NAPA, Calif. — Kevin Tway made a 10-foot birdie putt on the third hole of a playoff Sunday to win the season-opening Safeway Open for his first PGA Tour title.
The son of eight-time PGA Tour winner Bob Tway, the 30-year-old former Oklahoma State player beat Ryan Moore on the par-4 10th after Brandt Snedeker dropped out on their first extra trip down the par-5 18th.
After strong wind died down in the late afternoon on Silverado’s tree-lined North Course, Tway birdied the final two holes in regulation for a 1-under 71, then birdied all three holes in the playoff.
Moore birdied three of the last four in a 67.
Snedeker, three strokes ahead entering the day and five in front with 11 to play, had four back-nine bogeys in a 74. The nine-time PGA Tour winner bogeyed the first three holes on the back nine, birdied the par-5 16th, bogeyed the par-4 17th and parred the 18th, missing from 9 feet.
Luke List eagled the 18th for a 67 to finish a stroke out of the playoff with Troy Merritt (68), Sam Ryder (69), Aaron Baddeley (69) and Sungjae Im (71).
Phil Mickelson tied for 17th at 8 under after a 72. Fred Couples had a 75 to tie for 41st at 5 under in his final start in a regular PGA Tour event.
LPGA TOUR
INCHEON, South Korea (AP) —South Korea held off challenges from the United States and England to win the eight-nation International Crown for the first time in front of a delighted home crowd at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea.
The top-seeded host team started the final round two points clear of the chasing pack and won two of the four singles matchups to finish with 15 points, four ahead of the defending champion United States and England.
Thailand finished fourth, and Sweden fifth. Australia, Taiwan, and Japan were all eliminated at the end of the third round.
In contrast to the wet conditions that cost the tournament an entire day’s play on Saturday after Typhoon Kong-rey hit the Korean peninsula, bright sunshine helped produce a big and passionate crowd that cheered the home team on to victory.
In Gee Chun and I.K. Kim won singles matches for South Korea on the 18th hole. So Yeon Ryu rallied from a 2 down deficit to halve her match with Lexi Thompson. Sung Hyun Park was lost to Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand.
“We never really feel nervous before majors but we have been nervous for a couple of months before this,” Ryu said. “Turns out that because this was home field, we felt comfortable with all the fans that came out to support us, and we had a lot of benefits. The support was incredible.”
EUROPEAN TOUR
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP)— Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark closed with a 5-under 67 on the Old Course at St. Andrews for a one-shot victory in the Dunhill Links Championship that denied Tyrrell Hatton a chance at his third straight title.
Bjerregaard started the day four strokes behind Hatton but he reeled in the European Ryder Cup player to finish with at 15-under 273.
Hatton (72) shared second place on 274 with Ryder Cup teammate Tommy Fleetwood (69).
Hatton, who was attempting to become only the fifth player to win the same tournament in three straight seasons, was six shots clear with 12 holes to play but came undone on the back nine with a 40. He missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that would have forced a playoff.
Bjerregaard won for the second time this year on the European Tour.
SYMETRA TOUR
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) —Ruixin Liu won the season-ending Symetra Tour Championship for her second straight victory and third of the season to top the 10 LPGA Tour qualifiers.
The Chinese player closed with a 1-under 71 for a one-stroke victory over Taiwan’s Pavarisa Yoktuan. Liu finished at 19-under 269 at LPGA International and earned $33,750 to take the season money title with $124,839.
Yoktuan shot 72. She finished third on the money list with $80,313.Dottie Ardina was second on the money list with $97,822. Elizabeth Szokol, Linnea Strom, Stephanie Meadow, Kendall Dye, Charlotte Thomas, Isi Gabsa and Dana Finkelstein also earned LPGA Tour cards, with Finkelstein edging Min Seo Kwak by $737 for the final spot.
OTHER TOURS
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Takumi Kanaya closed with a 5-under 65 to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur on Sunday and earn a spot in the Masters and British Open next year. Kanaya shot 64-65 on the weekend at Sentosa Golf Club for a two-shot victory over Rayhan Thomas of India and Keita Nakajima of Japan. … In a battle of Americans on the Asian Tour, John Catlin closed with a 7-under 65 for a two-shot victory over Sihwan Kim in the Yeangder TPC in Taiwan. … Oliver Wilson of England shot 3-under 69 for a two-shot victory in the Monaghan Irish Challenge, his second victory this year on the European Challenge Tour. … Kevin Techakanokboon of Long Beach, California, closed with a 73 and hung on for a one-shot victory over Yuwa Kosaihira of Japan in the Zhuhai Championship on the PGA Tour China Tour. … Nicolas Echavarria closed with a 2-under 70 for a four-shot victory in the San Luis Championship on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica. … Santiago Luna of Spain closed with a 3-under 69 for a two-shot victory over Peter Wilson and Markus Brier in the European Senior Masters on the European Staysure Tour.
WOMEN
Seon-woo Bae closed with a 68 for a two-shot victory in the Hite Jinro Championship on the Korean LPGA Tour. … Shoko Sasaki shot a 4-under 68 for a one-shot victory in the Stanley Ladies GolfTournament on the Japan LPGA Tour.
PRATTVILLE, Ala. — Entering the final round of the second annual Guardian Championship, Kendall Dye (Edmond, Oklahoma) trailed by two shots, but a 6-under par 66 performance this afternoon erased that deficit and helped claim her fourth career Symetra Tour title.
The University of Oklahoma alumna concluded the 19th event of the Symetra Tour season at 16-under par overall to raise the trophy, one shot ahead of Ruixin Liu (Dalian, China) and Min Seo Kwak (Seoul, Republic of Korea).
“I never really thought that I would get four professional victories out here, but I am so grateful,” said Dye, who recorded seven birdies and only one bogey today. “There was a lot of great competition and I thought if I gave myself a lot of good opportunities, make a few more putts than the last few days, then I could shoot something low. I’m thankful we got it done.”
In a week that shook the golf world with the tragic loss of Celia Barquin Arozamena (Puente San Miguel, Spain) last Monday, Dye joined the 120-player field in wearing Iowa State University hats donated by New Era and memorial ribbons throughout tournament play. During the trophy presentation, the first thing Dye talked about was dedicating the win to Barquin Arozamena.
“It was a very important week for all of us across the sport, especially in the women’s game,” Dye said. “I wanted to be the person to win this week in honor of Celia. We are going to carry on her legacy and play our hearts out for her each and every day. This is for her and her family.”
Meanwhile, the occasion etches Dye into the history books as the first two-time winner on the Symetra Tour in 2018. Up to this point, there had been 18 different champions for the season, but Dye becomes the first to step into the winner’s circle multiple times.
“I don’t set a ton of goals, but when I was told that no one had a repeat victory this year, I wanted to be that person to do it,” said Dye, who also won the Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY in late July. “I was late getting out here since I spent most of the year on the LPGA Tour, so it’s important to get my full membership for next year. I was really excited to play this week and if you can wake and still be excited late in the fourth quarter of the season like this, that’s a good thing.”
The result launches Dye from No. 23 to No. 7 in the Volvik Race for the Card. With two events remaining, the battle for the top-10 to earn full LPGA membership for 2019 still faces its biggest tests yet.
“It’s kind of like today, you can’t play prevent defense out here, you have to go and be hungry to win,” Dye said. “I don’t look at the money list because I’m not that smart to add it all up, I just come out here and play golf, get the ball in the hole. My experience will hopefully pay off. I’m really excited for the finish.”
Canadian Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City finished in a tie for 5th at 12 under par after an even-par 72 on Sunday. The Team Canada Young Pro Squad member held the 36-hole lead after setting a personal record through two rounds, but couldn’t keep it rolling into the finale.
PRATTVILLE, Ala. — A rookie on the LPGA Tour this season and 2017 Symetra Tour graduate, Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec City, Canada) holds the outright advantage after two rounds in the Guardian Championship on the Senator Course at Capitol Hill of the Robert Trent Jones (RTJ) Golf Trail.
The former University of Oklahoma standout is 12-under par overall and takes a one-stroke lead into the final round over Nontaya Srisawang (Chiang Mai, Thailand).
“It feels really good and has been awhile since I have been out on the Symetra Tour as well,” said Tanguay, who set her career 36-hole scoring mark with the performance so far. “I’m really happy to see my name at the top of the leaderboard. I played really solid today, gave myself a lot of chances and stayed pretty patient. It’s definitely a good feeling.”
Competing on the official qualifying tour of the LPGA once again last week and this week, Tanguay is simply keeping herself in competition to get ready for Q-Series from Oct. 22 through Nov. 3 at Pinehurst Resort.
Already a champion on the Symetra Tour at the 2017 Garden City Charity Classic, her second career professional win would be icing on the cake as she prepares for the LPGA Qualifying Tournament.
“These events are so great and the field is deep, so I thought it couldn’t be more perfect to test myself and play amazing courses,” said the Team Canada Young Pro Squad member. “It is very familiar for me to come out and play on this Tour. I’m happy because my game is where I want it to be heading into Q-Series, so I think I will keep working in that direction for the next few weeks.”
Furthermore, having been in the position of many individuals when it comes to the Volvik Race for the Card, Tanguay has one piece of advice.
“The pressure is huge and we put a lot of pressure on ourselves,” said Tanguay. “We think if you finish 11th and miss your card, then it’s kind of the end of the world to us. You have to put it in perspective. For me, it was extremely difficult and I understand what they are going through. Your goal is to be out there, but you’re not there yet so really have to see the big picture and really embrace the pressure.”
Meanwhile, a bogey-free round of 7-under par 65 launched Srisawang into solo second position after day two. She will join Tanguay in the final pairing tomorrow looking for her first career Symetra Tour victory.
“I hit it really well today and put the ball in good position on the greens, then made the putts,” said Srisawang, currently No. 25 in the Volvik Race for the Card. “I missed a couple greens, but I could get up and down really well. Out here, we have to trust the target that you’re aiming at and I just feel really comfortable with my putting this week.”
Two groups did not complete the second round because of unplayable conditions after heavy rains moved into the area this evening. They will restart tomorrow at 7 a.m. CT then a cut will be made to the low 60 players and ties. From there, the final round will begin no earlier than 8 a.m. CT. A total of 61 players sit at even par or better.
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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.”
