Defending champion Vikki Laing started with a 76 in the Gettysburg championship. Pamela Feggans had a 74 and Brenda McLarnon an 80. Scroll down for the complete list of scores.
Brown, Tucker Share Lead After
First Round In Gettysburg
DURAMED FUTURES TOUR PRESS RELEASE
GETTYSBURG, Pa., Aug. 22, 2008 - Rookie Sara Brown of Tucson, Ariz., and Tour winner Kristina Tucker of Stockholm, Sweden, each carded a 4-under-par 68 to share a one-stroke lead after today's first round of the $100,000 Gettysburg Championship.
Six players are one stroke back at 3-under-par 69 in Briana Vega of Andover, Md., Lisa Ferrero of Lodi, Calif., and Jin Young Pak of Kang Leung, South Korea, Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ontario, rookie Kylene Pulley of Kokomo, Ind., and Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C.
Last week, Brown equaled her career-best finish by tying for third at the Greater Richmond Duramed FUTURES Classic. She also tied for third back in June in her second professional event at the Duramed FUTURES Tour's major championship in Decatur, Ill.
Brown bounced back today from a three-putt bogey on her second hole with a 10-foot eagle putt on the fourth hole. She added two birdies on the back nine, hit 13 fairways and needed only 28 putts.
"I hit driver to 6-iron, but I kind of cheated a little and used the cart path to get some extra roll," said a smiling Brown about setting up for eagle on No. 4.
The former All-American at Michigan State University welcomed her brother, Josh, back as caddie. They were reunited for the first time since The Duramed Championship in Mason, Ohio. Brown's mother was on the bag last week in Richmond, Va., as she closed out the inaugural event with back-to-back rounds of 4-under-par 68.
"I've been hitting the ball well again," Brown said. "My putting was awesome today and I was able to putt nine times within 15 feet even though I made only four -- but one was an eagle."
Brown and Tucker echoed many players' sentiments of a tricky pin location on the par-3, third hole. Brown carefully observed her playing partners on that hole, watching as their respective putts trickled past the hole on a treacherous slope. Rather than putting off the green and having to putt back up the slope, Brown drained her first birdie of the day.
"I was directly above the pin dreading a two-foot downhill putt," Brown said.
Tucker earned her first win on the Duramed FUTURES Tour at the El Paso Golf Classic earlier this season. She was equally effective with the putter today, finishing her round with just 29 putts. The fifth-year professional gave credit to her husband, Paul Tucker, for helping reading the greens and being a calming influence on the course.
"My putting was good today," Tucker said. "I've been struggling in the last few tournaments and to get 29 putts on these greens makes me very happy."
Tucker continues to sit on the bubble in the Tour's top 10 of the season money list, coming into Gettysburg ranked 13th.
"I've been thinking about it, but there's nothing I can do except go out there and play my best," Tucker said.
Vega also had an adventure on the third hole, sitting three feet above the hole with a chance at birdie. Her birdie putt rolled back 15 feet below the hole, but she was able to save par going back uphill.
"I thought the greens were drying out, so it was a big advantage to play in the morning," Vega said. "I didn't do anything crazy today and I was able to make some short putts."
Coming into Gettysburg ranked fourth on the season money list, Pak was tied with Brown for the lead at 4-under par through 17 holes before she settled for a three-putt bogey on her final hole.
"I was really happy with my score until my last hole," Pak said. "I thought I played good on the back nine, but the greens were really fast."
Ferrero made five consecutive birdies on the front nine after opening today's round with two bogeys in her first three holes.
"My sponsors keep telling me that my scorecard looks like a coloring book because of all that red, green and black," said Ferrero, who has finished in the top 10 in three of the Tour's last four events. "I just told myself after the bogey on three, 'I'm in big trouble if I don't get things turned around in a hurry'."
Ferrero responded with a 10-foot birdie putt on the fourth hole and made a 25-foot putt for birdie on No. 5. From there, she converted three straight birdie putts within 10 feet.
Second-round play begins Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. off the first and 10th tees.
For real-time scoring and more information, visit www.duramedfuturestour.com.
Brown, Tucker Share Lead After
First Round In Gettysburg
DURAMED FUTURES TOUR PRESS RELEASE
GETTYSBURG, Pa., Aug. 22, 2008 - Rookie Sara Brown of Tucson, Ariz., and Tour winner Kristina Tucker of Stockholm, Sweden, each carded a 4-under-par 68 to share a one-stroke lead after today's first round of the $100,000 Gettysburg Championship.
Six players are one stroke back at 3-under-par 69 in Briana Vega of Andover, Md., Lisa Ferrero of Lodi, Calif., and Jin Young Pak of Kang Leung, South Korea, Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ontario, rookie Kylene Pulley of Kokomo, Ind., and Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C.
Last week, Brown equaled her career-best finish by tying for third at the Greater Richmond Duramed FUTURES Classic. She also tied for third back in June in her second professional event at the Duramed FUTURES Tour's major championship in Decatur, Ill.
Brown bounced back today from a three-putt bogey on her second hole with a 10-foot eagle putt on the fourth hole. She added two birdies on the back nine, hit 13 fairways and needed only 28 putts.
"I hit driver to 6-iron, but I kind of cheated a little and used the cart path to get some extra roll," said a smiling Brown about setting up for eagle on No. 4.
The former All-American at Michigan State University welcomed her brother, Josh, back as caddie. They were reunited for the first time since The Duramed Championship in Mason, Ohio. Brown's mother was on the bag last week in Richmond, Va., as she closed out the inaugural event with back-to-back rounds of 4-under-par 68.
"I've been hitting the ball well again," Brown said. "My putting was awesome today and I was able to putt nine times within 15 feet even though I made only four -- but one was an eagle."
Brown and Tucker echoed many players' sentiments of a tricky pin location on the par-3, third hole. Brown carefully observed her playing partners on that hole, watching as their respective putts trickled past the hole on a treacherous slope. Rather than putting off the green and having to putt back up the slope, Brown drained her first birdie of the day.
"I was directly above the pin dreading a two-foot downhill putt," Brown said.
Tucker earned her first win on the Duramed FUTURES Tour at the El Paso Golf Classic earlier this season. She was equally effective with the putter today, finishing her round with just 29 putts. The fifth-year professional gave credit to her husband, Paul Tucker, for helping reading the greens and being a calming influence on the course.
"My putting was good today," Tucker said. "I've been struggling in the last few tournaments and to get 29 putts on these greens makes me very happy."
Tucker continues to sit on the bubble in the Tour's top 10 of the season money list, coming into Gettysburg ranked 13th.
"I've been thinking about it, but there's nothing I can do except go out there and play my best," Tucker said.
Vega also had an adventure on the third hole, sitting three feet above the hole with a chance at birdie. Her birdie putt rolled back 15 feet below the hole, but she was able to save par going back uphill.
"I thought the greens were drying out, so it was a big advantage to play in the morning," Vega said. "I didn't do anything crazy today and I was able to make some short putts."
Coming into Gettysburg ranked fourth on the season money list, Pak was tied with Brown for the lead at 4-under par through 17 holes before she settled for a three-putt bogey on her final hole.
"I was really happy with my score until my last hole," Pak said. "I thought I played good on the back nine, but the greens were really fast."
Ferrero made five consecutive birdies on the front nine after opening today's round with two bogeys in her first three holes.
"My sponsors keep telling me that my scorecard looks like a coloring book because of all that red, green and black," said Ferrero, who has finished in the top 10 in three of the Tour's last four events. "I just told myself after the bogey on three, 'I'm in big trouble if I don't get things turned around in a hurry'."
Ferrero responded with a 10-foot birdie putt on the fourth hole and made a 25-foot putt for birdie on No. 5. From there, she converted three straight birdie putts within 10 feet.
Second-round play begins Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. off the first and 10th tees.
For real-time scoring and more information, visit www.duramedfuturestour.com.
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | 8:22:00 am
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