JEAN REYNOLDS TAKES ROUTE 66 TO LEAD ON SYMETRA TOUR
FROM THE LPGA SYMETRA TOUR WEBSITE
The temperature wasn’t the only thing heating-up at Beaver Meadow Golf Course as Jean Reynolds fired a first-round 6-under 66 to take the lead at the Delta Dental International.
Playing in the midst of temperatures that soared as high as the upper-90s, Reynolds recorded nine birdies and three bogeys to take a 2-stroke lead over a group of players that include Cydney Clanton, Kim Kaufman, Birdie Kim, Britney Hamilton, P.K. Kongkraphan, and Christine Song.
Reynolds, who began the day on the back-nine, wasted little time getting into the red numbers after three consecutive birdies on Nos. 11, 12, and 13. The Newnan, Georgia native remained on the birdie train, recording two additional birdies at the par-4 15th and par-4 18th.
The birdies would continue for Reynolds when she made the turn as she picked-up three more birdies at the par-5 second and back-to-back birdies beginning at the par-5 fourth.
It wasn’t until the par-3 sixth that Reynolds would record her first bogey of the day and immediate notched two additional bogeys at the par-4 seventh and par-4 eighth.
“I hit the ball close on the back-nine,” said Reynolds. “And on the front, I made a couple more birdies on the par-5 then I made three bogeys and that really annoyed me but I was able to birdie the last hole.”
The University of Georgia graduate recovered quickly from the three consecutive bogeys and finished her round in style after a birdie at the par-4 ninth.
Reynolds was forced to rely heavily on the flat stick during the opening rounds as she needed only 26 putts on a day where she wanted to make it exciting hitting only five fairways.
“All my putts were within 12-feet and in,” said Reynolds. “I didn’t hit a lot of fairways, I think I ended up with a total of five. Hitting fairways is boring, I wanted to make it exciting.”
A member of the Road to the LPGA since 2008, Reynolds is looking to record her second career Symetra Tour victory and improve on a season-best tied for sixth finish at last week’s Credit Union Challenge.
Nipping on Reynolds heels are a group of players that include 2013 tournament winners Song, Clanton, and Kaufman, and 2005 U.S. Women’s Open Champion, Kim.
What Injury? A member of the Symetra Tour since 2008, Jean Reynolds’ career on the Road to the LPGA has had its fair share of ups-and-downs.
In 2009, the Newnan, Georgia native notched two wins en route to a second-place finish on the season-ending Volvik Race for the Card standings, which was good enough to earn her LPGA Tour status for 2010.
Just when Reynolds looked to be at the peak of her golf game, she suffered a back injury just prior to the first LPGA Tour event. Soon after, Reynolds was sidelined even further after an injured left shoulder would force her to undergo surgery.
While the average person would despise the pain that goes along with surgery, Reynolds was able to use her sense of humor when asked about the injury.
“I think what was more frustrating was sitting in doctor’s offices all last year reading outdated magazines,” said Reynolds. “Once I got through that, it was fine, it just took a long time. A little bit longer than I thought it was going to take.”
Despite the toll of Reynolds’ injuries, the seventh year Symetra Tour member is competing this season with a newfound confidence and a golf game that continues to improve each day.
“Being able to finally play a full season this year has been great, said Reynolds. “I missed competing and playing golf the last few years. I never knew how much I enjoyed competing until I was unable to physically do it. Golf is hard enough as it is but trying to play in pain or through and injury is miserable. I am so happy to be playing pain free and I am looking forward to what the future holds.”
We Are Family… Equipped with a dry, witty sense of humour and a relaxed personality, Britney Hamilton has not only developed friends along her journey on the Road to the LPGA, she has acquired a newfound family.
As the Lake Orion, Michigan native climbed her way near the top of the leaderboard at the Northeast Delta Dental International, she relied heavily on a pairing that would leave her smiling throughout her opening round.
“It’s a lot of fun,” said Hamilton of her time on the Symetra Tour. “Today I got paired with Olivia (Jordan-Higgins) and P.K. (Kongkprahan) and they are such nice girls. It’s nice to get along with everybody and just have a big family. I like that a lot because I’m a relaxed player and I like to have fun and have a good time with my friends.”
Each week on the Road to the LPGA, Hamilton tries to take part in an activity that will give her a brief reprieve from the links. During her time in Concord, N.H., Hamilton teamed-up with several of her fellow Symetra Tour members and had a relaxing afternoon away from the golf course at a lazy river.
“I try to do something fun every week because you have to get your mind off golf,” said Hamilton. “We went to do the lazy river yesterday and it was fun, and it was relaxing. It got us all away from golf so it was nice.”
A Woman of Many Talents… Whenever you see P.K. Kongkraphan at a Symetra Tour event, you will see the third year Symetra Tour member with a smile that could light up a room.
“I don’t have to be sad, I have very much fun playing golf,” said Kongkraphan. “I’m always happy, it just makes life fun.”
Friday’s first round of the Northeast Delta Dental International was no different as Kongkraphan fired a 4-under 68. While Kongkraphan’s golf skills speak for themselves as she won the 2010 Beijing Open and Shang-hai Open, she also has musical talents that are displayed whenever she returns to her home in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
A current member of the LPGA Tour, Kongkraphan is a member of a band where she serves as the lead singer.
“I like to sing a song and play guitar,” said Kongkraphan. “I have a band in Thailand, a music band. I have two girls and three boys play with my band and I sing.”
While Kongkraphan’s band has yet to release a cd, when asked about it, she said with her contagious smile that it would be coming soon.
Confidence Booster… Christine Song hit the ground running this year on the Symetra Tour as she claimed a victory in the third event on Tour, the Guardian Retirement Championship at Sara Bay.
After the victory, the Fullerton, Calif. native failed to post any additional top-10 finishes and quickly slipped outside the top-10 on the Volvik Race for the Card. As Song currently stands tied for second after the first-round of the Northeast Delta Dental International, a 4-under 68 might be just the confidence booster she needed.
“I haven’t been playing well,” said Song. “It’s boosting my confidence to be back up there and I feel really good.”
Song credited the decline of her to game to a loss of distance as she currently ranks 142 on Tour in average driving distance. With this week’s Beaver Meadow Golf Course playing a little shorter, Song is taking full advantage of the shorter distance that allows her to irons into the majority of the greens.
“I lost some distance so I’ve been hitting it a lot shorter and I have to hit woods into the greens,” said Song. “This course is a little shorter so I can hit more irons.”
With two rounds remaining in the Northeast Delta Dental International, Song’s game plan the remainder of the week is simple, get after it.
“It’s getting there, I finally played decent golf,” said Song. “This week I’m going to get after it.”
She’s Back! In 2009, Birdie Kim was involved in a car wreck that left her sidelined from the game that she deeply loves. It took the 2005 U.S. Women’s Open Champion two years before she returned to professional golf and started competing on the Symetra Tour.
As Kim still battles a nagging neck and back injury, she fired a first-round 4-under 68 to find herself only 2-strokes out of the lead. This year’s first-round was a significant improvement from last year as she fired rounds of 73-73-74 to finish tied for 50th.
The main difference for Kim this year is a vast improvement on her health as she admitted her neck and back injury are now less severe.
“It feels a little different than last year,” said Kim. “Last year was my second year coming back from the car accident so I wasn’t ready yet. This year I’m feeling so much better. It feels like a new golf course.”
Tweet of the Day… “It was so hot out today I think my contact lenses are a little crispy!" – Tracy Stanford (@TRACYstanford)
FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 72. Players from USA unless stated
66 Jean Reynolds
68 P K Kongkraphan (Thailand), Britney Hamilton, Christine Song, Cydney Clanton, Kim Kaufman, Birdie Kim (South Korea)
SELECTED OTHER SCORES
71 Olivia Jordan-Higgins (Jersey, Channel Islands) (T20)
72 Caroline Westrup (Sweden) (T28)
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
The temperature wasn’t the only thing heating-up at Beaver Meadow Golf Course as Jean Reynolds fired a first-round 6-under 66 to take the lead at the Delta Dental International.
Playing in the midst of temperatures that soared as high as the upper-90s, Reynolds recorded nine birdies and three bogeys to take a 2-stroke lead over a group of players that include Cydney Clanton, Kim Kaufman, Birdie Kim, Britney Hamilton, P.K. Kongkraphan, and Christine Song.
Reynolds, who began the day on the back-nine, wasted little time getting into the red numbers after three consecutive birdies on Nos. 11, 12, and 13. The Newnan, Georgia native remained on the birdie train, recording two additional birdies at the par-4 15th and par-4 18th.
The birdies would continue for Reynolds when she made the turn as she picked-up three more birdies at the par-5 second and back-to-back birdies beginning at the par-5 fourth.
It wasn’t until the par-3 sixth that Reynolds would record her first bogey of the day and immediate notched two additional bogeys at the par-4 seventh and par-4 eighth.
“I hit the ball close on the back-nine,” said Reynolds. “And on the front, I made a couple more birdies on the par-5 then I made three bogeys and that really annoyed me but I was able to birdie the last hole.”
The University of Georgia graduate recovered quickly from the three consecutive bogeys and finished her round in style after a birdie at the par-4 ninth.
Reynolds was forced to rely heavily on the flat stick during the opening rounds as she needed only 26 putts on a day where she wanted to make it exciting hitting only five fairways.
“All my putts were within 12-feet and in,” said Reynolds. “I didn’t hit a lot of fairways, I think I ended up with a total of five. Hitting fairways is boring, I wanted to make it exciting.”
A member of the Road to the LPGA since 2008, Reynolds is looking to record her second career Symetra Tour victory and improve on a season-best tied for sixth finish at last week’s Credit Union Challenge.
Nipping on Reynolds heels are a group of players that include 2013 tournament winners Song, Clanton, and Kaufman, and 2005 U.S. Women’s Open Champion, Kim.
What Injury? A member of the Symetra Tour since 2008, Jean Reynolds’ career on the Road to the LPGA has had its fair share of ups-and-downs.
In 2009, the Newnan, Georgia native notched two wins en route to a second-place finish on the season-ending Volvik Race for the Card standings, which was good enough to earn her LPGA Tour status for 2010.
Just when Reynolds looked to be at the peak of her golf game, she suffered a back injury just prior to the first LPGA Tour event. Soon after, Reynolds was sidelined even further after an injured left shoulder would force her to undergo surgery.
While the average person would despise the pain that goes along with surgery, Reynolds was able to use her sense of humor when asked about the injury.
“I think what was more frustrating was sitting in doctor’s offices all last year reading outdated magazines,” said Reynolds. “Once I got through that, it was fine, it just took a long time. A little bit longer than I thought it was going to take.”
Despite the toll of Reynolds’ injuries, the seventh year Symetra Tour member is competing this season with a newfound confidence and a golf game that continues to improve each day.
“Being able to finally play a full season this year has been great, said Reynolds. “I missed competing and playing golf the last few years. I never knew how much I enjoyed competing until I was unable to physically do it. Golf is hard enough as it is but trying to play in pain or through and injury is miserable. I am so happy to be playing pain free and I am looking forward to what the future holds.”
We Are Family… Equipped with a dry, witty sense of humour and a relaxed personality, Britney Hamilton has not only developed friends along her journey on the Road to the LPGA, she has acquired a newfound family.
As the Lake Orion, Michigan native climbed her way near the top of the leaderboard at the Northeast Delta Dental International, she relied heavily on a pairing that would leave her smiling throughout her opening round.
“It’s a lot of fun,” said Hamilton of her time on the Symetra Tour. “Today I got paired with Olivia (Jordan-Higgins) and P.K. (Kongkprahan) and they are such nice girls. It’s nice to get along with everybody and just have a big family. I like that a lot because I’m a relaxed player and I like to have fun and have a good time with my friends.”
Each week on the Road to the LPGA, Hamilton tries to take part in an activity that will give her a brief reprieve from the links. During her time in Concord, N.H., Hamilton teamed-up with several of her fellow Symetra Tour members and had a relaxing afternoon away from the golf course at a lazy river.
“I try to do something fun every week because you have to get your mind off golf,” said Hamilton. “We went to do the lazy river yesterday and it was fun, and it was relaxing. It got us all away from golf so it was nice.”
A Woman of Many Talents… Whenever you see P.K. Kongkraphan at a Symetra Tour event, you will see the third year Symetra Tour member with a smile that could light up a room.
“I don’t have to be sad, I have very much fun playing golf,” said Kongkraphan. “I’m always happy, it just makes life fun.”
Friday’s first round of the Northeast Delta Dental International was no different as Kongkraphan fired a 4-under 68. While Kongkraphan’s golf skills speak for themselves as she won the 2010 Beijing Open and Shang-hai Open, she also has musical talents that are displayed whenever she returns to her home in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
A current member of the LPGA Tour, Kongkraphan is a member of a band where she serves as the lead singer.
“I like to sing a song and play guitar,” said Kongkraphan. “I have a band in Thailand, a music band. I have two girls and three boys play with my band and I sing.”
While Kongkraphan’s band has yet to release a cd, when asked about it, she said with her contagious smile that it would be coming soon.
Confidence Booster… Christine Song hit the ground running this year on the Symetra Tour as she claimed a victory in the third event on Tour, the Guardian Retirement Championship at Sara Bay.
After the victory, the Fullerton, Calif. native failed to post any additional top-10 finishes and quickly slipped outside the top-10 on the Volvik Race for the Card. As Song currently stands tied for second after the first-round of the Northeast Delta Dental International, a 4-under 68 might be just the confidence booster she needed.
“I haven’t been playing well,” said Song. “It’s boosting my confidence to be back up there and I feel really good.”
Song credited the decline of her to game to a loss of distance as she currently ranks 142 on Tour in average driving distance. With this week’s Beaver Meadow Golf Course playing a little shorter, Song is taking full advantage of the shorter distance that allows her to irons into the majority of the greens.
“I lost some distance so I’ve been hitting it a lot shorter and I have to hit woods into the greens,” said Song. “This course is a little shorter so I can hit more irons.”
With two rounds remaining in the Northeast Delta Dental International, Song’s game plan the remainder of the week is simple, get after it.
“It’s getting there, I finally played decent golf,” said Song. “This week I’m going to get after it.”
She’s Back! In 2009, Birdie Kim was involved in a car wreck that left her sidelined from the game that she deeply loves. It took the 2005 U.S. Women’s Open Champion two years before she returned to professional golf and started competing on the Symetra Tour.
As Kim still battles a nagging neck and back injury, she fired a first-round 4-under 68 to find herself only 2-strokes out of the lead. This year’s first-round was a significant improvement from last year as she fired rounds of 73-73-74 to finish tied for 50th.
The main difference for Kim this year is a vast improvement on her health as she admitted her neck and back injury are now less severe.
“It feels a little different than last year,” said Kim. “Last year was my second year coming back from the car accident so I wasn’t ready yet. This year I’m feeling so much better. It feels like a new golf course.”
Tweet of the Day… “It was so hot out today I think my contact lenses are a little crispy!" – Tracy Stanford (@TRACYstanford)
FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 72. Players from USA unless stated
66 Jean Reynolds
68 P K Kongkraphan (Thailand), Britney Hamilton, Christine Song, Cydney Clanton, Kim Kaufman, Birdie Kim (South Korea)
SELECTED OTHER SCORES
71 Olivia Jordan-Higgins (Jersey, Channel Islands) (T20)
72 Caroline Westrup (Sweden) (T28)
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
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