SYMETRA TOUR (formerly Futures Tour) SCOREBOARD

Final round scores and money Sunday in the Symetra Tour's $100,000
Eagle Classic Presented by Dynamic Brands
at the 6292-yard, par 36-36 - 72
Richmond Country Club, Richmond, Va. (a-denotes amateur):

1 Paola Moreno (Colombia) 72-66-69 - 207   $15,000
2 Jenny Gleason (Florida)   67-71-70 - 208   $9,392
T3 Hannah Jun (Florida)   73-71-67 - 211   $5,478
T3 Sara Brown (Arizona)   70-70-71 - 211   $5,478
T3 Jenny Suh (Virginia)    68-70-73 - 211   $5,478
T6 Thidapa Suwannapura 74-70-68 - 212   $3,033
T6 Sara Maude Juneau (Can) 70-70-72 - 212   $3,033
T6 Brooke Pancake (Tenn.)  69-69-74 - 212   $3,033
9 Jean Chua (Malaysia)       73-69-71 - 213   $2,354
10 Jaclyn Sweeney (Florida) 74-71-69 - 214   $2,150
T11 Daniela Iacobelli (Fla)  71-73-71 - 215   $1,721
T11 Paz Echeverria (Chile)  70-73-72 - 215  $1,721    T11 Therese Koelbaek (Den)71-72-72 -215 $1,721    
T11 Misun Cho (South Korea)73-70-72 - 215 $1,721
T11 Rachel Connor (Eng) 71-70-74 - 215   $1,721
T11 Kelly Jacques (Colorado)71-70-74 - 215   $1,721

T17  Cara Freeman (Chandler, Arizona)             74-71-71 - 216   $1,353
     Angela Buzminski (Oshawa, Ontario)           71-73-72 - 216   $1,353
     Laura Kueny (Whitehall, Mich.)               72-71-73 - 216   $1,353

T20  Andy Jun (Asuncion, Paraguay)                73-72-72 - 217   $1,218
     Jessica Speechley (Perth, Australia)         72-72-73 - 217   $1,218
     Emma Jandel (Dayton, Ohio)                   72-71-74 - 217   $1,218

T23  Mary Narzisi (Omaha, Neb.)                   75-72-71 - 218   $1,097
     Juliana Murcia Ortiz (Bogota, Colombia)      74-72-72 - 218   $1,097
     Tracy Stanford (Midland, Texas)              72-73-73 - 218   $1,097

T26  Katie Burnett (Brunswick, Ga.)               75-74-70 - 219   $988
     Julia Boland (Tamworth, NSW, Australia)      72-74-73 - 219   $988
     Nicole Smith (Riverside, Calif.)             77-69-73 - 219   $988

T29  Mi Hyang Lee (Incheon, South Korea)          73-76-71 - 220   $826
     Kristie Smith (Perth, Australia)             76-73-71 - 220   $826
     Martina Gavier (Cordoba, Argentina)          78-71-71 - 220   $826
     Sofie Andersson (Angelholm, Sweden)          75-73-72 - 220   $826
     Seul-Ki Park (Northbrook, Ill.)              74-72-74 - 220   $826
     Selanee Henderson (Temecula, Calif.)         71-74-75 - 220   $826
     Tzu-Chi Lin (Chinese Taipei)                 71-72-77 - 220   $826

T36  Lili Alvarez (Durango, Mexico)               72-76-73 - 221   $631
     Stefanie Kenoyer (Lighthouse Point, Fla.)    73-74-74 - 221   $631
     Erica Moston (Belmont, Calif.)               81-67-73 - 221   $631
     Nikki Hadd (Crestview, Fla.)                 73-73-75 - 221   $631
     Aimee Neff (Carmel, Ind.)                    68-77-76 - 221   $631
     Rachael Schmidt (Elk River, Minn.)           75-71-75 - 221   $631
     Alejandra Llaneza (Mexico City, Mexico)      74-71-76 - 221   $631
     Moah Chang (Los Angeles, Calif.)             70-74-77 - 221   $631

T44  P.K. Kongkraphan (Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand70-79-73 - 222   $457
     Ashley Medders-Barnes (Alma, Ga.)            75-74-73 - 222   $457
     Shasta Averyhardt (Flint, Mich.)             75-74-73 - 222   $457
     Calle Nielson (Nashville, Tenn.)             77-72-73 - 222   $457
     Victoria Alimonda Lovelady (Sao Paulo, Brazil74-74-74 - 222   $457
     Tara Goedeken (Dodge City, Kan.)             76-72-74 - 222   $457
     Lisa Maunu (St. Thomas, Ontario)             76-72-74 - 222   $457
     Alice H. Kim (Walnut, Calif.)                72-75-75 - 222   $457
     Saehee Son (Seoul, South Korea)              75-72-75 - 222   $457
     Jamie Hullett (Mesquite, Texas)              73-73-76 - 222   $457
     Natalie Sheary (West Hartford, Conn.)        73-73-76 - 222   $457
     Marina Choi (Los Angeles, Calif.)            68-74-80 - 222   $457

T56  Briana Vega (Andover, Mass.)                 73-76-74 - 223   $358
     Nicole Jeray (Berwyn, Ill.)                  73-75-75 - 223   $358
     Camilla Lennarth (Stockholm, Sweden)         72-74-77 - 223   $358
     Inhong Lim (Melbourne, Australia)            77-70-76 - 223   $358
     Jennifer Hong (Granger, Ind.)                76-71-76 - 223   $358
     Sue Kim (Langley, British Columbia)          77-68-78 - 223   $358

T62  Jessy Tang (Daytona Beach, Fla.)             70-78-76 - 224   $321
     Danielle Mills (Pointe-Claire, Quebec)       73-75-76 - 224   $321
     Abby Bools (Hickory, N.C.)                   75-73-76 - 224   $321
     Hye-Joo Han (Seoul, South Korea)             77-71-76 - 224   $321
     Sara Hurwitch (Union, Ky.)                   74-70-80 - 224   $321

67   Dolores White (Lakeland, Fla.)               75-74-76 - 225   $306

T68  Jessi Gebhardt (Bellingham, Wash.)           75-74-77 - 226   $298
     Rebecca Durham (St. Simons Island, Ga.)      74-73-79 - 226   $298

70   Marcela Leon (Monterrey, Mexico)             75-74-78 - 227   $291

 --- Missed Cut ---
Stephanie Connelly, Alexandria Buelow, Laura Martin, Cathryn Bristow, Victoria Elizabeth, Whitney Neuhauser, Marissa Steen, Tiffany Tavee, Victoria Park, Laura Bavaird, Mitsuki Katahira, Taylor Collins, Valentine Derrey, Jasi Acharya, Rebecca Samuelsson, Lauren Doughtie, Benedikte Grotvedt, Christina Jones, Rhea Nair, Catherine Matranga, Marina Alex, Nannette Hill, Peiyun Chien, Joanna Coe, Ashley Tait, Heather Angell, Macarena Silva, Britney Hamilton, Jenny Kim, Sarah Brown, Katie Kempter, Maria Laura Elvira, Ginger Howard, Xyra Suyetsugu, Lisa Meldrum, Sofia Gorelik, Megan McChrystal, Ulrika Van-Niekerk, Molly Aronsson, Britney Choy, Carling Coffing, Jacey Chun, Kristin Walla, Olivia Jordan-Higgins, Laura Crawford, Michelle Shin, Jackie Barenborg, Leah Wigger, Lyberty Anderson (a), Birdie Kim, Joy Trotter, Blair O'Neal, Amy Eneroth, Jenna Pearson, Susan Martin, Libby Smith, Kristin Ingram, Brittany Johnston, Christabel Goh, Courtney Mahon, Alexandra Braga, Kendall Wright, Nicole Vandermade, Jessica Wallace, Emma De Groot, Brittany Benvenuto, Susan Choi, Jessica Carafiello, Laura Jansone, Mesha Levister, Gloriana Soto, Jae Oh, Erika Malik; WD - Eileen Vargas; DNS - Samantha Richdale

 

Paola Moreno Wins the 2012 Eagle Classic

With a final round on Sunday that was sure to produce some exciting golf, the 2012 Eagle Classic came down to the final putt to determine this year’s winner. Paola Moreno shook off a two-shot deficit on the 14^th hole to go on to birdie three out of the final four holes to clinch her second-career victory over Jenny Gleason.

Although she was an economics major at the University of Southern California, Moreno may want to get her number recognition checked.

“I honestly thought it was for a playoff,” Moreno said of her winning 8-foot putt. “I thought I checked the board and saw a nine under there and I was 8-under. I thought I needed to make that putt to get in a playoff. Then I double checked after I won, and my caddie was like ‘you won!’ And I said ‘what? No way’ So I was very excited.”

Moreno started the day tied for the lead with three others and started to separate herself from the pack with Jenny Gleason for a back-nine showdown. After carding two birdies and one bogey on the front nine, Moreno made the turn at 7-under par and one shot behind Gleason who had two birdies on Nos. 4 and 9.

Gleason went on to birdie the par 4 14^th to take a two-shot lead, but Moreno felt like she was just getting started.

“At the end of the round, that’s when my game started to get better,” said Moreno. “I was very nervous from 10 to 14. I made a great putt on 15 and then had a great shot on 16.”

Moreno had back-to-back birdies on Nos. 15 and 16 to get all square with Gleason at 9-under par but missed both the fairway and green on No. 17 for her second bogey of the day.

Heading into her final hole with Gleason in the group ahead of hers, Moreno thought she was out of contention and took an all-in attitude on the tricky par 4 18^th. She kept her eyes off the leaderboard for most of the day and when she did look at 18, she didn’t realize Gleason had bogeyed her final hole.

“I thought easy, I would get second, so I was just going for it,” said Moreno. “I thought I had nothing to lose. My approach was 160 or so to the pin and it was a really good shot. I’m just really happy.”

Moreno stuck her 5-iron shot to eight feet and had no idea the putt that awaited her was to win her second-career Symetra Tour event. She thought that it might have been a blessing that she was unsure of the pressure situation.

“I thought it wasn’t going to break that much,” said Moreno. “I was lucky to read that really well. I didn’t know it was to win.”

Moreno expressed the special timing for her victory, something that she said she really needed at this point in her career. She’s coming off a 10-start season on the LPGA Tour with only two made cuts.

“I’ve worked so hard for this,” said Moreno. “Finally my game is coming together and hopefully can play full time on the LGPA next year. It was a surprise. It’s been a challenging past two years and I’m just so happy that I won.”

She said the victory today weighed much heavier than her first back in 2010 at the Texas Hill Country Classic.

“I think it’s way more special,” said Moreno. “My first win, I was very relaxed and calm. It just came and it happened. I didn’t even realize it happened. For this won, I worked so hard to get it and accomplish this. I wanted to get in the top-10 so badly. From now on I need to keep playing and just keep doing what I’m doing.”

Kingsmill bound: With her win, Moreno will receive an exemption to the Kingsmill Championship next month in Williamsburg, Virginia and will make her third start on the LPGA Tour of the season.

Having gained entry into the fields of several LPGA Tour events this season, Moreno has found trouble balancing schedules of both  professional tours she holds membership with.

“I got into Mobile but was it was late,” said Moreno. “I decided to go home, rest and then play full time here. I got in Toledo but I decided to go to South Bend last week and it was the right thing to do. Last week was the biggest purse and I figured I would finish out the year on this tour and that’s my plan. If I have a week off, I’ll do it but otherwise I’ll stay here.”

The Colombian’s smile said it all when asked whether she would accept the exemption for the new LPGA Tour event.

“Oh yes, I’m in,” said Moreno. “I have a week off before that so I need to start making plans.”

Volvik Race for the Card Continues at the Eagle Classic: 

 The Symetra Tour’s annual "Volvik Race for the Card" continued with the conclusion of the Eagle Classic. The "Volvik Race for the Card" spotlights movement on the Tour’s 2012 season money list as players jockey for position among the top-10 money winners. Players finishing in the top-10 at the conclusion of the tournament season will earn exempt status on the 2013 LPGA Tour.

Moreno said she’s pleased with her position in the race but will continue to do what has gotten to this point. She said she realizes it’s not over just yet.

“I honestly took every tournament as ‘one more tournament, one more event’ and I was trying not to technically think about getting my card,” said Moreno. “The Race doesn’t finish this tournament. It continues throughout the whole season. If I keep doing what I’m doing, hopefully at the end of the year, I’ll get my card. I just want to play and enjoy the win.”

With her win, Moreno jumps up from No. 9 to No. 3 in the Race for the Card with $38,840 season earnings. Other notable moves in the race include this week’s runner-up Jenny Gleason who started the week at No. 17 and cureently sits at No. 6. Jenny Suh, who finished T3 jumped four spots from No. 15 to No. 11.

At the conclusion of the Eagle Classic, players in the top 10 spots on the money list are as follows:  

1. Esther Choe of Scottsdale, Ariz., $45,547; 2. Victoria Elizabeth of Dayton, Ohio, $38,885; 3. Paola Moreno of Cali, Colombia, $38,840; 4. Julia Boland of Tamworth, NSW, Australia, $34,459; 5. Leah Wigger of Louisville, Ky., $30,249; 6. Jenny Gleason of Clearwater, Fla., $30,011; 7. Sara Brown of Tucson, Ariz., $29,310; 8. Jaclyn Sweeney of Bradenton $27,384; 9. Jean Chua of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, $26,956; 10. Nicole Smith of Riverside, Calif., $26,754.

Wear and eagle, make an eagle: Players in the field this week had the opportunity to cash in on eagles they carded throughout the week at the Eagle Classic by wearing Eagle Construction hats during their rounds. The title sponsor awarded players $100 for their birdies and two players were lucky to pick up some extra cash from Eagle Construction President and CEO Bud Ohly. 

Jessi Gebhardt and Nicole Smith both eagled the par 5 12^th in the first round on Friday.Other players who received cash prizes from a drawing for players who sported the logoed hats were Natalie Sheary, Victoria Lovelady, Rachael Schmidt and Laura Crawford

Hannah Jun Wins PeakVision Sunglasses for Final Round Low Score

For her final-round low score of 5-under 67, Hannah Jun of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida was awarded a pair of PeakVision patented Dual-Zone lens sunglasses designed specifically for golfers. The “Official Sunglasses of the Symetra Tour,” PeakVision will provide sunglasses for the season-long promotion Sunday Low Round award. Jun started the day at even-par and sat six shots off the lead. Her bogey-free round with five birdies pushed the UCLA product from T17 to T3, good for her second top-10 finish in 2012. With her strong finish, she is now ranked No. 19 in the Volvik Race for the Card.