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Sunday, March 22, 2009

Duramed Futures Tour report from Florida

Choi Clings To Tournament Lead

After Windy Second Round

PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY DURAMED FUTURES TOUR
By LISA D MICKEY
WINTER HAVEN, Florida – The second round of the $100,000 Florida’s Natural Growers Charity Classic was an endurance test in the spring winds of Florida. And perhaps Song Yi Choi felt the stress of the day more than anyone, clinging to her tournament lead by a single stroke at day’s end.
Choi’s sparkling first-round score of 64 blew back down to earth today with a hard-fought 73, giving her a narrow lead at 137 (-7) over Nicole Hage of Coral Springs, Florida, who carded the only second-round score in the 60s. Hage posted a four-under-par score of 68 to move from a tie for eighth into second place at 138 (-6).
For most of the day, Choi’s hope of winning her first tournament on the Duramed Futures Tour seemed to be blowing in the wind.
“It was a lot of wind and my golf shots went left, right, and all over,” said Choi, a native of Seoul, South Korea who lives in Orlando, Florida.
The normally steady third-year pro hit only six fairways and nine greens, and through seven holes at Lake Region Yacht and Country Club, she was four over par, giving shots back to the field with an uneasy regularity.
But a tap-in birdie on the eighth hole ended the giveaway. Choi added two more birdies on holes 12 and 13, slipped briefly with a bogey on the 16th, but then countered on the 17th with a birdie from 30 feet.
“My back nine was better and I [told myself] to just focus, aim and think [about my] target,” said Choi.
Admittedly, Hage was probably as prepared as anyone for the Florida wind. And while she also had to adjust clubs and yardages throughout the round, the Florida native drew on the weeks of practice she had logged at her home course this winter at TPC Eagle Trace, located on the Florida Everglades. According to Hage, the regular presence of wind there makes its members masters of the half-shot wind swing.
“This is what I practise in every day,” said Hage, a second-year pro who was an All-American at Auburn University. “The half shot is pretty much what I hit all day today.”
And it was what enabled her to climb the leaderboard and move into position to challenge Choi for her first professional title. The Floridian hit 16 greens in regulation and recorded five birdies and one bogey, capitalizing on her length to play the five par-5s at four under.
“I didn’t look at leaderboards and I didn’t know where I stood all day, but I thought if I could shoot under par, I could make up a lot of ground today,” said Hage.
Ditto for Tour veteran Stephanie George of Myerstown, Pennsylvania, who watched her scorecard soar to three over for the round through 11 holes. But instead of packing it in or simply trying to minimize the damage, George showed her mettle and the reason why she has won twice on the Duramed Futures Tour.
“A lot of younger players might have just tried to hold on and finish out the round, but I flipped a switch and told myself to make some birdies, and I made three coming in,” said George (72), who is in third place at 140 (-4).
Even though the wind forced her to play three clubs more than she would normally use on the 14th hole that borders Lake Hamilton, George said it was the 5-iron that she striped 150 yards into the wind to five feet for birdie that she will remember about today.
“That’s the shot I’ll go to sleep thinking about tonight,” she said with a satisfied smile.
Samantha Richdale (71) of Kelowna, British Columbia moved into fourth place at three-under 141, followed by Lisa Meldrum (70) of Montreal, Quebec and Jean Reynolds (73) of Newnan, Georgia, who are tied for fifth at 142 (-2).
Hwanhee Lee (72) of Las Vegas also moved into seventh place at 143 (-1), while nine players are tied at even-par 144.
Seventy-one players made the 36-hole cut at 149 (+5).
Weather: Mostly sunny with temperatures in the high 70s with wind between 16-25 mph.
Wade Scores An Ace In Second Round
Second-year professional Whitney Wade of Glasgow, Kentucky, scored a hole-in-one during the second round of the Florida’s Natural Growers Charity Classic. Wade’s ace came on the 138-yard yard 17th hole. She used a 7-iron for her fourth hole-in-one and first ace in competition.
“I was three over going into 17 and I needed something good to happen,” said Wade, who played collegiately at the University of Georgia. “I hit my shot and it was looking good, looking good, and then it hopped in. My ball mark was about five feet in front of the hole.”
After 36 holes, Wade is four-over-par 148. She is currently tied for 45th.
College Connections Rekindled On Tour
Sarah Jacobs was 13 when she met Chris Brady at the Optimist Junior National Championship at PGA National in West Palm Beach, Florida. Years later, she helped recruit her pal to Vanderbilt University, where she was a team member. Jacobs, 26, graduated from Vanderbilt in 2004, and Brady, 24, of Charlotte, North Carolina, graduated in 2007. Now, the two are traveling together and sharing private housing on the Duramed FuturesTour.
“I think out here, the biggest thing that most people are nostalgic about when it comes to college, is the camaraderie because you kind of get lost in a sea of players,” said Jacobs of Nashville, Tennessee. “It gets lonely, but with Brady, it’s like having a sister out here.”
On the road again, the former team-mates eat breakfast together, do yoga, play practice rounds and, in general, have spent about half of their lives in each other’s company – something that is not uncommon among numerous members of the Duramed Futures Tour.
Lili Alvarez of Durango, Mexico and Alison Walshe of Westford, Massachusetts literally weathered a storm together while they were college roommates at Tulane University.
When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, students at the Louisiana school ran for high ground. Walshe flew home to Massachusetts until it was safe to come back and Alvarez flew to Chicago. When they returned to the house they shared, it was flooded with eight feet of water and mould growing on the walls.
Because the university and city was heavily damaged, members of the athletic teams were sent to other universities in the region. Alvarez and Walshe were sent to Southern Methodist University in Texas, where they were enrolled in classes and attempted to finish out the golf tournament season.
“We were both struggling with whether we wanted to stay or leave Tulane and we were fighting our own battles, but we were smart and we gave each other space,” said Alvarez, who battled for the team’s No. 1 position with her best pal.
Eventually, the university canceled the women’s golf program. Alvarez transferred to Northwestern and Walshe transferred to Arizona. Now, the two friends are rejoined on the Duramed Futures Tour. Walshe is a rookie and Alvarez is a second-year player.
“We have a special bond because of our experiences at school,” said Alvarez. “I told her to call me if she has any questions this year and to not feel lost. We might be competitors, but we’re also friends.”
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72) 6166yd
Lake Region Yacht and Country Club, Winter Haven, Florida

1 Song Yi Choi (Seoul, South Korea) 64-73 - 137
2 Nicole Hage (Coral Springs, Fla.) 70-68 - 138
3 Stephanie George (Myerstown, Pa.) 68-72 - 140
4 Samantha Richdale (Kelowna, British Columbia) 70-71 - 141
5 Lisa Meldrum (Montreal, Quebec) 72-70 - 142
5 Jean Reynolds (Newnan, Ga.) 69-73 - 142
7 Hwanhee Lee (Las Vegas, Nev.) 71-72 - 143
8 Mina Harigae (Monterey, Calif.) 72-72 - 144
8 Michelle Jarman (Wilmington, N.C.) 72-72 - 144
8 Alison Walshe (Westford, Mass.) 72-72 - 144
8 Lisa Ferrero (Lodi, Calif.) 71-73 - 144
8 Ashley Prange (Noblesville, Ind.) 73-71 - 144
8 Seo-Jae Lee (Seoul, South Korea) 70-74 - 144
8 Danah Ford (Indianapolis, Ind.) 73-71 - 144
8 Tzu-Chi Lin (Beaumont, Calif.) 70-74 - 144
8 Janell Howland (Boise, Idaho) 69-75 - 144
17 Dana Je (Orlando, Fla.) 72-73 - 145
17 Sara Brown (Tucson, Ariz.) 73-72 - 145
17 Maru Martinez (Maracaibo, Venezuela) 73-72 - 145
17 Christine Song (Fullerton, Calif.) 69-76 - 145
21 Sin Ah Ham (Seoul, South Korea) 75-71 - 146
21 Violeta Retamoza (Aguascalientes, Mexico) 72-74 - 146
21 Dewi Claire Schreefel (Diepenveen, Netherland 72-74 - 146
21 Angela Buzminski (Oshawa, Ontario) 73-73 - 146
21 Katie Allison (Little River, S.C.) 73-73 - 146
21 Mary J. Kim (Seoul, South Korea) 73-73 - 146
21 Liz Janangelo (West Hartford, Conn.) 73-73 - 146
21 Angela Oh (Maple Shade, N.J.) 71-75 - 146
21 Marcela Leon (Monterrey, Mexico) 73-73 - 146
21 Lori Atsedes (Ithaca, N.Y.) 74-72 - 146
21 Kristie Smith (Perth, Australia) 69-77 - 146
32 Victoria Kiser (a) (Orlando, Fla.) 76-71 - 147
32 Stella Lee (Seoul, South Korea) 75-72 - 147
32 Sophia Sheridan (Guadalajara, Mexico) 75-72 - 147
32 Libby Smith (Essex Junction, Vt.) 74-73 - 147
32 Charlotte Campbell (Heathrow, Fla.) 72-75 - 147
32 Elisa Serramia (Barcelona, Spain) 73-74 - 147
32 Caroline Larsson (Stockholm, Sweden) 72-75 - 147
32 Hannah Jun (San Diego, Calif.) 73-74 - 147
32 Benedikte Grotvedt (Nesbru, Norway) 72-75 - 147
32 Jessica Shepley (Oakville, Ontario) 72-75 - 147
32 Andrea VanderLende (Longwood, Fla.) 71-76 - 147
32 Misun Cho (Cheongju, South Korea) 73-74 - 147
32 Hannah Yun (a) (Bradenton, Fla.) 69-78 - 147
45 Devan Andersen (Guadalajara, Mexico) 76-72 - 148
45 Carling Coffing (Middletown, Ohio) 75-73 - 148
45 Stephanie Kim (a) (Orlando, Fla.) 75-73 - 148
45 Aimee Cho (Orlando, Fla.) 75-73 - 148
45 Brenda McLarnon (Belfast, N Ireland) 75-73 - 148
45 Y. J. Jin (Seoul, South Korea) 74-74 - 148
45 Whitney Wade (Glasgow, Ky.) 74-74 - 148
45 Onnarin Sattayabanphot (Bangkok, Thailand) 74-74 - 148
45 Sarah Olsen (Grosse Ile, Mich.) 73-75 - 148
45 Christi Cano (San Antonio, Texas) 72-76 - 148
45 Yeon Joo Lee (Seoul, South Korea) 72-76 - 148
45 Tiffany Prats (Williston, Fla.) 72-76 - 148
45 Sofie Andersson (Angelholm, Sweden) 73-75 - 148
45 Sae Hee Son (Seoul, South Korea) 73-75 - 148
45 Mo Martin (Altadena, Calif.) 70-78 - 148
60 Whitney Myers (York. Pa.) 76-73 - 149
60 Jennifer Ackerson (Dallas, Texas) 77-72 - 149
60 Cindy Lee-Pridgen (Sabah, Malaysia) 75-74 - 149
60 Juli Erekson (Mapleton, Utah) 75-74 - 149
60 Susan Nam (Edmonton, Alberta) 77-72 - 149
60 Ashley Grier (Hagerstown, Md.) 75-74 - 149
60 Rebecka Heinmert (Hassleholm, Sweden) 75-74 - 149
60 Jasi Acharya (Columbus, Mont.) 75-74 - 149
60 Esther Choe (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 75-74 - 149
60 Lorraine Ballerano (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) 74-75 - 149
60 Yoora Kim (Seoul, South Korea) 72-77 - 149
60 Jenny Gleason (Clearwater, Fla.) 72-77 - 149
MISSED THE CUT
Nicole Jeray (Berwyn, Ill.) ; 76-74 - 150
Sue Ginter (Appleton, Wis.) 75-75 - 150
Ashley Knoll (The Woodlands, Texas) 78-72 - 150
Carol Robertson (Virginia Beach, Va.) 74-76 - 150
Kelly Lagedrost (Brooksville, Fla.) 73-77 - 150
Janice Olivencia (Caguas, Puerto Rico) 73-77 - 150
Lili Alvarez (Durango, Mexico) 73-77 - 150
Selanee Henderson (Apple Valley, Calif.) 71-79 - 150
Rachel Bailey (Faulconbridge, Australia) 73-77 - 150
Melissa Eaton (Port Shepstone, South Africa) 71-79 - 150
Christina Jones (Jensen Beach, Fla.) 74-76 - 150
Kimberly Goedecke (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) 74-76 - 150
Vicki Goetze-Ackerman (Cartersville, Ga.) 74-76 - 150
Ashli Bunch (Morristown, Tenn.) 74-76 - 150
Perry Swenson (Charlotte, N.C.) 76-75 - 151
Jenny Suh (Fairfax, Va.) 75-76 - 151
Lehua Wise (Kauai, Hawaii) 74-77 - 151
Michaela Cavener (Ponca City, Okla.) 74-77 - 151
Kim Welch (Sacramento, Calif.) 74-77 - 151
Min Seo Kwak (Seoul, South Korea) 76-76 - 152
Noon Huachai (Bangkok, Thailand) 78-74 - 152
Gerina Mendoza (Roswell, N.M.) 79-73 - 152
Tiffany Tavee (Tempe, Ariz.) 73-79 - 152
Sohi Moon (Seoul, South Korea) 73-79 - 152
Kylene Pulley (Kokomo, Ind.) 72-80 - 152
Sookhee Baek (Altamonte Springs, Fla.) 73-79 - 152
Alejandra Shaw (Vina Del Mar, Chile) 71-81 - 152
Rak Kyung Oh (Seoul, South Korea) 74-78 - 152
Angela Jerman (Columbus, Ga.) 74-78 - 152
Garrett Phillips (St. Simons Island, Ga.) 76-77 - 153
Laura Crawford (Lancaster, S.C.) 76-77 - 153
Kira Meixner (a) (Richmond, British Columbia) 77-76 - 153
Jill Frantz (Iowa City, Iowa) 77-76 - 153
Jenna Pearson (Wheaton, Ill.) 75-78 - 153
Amanda Mathis (Opelousas, La.) 75-78 - 153
Nicola Eaton (Port Shepstone, South Africa) 79-74 - 153
Chris Brady (Charlotte, N.C.) 74-79 - 153
Lindsey Bergeon (Sarasota, Fla.) 73-80 - 153
Su A Kim (Seoul, South Korea) 74-79 - 153
Wendi Patterson-Golden (a) (Bradenton, Fla.) 76-78 - 154
Sam White (Potomac, Md.) 76-78 - 154
Sarah Beth Jacobs (Nashville, Tenn.) 76-78 - 154
Moah Chang (Los Angeles, Calif.) 79-75 - 154
Yoo Kyeong Kim (Incheon, South Korea) 80-74 - 154
Taya Battistella (Bend, Ore.) 81-73 - 154
Bing Lim (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) 72-82 - 154
Meghan Little (Sturgis, S.D.) 76-79 - 155
Stephanie Oukeo (Paris, France) 77-78 - 155
Christine Cho (Kent, Wash.) 78-77 - 155
Emily Bastel (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 73-82 - 155
Briana Vega (Andover, Mass.) 74-81 - 155
Kelly Schaub (Greeley, Colo.) 76-80 - 156
Kelly Froelich (Raizeux, France) 76-80 - 156
Madeleine Holmblad (Stockholm, Sweden) 77-79 - 156
Stacey Tate (Auckland, New Zealand) 77-79 - 156
Renee Skidmore (Everett, Wash.) 79-77 - 156
Jessica Carafiello (Coral Springs, Fla.) 80-76 - 156
Tracy Hanson (Coeur D'Alene, Idaho) 77-80 - 157
Maggie Simons (Raleigh, N.C.) 77-80 - 157
Stephanie Otteson (Wilson, N.C.) 77-80 - 157
Kim Augusta (Rumford, R.I.) 78-79 - 157
Lee Ann Walker-Cooper (Southport, N.C.) 75-82 - 157
Marci Turner (Tompkinsville, Ky.) 75-82 - 157
Carmen Bandea (Atlanta, Ga.) 79-78 - 157
Malinda Johnson (Eau Claire, Wis.) 79-78 - 157
Tanya Dergal (Durango, Mexico) 77-81 - 158
Eom Ji Park (Vancouver, BC) 78-82 - 160
Anastasia Kostina (Nakhabino, Russia) 79-81 - 160
Jieun Oh (Je Ju, South Korea) 79-82 - 161
Mary Moan (New Haven, Conn.) 83-82 - 165
Lilly Kobayashi (Santa Monica, Calif.) 84-81 - 165
Cassandra Blaney (Champions Gate, Fla.) 82-86 - 168
Kristina Tucker (Stockholm, Sweden) withdrew

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