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LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament: Final Round Wrap

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Gulyanamitta Finishes As Medalist At LPGA Final Qualifying

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Dec. 4, 2011 – Rookie professional Junthima (“Numa”) Gulyanamitta spoiled Christine Song’s attempt to win the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament in wire-to-wire fashion.

The player from Thailand carded a 4-under 68 on the Champions Course in today’s final round for medalist honors at 10-under 350 for 90 holes. A tearful Song finished with a disappointing final round of 2-over 74 for second at 8-under 352 after leading the tournament for four rounds.

“It’s a good feeling to accomplish my goal,” said Gulyanamitta, 23, of Rayong, Thailand. “Now I have my card to play on the LPGA.”

A member of Purdue University’s 2010 NCAA Championship team, Gulyanamitta chased down the frontrunner to grab the lead in today’s final round. The Thai player carded six birdies and one double-bogey (on No. 12), but it was on hole No. 10 where she took the lead with a birdie, while Song bogeyed that hole for a two-shot swing.

Song struggled with her yardages and club selections today. She recorded three bogeys in her first 10 holes and didn’t roll in a birdie putt until the No. 15, where she chipped in from five yards off the green. Song bogeyed No. 16 when she failed to save par from a bunker. Her eagle chance from 15 feet on the last hole rolled two feet past the cup and she tapped in for birdie.

“It’s bittersweet, but it’s OK,” said Song, 20, of Fullerton, Calif. “I wanted to win and I put a lot of pressure on myself, but the goal was to get my card, and I did that.”

Third-year pro Jennie Lee (72) of Henderson, Nev., finished third at 4-under 356.

Three players tied for fourth at 3-under 357. They were Dori Carter (68) of Valdosta, Ga., Karlin Beck (69) of Pike Road, Ala., and Jodi Ewart (70) of North Yorkshire, England.

Tied for seventh at even-par 360 were Sandra Changkija (70) of Orlando, Fla., and Maude-Aimee Leblanc (72) of Sherbrooke, Canada, who was a former Purdue University teammate with Gulyanamitta.

With steady wind blowing on the Champions Course throughout today’s final round and intermittent light rain blowing in and out, players hoping to secure 2012 LPGA membership were pressed to perform on the day that mattered most.

Spain’s Elisa Serramia (73) of Barcelona, for example, birdied the 18th hole from 8 feet to jump into the 19th spot at 4-over 364, avoiding the playoff and earning LPGA membership for the first time.

Fighting to keep her card, Meredith Duncan (70) of Shreveport, La., leaped into the top 20 today when she saved bogey from nine feet on the 16th hole, drained a 60-foot birdie putt on No. 17 and holed out for eagle from 75 yards on the final hole to climb into a tie for ninth at 3-over 363.

Joining Duncan in ninth place at 3-over 363 was the group of Rebecca Lee-Bentham (67) of Toronto, Canada, Minea Blomqvist (70) of Espoo, Finland, Cydney Clanton (71) of Concord, N.C. Angela Oh (72) of Baltimore, Md., and Stephanie Kono (75) of Honolulu, Hawaii.

Both Kono and Argentina’s Victoria Tanco (69) of Bradenton, Fla., gave up their amateur status today after earning top-20 LPGA membership for 2011. Kono is a senior All-American at UCLA and a 2010 member of the U.S. Curtis Cup team. Tanco, 17, was the winner of the 2011 Women’s Western Amateur Championship and of four AJGA invitational tournaments.

Tanco finished tied for 15th at 4-over 364 alongside Ay

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LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament Fourth-round Wrap

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Song Still Frontrunner After Round Four Of LPGA Qualifying

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Dec. 3, 2011 – Christine Song has maintained her lead after four rounds of the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. She holds a four-stroke lead at 10-under 278.

Song carded an even-par 72 today on the Legends Course at LPGA International, making the most of a round in which she recorded three birdies and three bogeys.

Hitting only 11 greens in regulation, Song said she relied heavily on her short game. She saved par five times in today’s round, including a chip-in par on No. 12 after she flew the green.

“I wasn’t hitting it very well, but fortunately, my chipping and putting were good,” said Song, 20, of Fullerton, Calif. “We will play the Champions Course tomorrow and I like that course better because it’s more wide open. I need to go low.”

Rookie professional Junthima (“Numa”) Gulyanamitta of Rayong, Thailand posted a score of 4-under 68 to move within four shots of the lead at 6-under 282. The former member of Purdue University’s 2010 NCAA Championship team recorded five birdies on the back nine to charge into second place.

“I just play and I have no idea what’s going on,” said Gulyanamitta, 23, younger sister of former LPGA Tour member Russy Gulyanamitta, who is caddying for her sibling this week. “I’m not trying to beat everybody. I’m just doing what I need to do to get my LPGA card.”

The Thai player carded six birdies and two bogeys today as she climbed from fifth place. While she hit only 11 greens, Gulyanamitta scrambled around the greens and used only 24 putts.

Third-year pro Jennie Lee of Henderson, Nev., posted a one-over 73 to move into third place at 4-under 284, three shots ahead of Jodi Ewart (70) of North Yorkshire, England, at one-under 287.

“I had too many bogeys today (4) and I putted poorly,” said Lee, 25, a 2011 LPGA rookie. “If you are on the green, you shouldn’t be three-putting, and I had three of them today.”

Ewart, on the other hand, capitalized on her ball striking. She hit 16 greens in regulation and managed her game well in the wind, striping her final approach shot to five feet on the 18th green of the Legends course, and then converting for birdie.

Tied for fifth at even-par 288 is the trio of Karlin Beck (71) of Pike Road, Ala., Stephanie Kono (75) of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Maude-Aimee Leblanc (71) of Sherbrooke, Canada.

Rounding out the top 10 are Dori Carter (73) of Valdosta, Ga., and Jacqui Concolino (76) of Orlando, Fla., tied for eighth at one-over 289, and Sandra Changkija (73) of Orlando, Fla., alone in 10th place at 2-over 290.

Seventy-six players made the 72-hole cut at 12-over 300 and will advance into Sunday’s final round.

The final round will begin Sunday at 7:30 a.m., off the first and 10th tees on the Champions course only. The leaders will go off the first tee at 9:42 a.m.

A field of 139 players started this week’s event, hoping to either earn membership or improve their current member status for the 2012 LPGA Tour. Sectional qualifiers, along with current LPGA Tour members attempting to improve their status for 2012, are in the field. In addition, players finishing Nos. 6-10, and the next top 10 players on the 2011 LPGA Futures Tour money list (who do not already have LPGA status), are also in the field.

Players finishing 1st through 40th, including ties, will receive 2012 LPGA membership, with the top 20 finishers earning full status for 2012.

To follow sco

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LPGA Qualifying Tournament Third-round Wrap

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Song Still In Driver’s Seat After Third Round Of LPGA Qualifying

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Dec. 2, 2011 – It was a scramble today, but Christine Song held on to the lead after three rounds of the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament.
 
Song carded her second consecutive round of 2-under 70 to build a five-shot lead of 10-under 206 at LPGA International. Playing on the Champions Course, Song carded five birdies and three bogeys in today’s heavy wind, but said it wasn’t always pretty.
 
“I was scrambling so much today,” said Song, 20, of Fullerton, Calif. “My shots weren’t very good and my chipping and putting were so-so, but I got it done.”
 
Song scraped out pars on three of her last four holes. On No. 15 on the Champions Course, her second shot flew 30 yards over the green and she chipped to 10 feet to save par. She nearly hit her drive into a water hazard on No. 16, but chipped to six feet to get up and down for par. And then on the par-three 17th hole, she chunked her tee shot, barely making it over a water hazard and chipped to one foot.
 
Third-year pro Jennie Lee of Henderson, Nev., moved into second place with a 3-under 69 in today’s round on the Champions Course. She holds a two-shot cushion at 5-under 211 over amateur Stephanie Kono of Honolulu, Hawaii, who struggled today with a 3-over 75 in the same pairing as Song and Lee. Kono dropped into a tie for third at 3-under 213 with Jacqui Concolino (71) of Orlando, Fla., who also played on the Champions Course.
 
“I putted really well today and my short game was good,” said Lee, 25, who was a member of the Duke University team that won the 2007 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship on the Legends Course at LPGA International. “I have some good memories here.”
 
Lee rolled in four birdies and had one bogey today, while Kono went the other way with six bogeys and three birdies.
 
“My ball striking just wasn’t very solid, so I need to go try to figure it out on the range,” said Kono, a senior at UCLA and a three-time first-team All-American for the Bruins. “Fortunately, there are two more rounds to go.”
 
As maybe the surprise player of the week, Concolino, who was a top player at Vanderbilt University, used her physical strength in today’s windy conditions. In the wind, the 5-foot-8 pro eagled the par-five 13th hole on the Champions Course with a driver and 3-wood from 235 yards to eight feet, making the putt.
 
“That was the shot of the day,” said Concolino, 24, who has caddied for the last 1 ½ years at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando after suffering “burn-out” in golf. “I made a few really good putts.”
 
Former Purdue University standout Junthima (“Numa”) Gulyanamitta of Rayong, Thailand, posted a score of 2-under 70 to move from a tie for 12th to fifth at 2-under 214. The younger sister of former LPGA Tour member Russy Gulyanamitta, who is caddying this week, carded three birdies and one bogey today on the Legends Course to climb the leaderboard.
 
Thailand’s Thidapa (“Jasmine”) Suwannapura also made a move today on the Legends Course. She charged from a tie for 37th into a tie for sixth at even-par 216 with rounds of 68-80-68 to move alongside Paola Moreno (72) of Cali, Colombia, and Dori Carter (71) of Valdosta, Ga.
 
Seven players are tied for ninth at one-over 217, including Canadians Maude-Aimee Leblanc (71) of Sherbrooke, Canada, and Stephanie Sherlock (72) of Barrie, Ontario.
 
Five players are under par after three rounds, with eight

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LPGA Qualifying Tournament – Stage III Second-round wrap

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Christine Song Maintains Lead After LPGA Qualifying Second Round

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Dec. 1, 2011 – Christine Song and Stephanie Kono held their respective positions on the leaderboard following today’s second round of the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament.
 
Song of Fullerton, Calif., carded a 2-under 70 today to maintain her lead with a two-stroke cushion over Kono at 8-under 136.
 
Kono, a UCLA senior of Honolulu, Hawaii, posted a one-under score of 71 to remain in second place at 6-under 138. Both played on the Legends Course at LPGA International in today’s second round.
 
"The wind was tough today and when it was blowing, it was really blowing," said Song, 20, a second-year LPGA Tour member.
 
Cooler temperatures and gusting winds allowed for fewer sub-par scores on either the Legends or Champions courses at LPGA International. Nobody scored in the 60s today and only four players carded rounds of 70 – the day’s low score.
 
"The wind picked up on the back nine, where it was definitely a two-club wind at times," said Kono, 22, a senior at UCLA. "This is not an easy course and with the wind, it’s a beast. Even par is a really good score here."
 
Song recorded three birdies and one bogey in today’s round, hitting an 88-yard wedge to two feet on the Legends’ 18th hole to save par.
 
On the same hole a few groups later, and with a 20-mph wind gusting in her face, Kono laced a 5-wood 175 yards to one foot on the 18th hole to finish with a birdie. She recorded four birdies and three bogeys in her round.
 
"Bogeys are going to happen here, and if you’re not paying attention, it can get away from you fast," added Kono, a three-time, first-team All-American for the Bruins.
 
Tied for third at 2-under 142 is the trio of Jacqui Concolino (72) of Orlando, Fla., Rebecca Durham (71) of St. Simon Island, Ga., and Jennie Lee (71) of Henderson, Nev.
 
Six players are tied for sixth at one-under 143, including 2007 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion and current LPGA tour member Mariajo Uribe of Bucamaranga, Colombia, who played at even-par 72 today on the Legends Course.
 
Eleven players are under par after the opening round, with a total of 14 players at even-par 144 or better.

The third round will begin Friday at 9 a.m., Eastern Time.
 
A field of 139 players are in this week’s event, hoping to either earn membership or improve their current member status for the 2012 LPGA Tour. Sectional qualifiers, along with current LPGA Tour members attempting to improve their status for 2012, are in the field. In addition, players finishing Nos. 6-10, and the next top 10 players on the 2011 LPGA Futures Tour money list (who do not already have LPGA status), are also in the field.
 
The five-round qualifier will cut to the low 70 players and ties after 72 holes. Those players making the cut will compete in the final round on the Champions Course.
 
Players finishing 1st through 40th, including ties, will receive 2012 LPGA membership.
 
To follow scores of these and other contestants throughout the week, visit LPGA.com.
 
Contact: Lisa D. Mickey, LPGA communications, 386-274-6216, or lisa.mickey@lpga.c

Full Article: LPGA.com News & Entertainment

LPGA Qualifying Tournament – Stage III First-round wrap

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Christine Song Leads After Opening Round At LPGA Qualifying

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Nov. 30, 2011 – Christine Song of Fullerton, Calif., grabbed the first-round lead at 6-under 66 today at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament.

The Orlando resident, who practices out of LPGA International, birdied her last three holes on the Champions Course and turned in a score that featured six birdies on her final nine holes. Song said a three-putt bogey on No. 2, her 11th hole, “woke up” her putter.

“That three-putt bogey got my head back together and after that, I went crazy,” said Song, 20, a second-year LPGA Tour member.

Song leads by one shot over UCLA senior Stephanie Kono of Honolulu, Hawaii, who carded a 5-under 67 in her opening round.

In third place is Thidapa (“Jasmine”) Suwannapura of Bangkok, Thailand at 4-under 68. All three of the leaders played on the Champions Course today at LPGA International.

“I know these courses, so it’s kind of like my playground here,” said Song, who finished 126th on the LPGA’s 2011 Official Money List, earning LPGA status through the LPGA Futures Tour.

While Song struggled with putting early in the round, Kono said her ball striking was lacking at the start of her round today. Starting on the back nine of the Champions Course, Kono recorded pars on holes 10 through 17, and didn’t roll in her first birdie until she drained a 12-footer on No. 18.

Kono bogeyed No. 2 after she failed to get up and down for par from a bunker. But the three-time, first-team All-American at UCLA rolled in birdies on her next three holes from three feet, 12 feet and one foot, and then capped off her round with birdies on her last two holes to draw within a shot of the lead.

“It feels good to get off to a solid start, but I have to stay patient,” said Kono, who turned 22 last Sunday. “There are still a lot of holes to play.”

Brittany Johnston of Akron, Ohio got to five under through 17 holes on the Legends Course at LPGA International today, but took a double-bogey 6 on the 18th hole when she missed the green on the right. A 2011 tournament winner on the LPGA Futures Tour, Johnston was forced to chip from heavy rough bordering the treeline. She finished at 3-under 69 for the best score from the Legends Course out of the top 15 scores in today’s round.

Eight players are tied for fifth at 2-under 70, including Ginger Howard of Bradenton, Fla., medalist at the LPGA’s Stage II Qualifying Tournament in Venice, Fla. Daytona State College alumna Mitsuki Katahira of Kawasaki City, Japan, previously the top-ranked woman amateur in the world, also finished in that group.

Twenty-four players are under par after the opening round, with a total of 36 players at even-par 72 or better.

A field of 139 players are in this week’s event, hoping to either earn membership or improve their current member status for the 2012 LPGA Tour. Sectional qualifiers, along with current LPGA Tour members attempting to improve their status for 2012, are in the field. In addition, players finishing Nos. 6-10, and the next top 10 players on the 2011 LPGA Futures Tour money list (who do not already have LPGA status), are also in the field.

The five-round qualifier will cut to the low 70 players and ties after 72 holes. Those players making the cut will compete in the final round on the Champions Course.

Players finishing 1st through 40th, including ties, will receive 2012 LPGA membership.

To follow scores of these and other contestants throughout the week, visit LPGA.com.

Contact: Lisa D. Mickey, LPGA communications, 386-274-6216, or lisa.mick

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Jenny Suh Hopes To Improve Status At LPGA Qualifying

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Jenny Suh Hopes To Improve Status At LPGA Qualifying

Jenny Suh was one of 28 rookies this season on the LPGA Tour. And in her first year on the LPGA, Suh’s year was one with distinct highs and lows.

The highlight was defeating Juli Inkster in head-to-head match play at the Sybase Match Play Championship, where Suh finished tied for 17th.

The low came when the former University of Alabama All-American missed the cut in six of her last seven events.

A tournament winner on the LPGA Futures Tour who has experienced the grind of the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament, Suh believes her experience heading into this week’s Q-school will be beneficial. Even the ups and downs of 2011 can provide perspective about the five rounds ahead of her this week.

“It takes some experience to get used to Q-school,” said Suh, 26, who finished 120th on the LPGA’s 2011 money list. “I know these golf courses. I know what this week is going to be like. I know it’s a long, grueling week and I’m going to save my energy and save my emotions for when it counts.”

Suh also supplemented her 2011 LPGA schedule with seven tournaments on the LPGA Futures Tour. She finished second at the Futures Tour’s 2011 Alliance Bank Golf Classic in Syracuse, N.Y. — a tournament she won in 2009.

Admittedly, the Virginia native wanted to avoid returning to Q-school, but since she is here, she allows that the blow of having to return is softened by the fact that she currently has LPGA status for 2012.

“It’s a reassuring feeling to still have some LPGA status for next year, but I’m here to improve that,” said Suh. “Everyone performs better when they know they have a little cushion. I’ve never had that coming into Q-school before this year.”

Suh guesses she has played both the Legends and Champions courses at LPGA International “more than 25 times,” so she feels prepared for the 90-hole marathon of Q-school. But she shakes her head as she has watched some of the younger pros in this week’s tournament field make the rookie error of trying to cram in too many practice rounds to prep for the tournament.

“Some of the players who are in their first year have played five or six practice rounds and just as the tournament is starting, they’re going to be tired,” said Suh, a member of the 2006 U.S. Curtis Cup team and the winner of the 2006 Women’s North and South Amateur Championship. “This tournament is all about pacing yourself.”

But what about the stress of Q-school and trying to earn, save or improve 2012 LPGA Tour membership?

“I wish that saying I’ve played well on this course is going to help me here this week,” said Suh. “I’m treating it like any other week, only it’s five rounds. And five rounds is a lot of golf.”

By Lisa D. Mickey

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LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament First-round pairings

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LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament
LPGA International
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Pairings: First Round

Champions Course
Tee/Group Time Player Hometown  
1st / #1 9:00 am Jennie Lee Henderson, Nev.
    Ashley Knoll The Woodlands, Texas
    Nicole Hage Coral Springs, Fla.
       
10th / #2 9:00 am Tanya Dergal Durango, Mexico
    Carlota Ciganda Larrainzar, Spain
    Esther Choe Scottsdale, Ariz.
       
1st / #3 9:11 am Stacey Miller Bloomington, Ill.
    Laura Martin West Chester, Ohio
    Katy Harris Houston, Texas
       
10th / #4 9:11 am Christine Song Fullerton, Calif.
    Jessi Gebhardt Bellingham, Wash.
    Jasi Acharya Columbus, Mont.
       
1st / #5 9:22 am Sophia Sheridan Guadalajara, Mexico
    Fiona Puyo (a) France
    Jodi Ewart North Yorkshire, England
       
10th / #6 9:22 am Tracy Stanford Midland, Texas
    Danielle Kang Thousand Oaks, Calif.
    Cara Freeman San Tan Valley, Ariz.
       
1st / #7 9:33 am Hannah Yun Bradenton, Fla.
    Ginger Howard Bradenton, Fla.
    Laura Crawford Lancaster, S.C.
       
10th / #8 9:33 am Angela Oh Baltimore, Md.
    Benedikte Grotvedt Nesbru, Norway
    Alexandra Braga Pleasanton, Calif.
       
1st / #9 9:44 am Rebecca Lee-Benth

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LPGA Qualifying Tournament-Stage II Final round results

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Final round scores Friday
in the LPGA Tour’s
LPGA Qualifying Tournament – Stage II
at the 6490-yard, par 36-36 – 72, Bobcat Course,
6226-yard, par 36-36 – 72, Panther Course, Plantation Golf & Country Club,Venice
(a-denotes amateur):

— Top 70 and Ties Advance to the Stage III Qualifying Tournament —
1 Ginger Howard; (Bradenton, Fla.) 69-70-68-65 – 272 (-16)
 		 

 

2 Julia Boland (a)  (Tamworth, Australia) 73-67-67-66 – 273 (-15)
  		 

 

3  Stephanie Na   (Adelaide, Australia) 70-66-72-72 – 280 (-8)
  		 

 

T4  Nicole Vandermade (a)   (Brantford, Canada) 74-72-69-66 – 281 (-7)
  		 
   Jacqui Concolino   (Orlando, Fla.) 69-74-70-68 – 281 (-7)
  		 
   Lizette Salas   (Azusa, Calif.) 69-69-72-71 – 281 (-7)
  		 
   Thidapa Suwannapura   (Bangkok, Thailand) 70-71-66-74 – 281 (-7)
  		 

 

T8  Mitsuki Katahira   (Kawasaki City, Japan) 70-74-71-68 – 283 (-5)
  		 
   Lili Alvarez   (Durango, Mexico) 70-71-72-70 – 283 (-5)
  		 
   Camilla Lennarth (a)   (Stockholm, Sweden) 72-70-69-72 – 283 (-5)
  		 
   Stephanie Connelly   (Pasadena, Md.) 69-73-68-73 – 283 (-5)
  		 
   Hannah Yun   (Bradenton, Fla.) 68-71-71-73 – 283 (-5)
  		 

 

T13  Benedikte Grotvedt   (Nesbru, Norway) 71-75-69-69 – 284 (-4)
  		 
   Shayna Miyajima   (Maui, Hawaii) 70-71-71-72 – 284 (-4)