SYMETRA TOUR REPORT AND SCORES

TAIWAN PLAYER WINS BY FIVE SHOTS

Photo Credit: Scott A. Miller

Wei-Ling Hsu celebrates winning the Symetra Tour's Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic at the Links at Stoney Point on May 11, 2014 in Greenwood, South Carolina.

 
GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA – Wei-Ling Hsu from Taiwan fired a 4-under-par 68 on Sunday to win the inaugural Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic at The Links at Stoney Point.  
Hsu’s three-day total of 8-under-par 280 cleared the rest of the field by five strokes.
Europeans Marta Silva (Spain) and France's, Joanna Klatten plus South Korea's Min Seo Kwak finished in a three-way tie for second at 3-under 285.
Hsu was steady over the first nine making one birdie on the par-4 eighth hole and eight pars.  She seized control of the event with back-to-back birdies on the 10th and 11th holes.  
Hsu entered the day with a one stroke lead over Kwak and a two shot edge on Klatten and Silva. While Hsu flourished, Silva and Klatten shot just 1-under while Kwak shot an even-par 72.
Hsu finished on a high note with a birdie on 16, a bogey on 17 and an eagle on the par-5 18th hole.  She was doused with water by fellow Symetra Tour players after dropping the putt that sealed victory. 
“It’s very exciting to win this tournament,” said Wei-Ling Hsu.  “The big prize ($30,000) is very good.”
Hsu skyrocketed all the way from 81st to fourth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.  Her best finish prior to the win was a T27 at the Volvik Championship.
“When I made the putt and everyone started running at me, I said to myself ‘oh my god’,” said the 19-year-old Hsu.  “When I won last year in Albany, nobody threw water on me, so I’m happy they did here.”
Hsu, who is in her second year on the Symetra Tour, won the Credit Union Challenge in Albany, New York last year.
With her $30,000 pay cheque, the largest in Symetra Tour history, Hsu jumps into the top-10 on Volvik Race for the Card money list with season earnings of $31,810.
“A four-day event is very tough and everybody knows how important the money list is on the Symetra Tour.  We also have to travel a lot and spend a lot of money and the money is very important for me and my family.”
This week, Hsu’s caddie was her mother, which was especially fitting on Mother’s Day (celebrated later in the USA than in the UK).
“This morning, my brother told me to win this championship and give your mom a big Mother’s Day gift.  Two days ago, I was thinking about what I should get my mom for Mother’s Day, but today I won and I think she is very proud of me.”
Hsu is now eligible for the $1 million Park Sterling Cup challenge.  If she also wins the Friends of Mission Charity Classic next week in Asheville, N.C. and the Symetra Classic in Charlotte in two weeks, she will win $1 million.  
TIFOSI OPTICS LOW ROUND: Min Lee shot a 5-under-par 67 on Sunday to move from T19 to a tie for sixth.  She had the lowest round on Sunday and therefore is the Tifosi Optics Low Round winner. 
Lee wins a free pair of Tifosi Optics sunglasses, the official sunglasses of the Symetra Tour.
With her impressive day, Lee also jumps from 26th to 16th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.
“I hit the ball better today and my putting is getting better,” said Lee.  “I just tried to focus on ever shot today.”
Min Lee is only 18-years-old.  
WOODS HAS GREAT ROUND: Cheyenne Woods struggled on hole number two on Friday and Saturday, scoring an eight on the par-5 both days.  
Today, she made birdie on the second hole and fired a 5-under-par 67.  
“Today was really solid, I played a lot better than I had the last two days,” said Woods, who shot a 77 and 78 on Friday and Saturday. 
 “I was really happy with number two, it gave me a lot of trouble this week, and I ended up with a birdie there today to start out my day and from there it was solid.”
Woods made six birdies and just one bogey on the day to finish 5-over for the tournament, good for T22.
She also closed strong with birdies on the 17th and 18th holes.  She played the par-5 holes 3-under-par. 
“I definitely played the par-5 holes well today.  I just felt like my game came together today.  Nothing was extraordinary; I hit the fairways and greens and hit a few putts.”
Woods was complimentary of the staff, volunteers and fans that put this event together.   
“This event has been one of the best we’ve had this year.  I feel like everyone has put in so much effort.  Everyone truly cares about the event, cares about the girls and wants to make this the best experience possible and I feel like they have.  From the volunteers to the sponsors and the fans that came out to watch, everyone has been so supportive.  It feels like a big event and it’s fun to play when you have great people around you like this.”
MOTHER’S DAY SPECIAL ROUND FOR RANKIN: Mother’s Day is special to most, but for Reilley Rankin it carries extra meaning because her mother has battled cancer and has dementia.  
Rankin shot a 3-under-par 69 and finished at 2-over for the weekend.  She birdied five of her first 11 holes.
Rankin finished T12 in the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic. 
“It was nice to end on a good note,” said Rankin.  “I felt close all week and it is a good confidence builder for next week.”
Rankin got emotional when asked about the significance of her performance on Mother’s Day.
“I wouldn’t be here without my mom.  Obviously it has been tough with my mom recently, she has been sick, but it means a lot to play well and I know she would be proud.”
KWAK MAKES COSTLY BOGEY: Min Seo Kwak made a bogey on the 18th hole to slip into a three-way tie for second place.  If she had made par, she would have had sole possession of second place.
Solo second place would have paid out $18,784, but instead she tied for second and made $14,172.
 Kwak has produced back-to-back strong weeks and is now third on the Volvik Race for the Card money list at $14,172.
VOLVIK RACE FOR LEADER STILL FENG: Cindy Feng had one of her toughest rounds of the year, closing the event with a 4-over-par 76 and moving down to a tie for 22nd place.  
Feng still holds a tight grip on the number one spot on the Volvik Race for the Card money list with earnings of $43,531.
Feng has yet to finish outside the top-40 this year and has five top-10 finishes.   

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LEADING FINAL TOTALS 
AND PRIZEMONEY
par 288 (4x72) players from USA unless stated
280 Wei-Ling Hsu (Taiwan) 72 68 72 68 ($30,000).
285 Marta Silva (Spain) 71 69 74 71, Joanna Klatten (France) 71 67 76 71, Min Seo Kwak (S Korea) 70 71 72 72 ($14,172 each)
286 Brittany Altomare 71 73 72 70 ($8,406)
287 Min Lee (Taiwan) 75 72 73 67, Sarah Kemp (Australia) 73 71 72 71 ($6,401 each).
288 Sara-Maude Juneau (Canada) 70 72 78 68, Casey Grice 74 72 71 71, Marissa Steen 70 71 75 72, Alejandra Llaneza (Mexico) 71 72 72 73 ($4,490 each).
SELECTED TOTALS
292 Stacey Keating (Australia) 73 77 67 75 (T28) ($2,522)
293 Cheyenne Woods 71 78 77 67 (T22) ($2,124)
294 Olivia Jordan-Higgins (Channel Islands) 74 71 78 71 (T28) ($1,713)
295 Louise Friberg (Sweden) 69 78 74 74 (T34) ($1,400) 
297 Therese Koelbaek (Denmark) 75 74 72 76 (T42) ($1,054)