FRANCE'S BOINEAU SETS PACE AT SYMETRA CLASSIC IN NORTH CAROLINA
FROM THE LPGA SYMETRA TOUR WEBSITE
France native Isabelle Boineau fired the low-round of the day at 5-under 67 to take the first-round lead at the Symetra Classic in Charlotte, North Carolina
Sweden’s Caroline Westrup, Argentina’s Martina Gavier and Michigan State’s Laura Kueny trail Boineau by one stroke heading into Friday’s second round.
Boineau, who is a rookie on the Symetra Tour this year, produced a blemish-free round on Friday opening with three consecutive birdies on the front nine, with two more following on the back nine. With 26 putts on the Raintree Country Club, Boineau said her comfort on the greens helped her deliver a flawless round.
“I made everything under 9-feet,” said Boineau. “I would just get on the green and be so confident then make the putts. I started well with a birdie on two then on three with making a chip off the green. I wasn’t very confident about the chip but it was perfect, it went in. Then the next par-5 I made a birdie again so I was 3-under after four but I tried not to think about it and just keep on playing. I didn’t hit or strike the ball very well but I just tried to hit my safe zones and the putting was really well.”
Westrup tee’d off on the No. 10 tee this morning and carded six-straight pars before her first birdie came on the par-5 16th hole. She made the turn after carding a bogey on the par-3 18th hole but it didn’t take long for her to shake off a three-putt.
“I was in between two clubs there and I hit the longer one,” said Westrup said of the 18th hole. “I ended up long and had a really hard putt sliding down grain and downhill. I feel like I should have been under on the front nine but I missed a lot of birdie putts. But I came back on one and made a 30-footer for birdie.”
Gavier got off to a hot start on Thursday posting four birdies and an eagle on the par-4 9th hole to put her at 6-under before the turn. But three bogeys coming on Nos. 11, 13, and 15 cost her an outright lead on the day-one. A birdie on the par-4 17th hole brought her to a tie for second along with Westrup and Kueny at 4-under 68.
Gavier said the excitement on the front nine caused her to feel pressure heading into the back nine.
“When I start playing well, I get a little anxious and get a little nervous,” said Gavier. “I’m trying to learn again to stay in the moment and just take it one shot at a time. I got a little frustrated so I lost focus and my energy went down but my caddy really helped me to get my focus and energy back.”
Kueny can’t complain after a carding four birdies on her front nine, but couldn’t quite drop the birdie putts on the back nine. With no bogeys or birdies on the back nine, Kueny says she’s content with her round after catching a few breaks.
“I started out with a birdie on the first hole so that set the tone for the rest of the day,” said Kueny. “I actually had a lot of great misses and bounces today that I took advantage of. I had 28 putts, so the putter was rolling pretty nicely especially on the front nine but on the back nine I had 9 straight pars. They were all stress-free too so that was nice. Overall, I felt really comfortable today and felt pretty solid and relaxed.”
Sitting two-strokes off Boineau’s lead is a group of five that include Brianna Do, Tiffany Joh, Blair O’Neal, Katie Kempter and Alena Sharp.
From Point A to Point B… Every Symetra Tour player tee’s it up at the beginning of the year with one goal in mind, to make it to the LPGA Tour. While Isabelle Boineau (@IsabelleBoineau) shares the same dream, she is also aware of the process it takes to achieve her lifelong goal.
“The goal is the LPGA but it’s just a goal,” said Boineau. “You have to think about the process, it’s not ‘oh my goal is to make it to the LPGA so I’m going to get there.’”
A graduate of the University of Arizona, Boineau has relied heavily on the Point A method introduced by her by her coach, Susie Meyers. The technique is designed to help her stay in the present and remain focused on the process at hand.
A four-time winner in collegiate competition, Boineau’s professional game has blossomed in recent months as she is coming off a runner-up finish at the Guardian Retirement Championship at Sara Bay where she lost in a two-hole playoff to Christine Song. While Boineau is beaming from her recent success, she remains focused with the Point A method as there are still 11 tournaments remaining on this year’s Symetra Tour schedule.
“I just need to think about Point A and stay in the present all the time and shot after shot,” said Boinean. “If I play well then I’m going to get there but if I don’t then we’ll see. There are still a lot of tournaments to go. I’m not thinking like oh yeah, I’ve been playing well for two weeks; I’m going to make it. I’m still in the process, I don’t want to think ahead and get too excited because when I get too excited I make mistakes.”
Boineau is a rookie on this year’s Symetra Tour and after carding a 5-under 67 during the first-round of the Symetra Classic, she admitted the tour has far exceed her expectations.
“It’s been fun, I like it,” said Boineau. “I mean, I want to get to the LPGA as soon as I can, that’s the goal but it’s a really good tour. It’s actually a lot better than what I thought it was. Through the years the Symetra Tour has grown and gets a lot of good players.”
A Familiar Place. At the end of first-round play of the Symetra Classic, Caroline Westrup found herself in a position that produces a certain incentive that helps her maintain a competitive mindset. The Florida State University alum, who won five tournaments as a Seminole, says she seems enjoys chasing the lead.
“A lot of my wins I had in college I was not leading into the final round,” said Westrup. “Sometimes I was even three-stroke behind but you know I always thought it was doable, possible. I don’t think I was actually leading one tournament in tournament, and I won five. I like to be behind. I think it’s easier because you’re not the one being chased.”
Westrup, a proclaimed leaderboard watcher, says she tends to take more risks when she’s fighting for the lead.
“I like to know where I’m at on the leaderboard,” said Westrup. “Like on 18 I looked to see where I was at and if I see I’m one stroke behind the lead I’m going to go straight at the pin and not play it safe.”
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France native Isabelle Boineau fired the low-round of the day at 5-under 67 to take the first-round lead at the Symetra Classic in Charlotte, North Carolina
Sweden’s Caroline Westrup, Argentina’s Martina Gavier and Michigan State’s Laura Kueny trail Boineau by one stroke heading into Friday’s second round.
Boineau, who is a rookie on the Symetra Tour this year, produced a blemish-free round on Friday opening with three consecutive birdies on the front nine, with two more following on the back nine. With 26 putts on the Raintree Country Club, Boineau said her comfort on the greens helped her deliver a flawless round.
“I made everything under 9-feet,” said Boineau. “I would just get on the green and be so confident then make the putts. I started well with a birdie on two then on three with making a chip off the green. I wasn’t very confident about the chip but it was perfect, it went in. Then the next par-5 I made a birdie again so I was 3-under after four but I tried not to think about it and just keep on playing. I didn’t hit or strike the ball very well but I just tried to hit my safe zones and the putting was really well.”
Westrup tee’d off on the No. 10 tee this morning and carded six-straight pars before her first birdie came on the par-5 16th hole. She made the turn after carding a bogey on the par-3 18th hole but it didn’t take long for her to shake off a three-putt.
“I was in between two clubs there and I hit the longer one,” said Westrup said of the 18th hole. “I ended up long and had a really hard putt sliding down grain and downhill. I feel like I should have been under on the front nine but I missed a lot of birdie putts. But I came back on one and made a 30-footer for birdie.”
Gavier got off to a hot start on Thursday posting four birdies and an eagle on the par-4 9th hole to put her at 6-under before the turn. But three bogeys coming on Nos. 11, 13, and 15 cost her an outright lead on the day-one. A birdie on the par-4 17th hole brought her to a tie for second along with Westrup and Kueny at 4-under 68.
Gavier said the excitement on the front nine caused her to feel pressure heading into the back nine.
“When I start playing well, I get a little anxious and get a little nervous,” said Gavier. “I’m trying to learn again to stay in the moment and just take it one shot at a time. I got a little frustrated so I lost focus and my energy went down but my caddy really helped me to get my focus and energy back.”
Kueny can’t complain after a carding four birdies on her front nine, but couldn’t quite drop the birdie putts on the back nine. With no bogeys or birdies on the back nine, Kueny says she’s content with her round after catching a few breaks.
“I started out with a birdie on the first hole so that set the tone for the rest of the day,” said Kueny. “I actually had a lot of great misses and bounces today that I took advantage of. I had 28 putts, so the putter was rolling pretty nicely especially on the front nine but on the back nine I had 9 straight pars. They were all stress-free too so that was nice. Overall, I felt really comfortable today and felt pretty solid and relaxed.”
Sitting two-strokes off Boineau’s lead is a group of five that include Brianna Do, Tiffany Joh, Blair O’Neal, Katie Kempter and Alena Sharp.
From Point A to Point B… Every Symetra Tour player tee’s it up at the beginning of the year with one goal in mind, to make it to the LPGA Tour. While Isabelle Boineau (@IsabelleBoineau) shares the same dream, she is also aware of the process it takes to achieve her lifelong goal.
“The goal is the LPGA but it’s just a goal,” said Boineau. “You have to think about the process, it’s not ‘oh my goal is to make it to the LPGA so I’m going to get there.’”
A graduate of the University of Arizona, Boineau has relied heavily on the Point A method introduced by her by her coach, Susie Meyers. The technique is designed to help her stay in the present and remain focused on the process at hand.
A four-time winner in collegiate competition, Boineau’s professional game has blossomed in recent months as she is coming off a runner-up finish at the Guardian Retirement Championship at Sara Bay where she lost in a two-hole playoff to Christine Song. While Boineau is beaming from her recent success, she remains focused with the Point A method as there are still 11 tournaments remaining on this year’s Symetra Tour schedule.
“I just need to think about Point A and stay in the present all the time and shot after shot,” said Boinean. “If I play well then I’m going to get there but if I don’t then we’ll see. There are still a lot of tournaments to go. I’m not thinking like oh yeah, I’ve been playing well for two weeks; I’m going to make it. I’m still in the process, I don’t want to think ahead and get too excited because when I get too excited I make mistakes.”
Boineau is a rookie on this year’s Symetra Tour and after carding a 5-under 67 during the first-round of the Symetra Classic, she admitted the tour has far exceed her expectations.
“It’s been fun, I like it,” said Boineau. “I mean, I want to get to the LPGA as soon as I can, that’s the goal but it’s a really good tour. It’s actually a lot better than what I thought it was. Through the years the Symetra Tour has grown and gets a lot of good players.”
A Familiar Place. At the end of first-round play of the Symetra Classic, Caroline Westrup found herself in a position that produces a certain incentive that helps her maintain a competitive mindset. The Florida State University alum, who won five tournaments as a Seminole, says she seems enjoys chasing the lead.
“A lot of my wins I had in college I was not leading into the final round,” said Westrup. “Sometimes I was even three-stroke behind but you know I always thought it was doable, possible. I don’t think I was actually leading one tournament in tournament, and I won five. I like to be behind. I think it’s easier because you’re not the one being chased.”
Westrup, a proclaimed leaderboard watcher, says she tends to take more risks when she’s fighting for the lead.
“I like to know where I’m at on the leaderboard,” said Westrup. “Like on 18 I looked to see where I was at and if I see I’m one stroke behind the lead I’m going to go straight at the pin and not play it safe.”
TO CHECK OUT ALL THE FIRST ROUND SCORES
CLICK HERE
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