all-time money earner Lori Atsedes. 

KEMPTER POSTS A 68 ON HER 30TH BIRTHDAY: Katie Kempter (Albuquerque, N.M.) got up-and-down from the greenside bunker on the ninth hole for birdie to post a 4-under, 68 late in the day when the wind was really blowing. 

“It was hard in the afternoon, the course got firm and fast,” said Kempter. “The wind made me focus a little more which was good for me. I’ve been struggling with my ball striking so this was really good for me.”

Kempter’s dad was on the bag and her mom is in town for her 30th birthday.

“Since I found out we’d be playing on my birthday, I was joking that I’d shoot a 62 since that would be my personal best,” joked Kempter. “I would have had to stop after the 16th hole today, but it was a good day. I’m not a huge birthday person, but it’s nice to have a good score when everyone is wishing you a happy birthday.”

Kempter said she hasn’t seen her parents on her birthday in 12 years. 

OF NOTE

• A total of 31 players are under-par after day one.

• Former Arizona State star Giulia Molinaro opened with a 2-under, 70.

• Laura Wearn (Charlotte, N.C.), who posted a 2-under, 70, recorded a 334-yard drive on the ninth hole.

• Liz Nagel (DeWitt, Mich.) holed out from 116 yards out on the par-4 13th hole for eagle en route to a 3-under, 69 to stand in a tie for eighth. 

BEAUMONT, CALIFORNIA, March 26, 2017 – Daniela Darquea (Quito, Ecuador) holed out for eagle on the 13th and drained birdie on 18 to win the IOA Championship by three shots with a final-round 5-under, 67 on Sunday. She finished with a three-day total of 12-under, 204, the lowest winning score in the three years at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon.

Darquea’s victory is historic as she becomes the first player in the history of the Symetra Tour or the LPGA from Ecuador to win. 

“It’s such a special feeling knowing that kids in Ecuador can look up to someone and say ‘I can play golf and be successful’,” explained an emotional Darquea. “Golf is not a very popular sport in Ecuador so this is so special and really important to me.”

Darquea nets a first-place check of $15,000 and moves to second on the new Volvik Race for the Card 

money list. Olivia Jordan-Higgins, who withdrew from the IOA Championship, remains in the top spot. Darquea has earned a total of $16,783 through two weeks. 

Darquea, who entered the day in a share of the lead, made the turn at 2-under for the day and had a share of the lead early on the back nine. On the 13th hole, she holed out for eagle from 130 yards out in the fairway to grab a two shot lead. 

“It is one of the toughest holes on the course and I was in the fairway and hit my 9-iron and the ball bounced on the front edge of the green and the second bounce hit the pin and went in,” explained Darquea. “I couldn’t see from where I was, but everyone on the green started screaming so it was really cool.”

Darquea made four straight pars and then stuck her approach on 18 to five feet and put an exclamation on the win with a birdie. 

“I was nervous and my hands were shaking, but that is pretty much why I play golf,” said Darquea about the last putt. “Thank god the ball went in.”

Darquea earned partial LPGA status through Qualifying Tournament by finishing T29. She actually won Stage I of Q-School in the area at the Dinah Shore Courses in Rancho Mirage. She isn’t sure how many LPGA events she will play, but is thoroughly enjoying her time on the Symetra Tour.

“I didn’t really expect to win this quick,” said Darquea, who finished T17 at the season opener. “I just love to play golf and compete and I’m super about this.”

Benyapa Niphatsophon (Bangkok, Thailand) and Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec, Canada) shared second place at 9-under, 207. 

The Tour heads to Mesa, Arizona next week for the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club. The event runs Thursday, March 30 through Sunday, April 1. 

8-YEAR LPGA VET AND FORMER GRADUATE NEARLY COMES FROM BEHIND: Alison Walshe (Westford, Mass.) graduated from the Symetra Tour to the LPGA in 2009 and has been on the big tour for the last eight years. She struggled last year and plans to play some Symetra Tour to supplement the LPGA events she’s able to get in.

On Sunday, she put together a blistering 6-under, 66 to move from T19 to a tie for fourth. She actually moved into the lead midday through the day. 

“The first few days, I was grinding it out because of my driving, I was really slicing it,” explained Walshe, who carded a 70-72 on the first two days. “I called my coach and a few people and I was like ‘any thought will help right now’ and I was able to sort it out and play more aggressive today.”

The perfect example came on the par-5 fourth. She sliced the ball in the bunker off the tee on Saturday and made bogey. On Sunday, she was on in two and made eagle. 

“I hit my driver well and was able to reach the green in two today and was about 12-15 feet,” said Walshe. “I made a good putt there and that was big.”

Walshe has five career top 10 finishes on the LPGA Tour. She isn’t 100 percent sure how her schedule will align this year. She will play next week on the Symetra Tour at the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club. 

“I came into the beginning of the year trying to go to a couple Mondays (Monday Qualifiers) and see what my little bit of status will get me in (on the LPGA),” said Walshe. “I’m going to kind of go by feel. The last few years, I’ve kind of just played in everything and I kind of got sick of it and that is why I didn’t play well.”

Walshe recorded seven top 10 finishes in 2009 on the Symetra Tour.

BEAUMONT, CALIFORNIA, March 25, 2017 – Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec, Canada) and Daniela Darquea (Quito, Ecuador) made 13 total birdies while playing in the same group on Saturday and both moved into a share of the lead at 7-under, 137. Later in the day, Briana Mao (Folsom, Calif.) posted a 4-under, 68 to get to 7-under. Tanguay, who has six career top 10’s including a T10 to open the year at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic, posted a 4-under, 68 while Darquea, a rookie playing in just her second career event, turned in a 5-under, 67. 

There are five players just one off the lead including Burbank native Emily Tubert. There are 11 players within three shots of the leaders.  

The cut was made at 2-over, 142 and 72 players will play on Sunday. The first group will tee at 7:30 a.m. while the final group of Darquea and Mao will tee at 1:10 p.m. 

“I just really got my putting going today, I made a bunch of 10 and 12 footers,” said Tanguay, who attempted 29 putts. “I made some up-and-downs on the par 5’s, which was key so overall it was a solid round.”

Tanguay decided this past offseason to stay in Florida to prepare for the season and said it was her best offseason to date. She only took about a week off.

“Two weeks before the season started, I was getting itchy to play because I’ve worked a lot on short game, chipping and putting and made some equipment changes that are helping my game,” said Tanguay. “I got some new wedges and I got some more distance off the tee with a new driver.”

Tanguay also said that she will have her boyfriend on the bag full-time this year and the duo works well on the course.

“It gets stressful sometimes on the road and it is good to have someone that helps me relax,” explained Tanguay. “He knows my game well, he knows me well and I think we make a great team on the course.”

The 26-year-old has made ten birdies against just one bogey this week. She did have a double bogey on Saturday on the 17th hole. 

Tanguay’s low finish on Tour is a tie for fourth. She’ll go for her first win on Sunday.

“My mission this year is to be a little lighter on the golf course and have more fun,” said Tanguay. “It’s definitely nice to be in this position and I’ve been here before and I know how it feels and I think I can do better this time around.”

Darquea will try to become the first player from Ecuador to ever win on the Symetra Tour. 

“I putted really well today,” said Darquea, who finished 17th in her pro debut at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic. “On the 20-footers and in I made a lot of them, however on the really long putts I wasn’t as confident. I actually three-putted three times.”

Darquea, who took medalist honors at Stage I of LPGA Qualifying Tournament in 2016, turned professional after three seasons at Miami. 

“I’m super excited how I am playing,” said Darquea. “I love to play golf and so far the start to my 

professional career has been fun. I’m really happy that I am playing well.”

When Darquea was little, her parents bought a membership to a golf club in Quito and she started playing when she was four years old. 

“I just fell in love with the game and I couldn’t stop playing,” explained Darquea. “I went to college and then turned professional so golf has pretty much been my entire life.”

Darquea said that taking advantage of the par-5 holes will be critical on Sunday. 

Mao, who trains in Palm Desert at La Quinta PGA West, made four birdies over her first seven holes and five total for a 68. 

“I was hitting it really well and had a lot of good looks including birdie opportunities on each of the first six holes,” explained Mao. “I was feeling good going into the back nine, but just kind of lost my rhythm. I started swinging too fast and missed some fairways.”

Just like Tanguay and Darquea, Mao will also go for her first win.

“I’m going to go work on ball striking a little and then I’ll be fully prepared for Sunday,” said Mao, an All-ACC performer at the University of Virginia. “There are a bunch of good players towards the top so who knows what will happen.”

EMREY POSTS CAREER LOW ROUND: Allison Emrey (Charlotte, N.C.) carded a career low 6-under, 66 on Saturday to jump from T33 to a tie for fourth at 6-under for the tournament. 

She made seven birdies against just one bogey. 

“I played really consistent and I hit the ball well and capitalized on that and made the putts,” said Emrey, who attempted 28 putts. “I had a great group and we were talking all day so that put me at ease.”

Emrey played with Elizabeth Szokol (Winnetka, Ill.) and Kim Welch (Sacramento, Calif.).

The 23-year-old finished 51st on the Volvik Race for the Card money list as a rookie and feels ready to improve upon that.

“I feel like it is definitely easier your second year because you’ve seen all the courses before and you know all the players and you know what is going to happen each week,” explained Emrey. “I’m staying with my same host family from last year so it is really nice to come back to Beaumont. 

She will likely improve upon her finish last year at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon when she closed T55. 

LACROSSE GETTING CLOSE AFTER NEARLY A YEAR OFF: Cindy LaCrosse, who won three times on the Symetra Tour in 2010 and has made 88 career starts on the LPGA, feels her game is headed in the right direction. This week is a good sign as she posted a 2-under, 70 on Saturday and stands at 6-under, 138. 

“I played really well, if a few more putts had dropped it could have been even lower,” said LaCrosse, who only played in two Symetra Tour events last year. “I’m hitting the ball really well and I’ve done a lot over the last year with swing changes and they are really starting to feel comfortable.”

LaCrosse played in the first Symetra Tour event last year and then withdrew from the rest to make big changes. She started working with Justin Sheehan out of Tampa, who also coaches Brittany Altomare and a few other professionals.

“I told him that I’ll do whatever you tell me with the golf swing so it took a long time,” said LaCrosse. “Even at Q-School, I was still uncomfortable. I knew if I wanted to keep playing I needed to do something drastic.

LaCrosse was the Symetra Player of the Year in 2010. She hasn’t had a top 50 LPGA finish since 2013. 

FRANCE’S RICORDEAU PLAYING SYMETRA TOUR FOR FIRST TIME: Marion Ricordeau (Laon, France) posted a 1-under, 71 to move to 3-under for the tournament. She played six years on the Ladies European Tour (LET) and then earned partial LPGA Tour status through Q-School in 2015 and played the LPGA in 2016. She finished T23 at the LOTTE Championship in Hawaii, but struggled the remainder of the season. She has decided to focus on the Symetra Tour in hopes of returning to the LPGA. 

“I tasted it (LPGA) and I loved it so obviously I want to try and get there again,” said Ricordeau, who made 14 starts on the big tour last year. “I want to do my best each week to try and get my card through Symetra (Tour), if not then Q-School.”

Ricordeau finished 48th on the LET Order of Merit in 2015 when she last played in Europe. She has three career top 10’s on the LET.

“It’s pretty motivating on the LPGA when you can’t play average to make a living, you have to give your best every week,” explained Ricordeau. “I started to work (on my game) more than I ever have in the past because I had to against the competition.”

Ricordeau confirmed that she likely won’t play in many LET events because she doesn’t want to travel back-and-forth between the states and Europe. 

During off weeks, Ricordeau will spend time with her coach, Patricia Meunier-Lebouc, in Jupiter, Florida. Meunier-Lebouc won twice on the LPGA Tour including the 2003 Kraft Nabisco Championship. 

OF NOTE

• Stanford products Lauren Kim (-4) and Mariah Stackhouse (-3) are both in the top 10.

• Brittany Benvenuto, who finished 3rd at Tukwet Canyon in 2015, is T10 with back-to-back 70’s.

• Rookie Lindsey Weaver, who finished fourth at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic, is ninth heading into the final round at 5-under, 139. 

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Olivia Jordan-Higgins won the season-opening Florida’s Natural Charity Classic by a stroke Sunday for her third Symetra Tour title.

Jordan-Higgins closed with a 2-under 70 to hold off Christine Song (66) and China’s Yu Liu (67). The winner finished at 10-under 207 at the Country Club of Winter Haven and earned $$18,750.

“I don’t think I can really put into words how it feels yet,” Jordan-Higgins said. “This has been 18 months’ work all put together. I couldn’t ask for a better start right now.”

Jordan-Higgins is from Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands between England and France, and played at Charleston Southern. She also won tour events in 2013 and 2014.

Jordan-Higgins took a two-stroke lead into the final day after opening with rounds of 66 and 70. She birdied the par-3 second and made a double bogey on the par-4 seventh, then _ after a nearly two-hour rain delay _ rallied with birdies on the par-5 11th and par-4 14th and 16th.

“The key today was patience,” Jordan-Higgins said. “I was a little tense on the front and trying too hard to make things happen that just weren’t happening and I did make some a mistake on seven. It just came down to patience and knowing that I had a lot of birdie changes left after my double on seven.”

Kelowna, B.C. product and defending champion Samantha Richdale led the way for the Canadian contingent, carding a final-round 71 (-1) to finish in ninth place at 5-under par. She was trailed by Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec, who closed at 4-under par to share 10th place. Rounding out the Canucks to finish inside the Top-20 were the trio of Team Canada graduates Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.), Augusta James (Bath, Ont.) and Elizabeth Tong (Thornhill, Ont.), who finished at 1-under in a five-way tie of 18th.

The top 10 on the final money list will earn 2018 LPGA Tour cards.