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COLIN FARQUHARSON REPORTS (IN THE EARLY HOURS OF SATURDAY MORNING).
HEATHER GAINS US FUTURES TOUR CARD BUT LINZI FAILS
The reason for the long delay in publishing the scores from the final
day of the United States Futures Tour at Lakeland, Florida eventually
became apparent.
There was a nine-player play-off, involving those who finished with totals
of 305, for the last four places among the precise figure of 38 (no ties)
who gained full playing rights for the 2003 season on America's No 2 female
professional golf circuit which will have roughly 19 events worth a total
of 1.3 million dollars.
More of that later.
 The
good news for followers of Scottish golf is that our native women's amateur
champion, Heather Stirling from Bridge of Allan, pictured right, made
it with ease among the top 38, finishing in joint 16th place after a final
round of 76 for 300. Heather played in the tournament as an amateur and
did not receive any prize money so technically she is still an amateur
but expect her now to commit herself to a tour pro golf career.
Also on 300 was an English player ... not Rebecca Hudson but Rebecca Prout
from Sussex, playing as an amateur. Rebecca signed off with a 75
Rebecca Hudson from Wheatley, Doncaster earned a place on the Futures
Tour next season - if she wants it - by finishing joint 26th on 303 after
her best round of the week, a 73. Committed as a pro after signing a contract
with I M G, Miss Hudson's management company should be able to gain her
sufficient tournament opportunities in Europe next year to make it more
worthwhile for her to campaign on this side of the Atlantic rather than
in the much less publicised Futures Tour, which also offers less money
to be won.
Rebecca's golfing buddy, Kirsty Fisher from Lancashire matched Miss Hudson's
closing 73 but her total of 310 gained her only Priority 2 status which
puts her well down the pecking order for entry opportunities next year
when one considers that the leading 90 players on this year's Futures
Tour rank ahead of the leading 38 Tour School qualifiers and then comes
the Priority 2 players.
 Linzi
Morton, left, last year's Scottish women's amateur champion, faces a bleak
future next season, having relinquished her amateur status and now will
have to hunt around for a mini-tour to keep her eye until the qualifying
schools come around next year.
Linzi had a closing round of 79 for a total of 311.
There was a tie at the top after 72 holes between 16-year-old amateur
and Thailand twin, Aree Song Wongluekiet, whose family live at Bradenton,
Florida, and 18-year-old non-exempt LPGA Tour member Soo Young Moon of
Keumsan, Korea.
They finished on level par 288 after both shot bogey-free rounds of 66
on the final day at the 6,320yd Club at Eaglebrooke course.
Aree won the individual award in the recent Espirito Santo Trophy tournament
at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and helped Thailand to tie with Australia at
the head of the team totals, only to be placed second on a card countback.
Like her twin sister, Aree attends a golf academy in Florida and she will
continue to play the Futures Tour as an amateur as she did this year.
Tina Schneeberger of Austria, Kim Brozer of Canada, Jana Peterkova of
the Czech Republic, and Janell Howland of Beaumont, Texas came through
a nine-way play-off featuring those who finished at 17-over-par 305.
The sudden-death playoff, conducted on the par four 375-yard number 18,
ended on the fourth playoff hole, allowing Schneeberger, Brozer, Peterkova,
and Howland to earn Priority 1 A-3 status for the 2003 season.
The next 35 players received Priority 2 Category C status while the remaining
31 players in the field received Priority 2 Category E-1 status, with
order being determined by finish for both.
Wongluekiet, who was a co-medalist at last year‚s qualifying tournament,
began the day four-shots behind leader Lisette Lee of Kenner, La. She
started well with birdies at the third and fifth and she holed a 20-foot
birdie putt on the par five 485-yard seventh hole, turning in three-under
33. Wongluekiet matched her front nine performance with birdies at 10,
12, and 13, to finish at 66 (-6).
"I was striking the ball very well today," commented the 16-year-old
Wongluekiet, who will be attending the University of Florida with her
twin sister Naree next fall. "My putter was hot, especially on the
back nine. My aim was to come here this week and defend my title and I‚m
very happy that I was able to achieve that goal."
Moon, who played in the last pairing with Wongluekiet, was one shot shy
of the lead heading into the final round. She carded birdies on five,
10, and 14, making respective putts of five, three, and two feet.
"I missed some really good birdie chances today," commented
Moon. "I lipped out on five birdie putts and I could have scored
a lot lower. The conditions of the golf course were perfect and that helped
me with my game. I am looking forward to next season."
Moon earned non-exempt status for the 2003 LPGA Tour at the LPGA Final
Qualifying Tournament last month in Daytona Beach, Fla. Her LPGA Tour
status granted her automatic FUTURES Tour eligibility under Category 1
A-4, but Moon opted to compete in this week‚s FUTURES Tour Qualifying
Tournament to improve her status to Category 1 A-3.
Moon added, "Because of my status on the LPGA Tour, I will have to
Monday qualify for tournaments and there is no guarantee that I will play
every week. I decided to come to the FUTURES Tour Qualifying Tournament
to improve my status here so I know that I have a place to play each week
next season."
Lee, who was the leader after the second and third rounds, shot a 75 (+3)
for a 293 (+5) tournament total. Her round consisted of three birdies,
two bogeys, and two double-bogeys. She finished tied for fourth with Lesley
Henderson of Mandeville, La.
"I got off to a good start with two birdies on one and two,"
stated Lee, who has played with the FUTURES Tour since 2000. "I had
a couple of bad bounces after I made the turn which was a little frustrating,
but I do not want to be too hard on myself. This is my best finish as
a professional and I am very happy with the outcome.
"FINAL SCOREBOARD
(a) denotes amateur
*The leading 38 players earned Priority 1 status for the 2003 Futures
Tour.
Aree Song Wongluekiet (a) Bradenton, FL 72-76-74-66 - 288
Soo Young Moon Keumsan, Korea 71-75-73-69 - 288 $1,000
Caroline Goasguen (a) Montpellier, France 69-76-75-71 - 291
Lesley Henderson Mandeville, LA 77-76-68-72 - 293 $800
Lisette Lee Kenner, LA 71-69-78-75 - 293 $800
Heather Angell Winston-Salem, NC 74-74-77-70 - 295 $533
Marie-Josee Rouleau St. Lambert, Quebec 77-75-71-72 - 295 $533
Kathy Choi Huntington Beach, CA 72-72-76-75 - 295 $533
Marcela Leon Monterrey, Mexico 77-73-75-72 - 297 $233
Young Jo Seoul, Korea 78-75-71-73 - 297 $233
Carmen Hajjar Queensland, Australia 74-71-79-73 - 297 $233
Leigh Turner (a) Alpharetta, GA 74-79-72-73 - 298
Nobuyo Nagai San Diego, CA 73-79-75-72 - 299 $33
Allie Blomquist Afton, MN 75-75-77-72 - 299 $33
Salimah Mussani Burlington, Ontario 75-75-75-74 - 299 $33
Kristin Dufour Austin, TX 70-79-79-72 - 300
Nahoko Hirao Kumamoto, Japan 76-74-76-74 - 300
REBECCA PROUT (a) (Sussex, England) 76-71-78-75 - 300
HEATHER STIRLING (a) (Stirling, Scotland) 72-73-79-76 - 300
Tara Bateman Phoenix, AZ 72-77-75-77 - 301
Courtney Swaim Duluth, GA 77-75-77-73 - 302
Chiharu Yamaguchi Tochigi, Japan 75-76-78-73 - 302
Yumiko Hasegawa Osaka, Japan 77-76-74-75 - 302
Kathi Poppmeier Graz, Austria 74-77-75-76 - 302
Corina Kelepouris Drayton Valley, Alberta 70-78-78-76 - 302
REBECCA HUDSON (Yorkshire, England) 76-75-79-73 - 303
Jennifer Hubbard Van Alstyne, TX 70-76-84-73 - 303
Brandi Jackson (a) Belton, SC 76-76-77-74 - 303
Natalie Aber Akron, OH 73-80-74-76 - 303
Kristy McPherson (a) Conway, SC 73-79-74-77 - 303
Niina Laitinen Helsinki, Finland 70-76-80-77 - 303
Rebecca Mailloux Hope, RI 76-75-79-74 - 304
Michelle Scerri Melbourne, Australia 75-77-77-75 - 304
Meredith Duncan Shreveport, LA 77-77-73-77 - 304
Tina Schneeberger Austria 74-82-75-74 - 305 (after play-off)
Kim Brozer Red Deer, Alberta 73-75-80-77 - 305 (after play-off)
Jana Peterkova Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic 76-77-83-69 - 305 (after play-off)
Janell Howland Beaumont, TX 78-75-77-75 - 305 (after play-off)
THE NEXT 35 PLAYERS GAINED PRIORITY 2 (Category C) STATUS FOR THE 2003
FUTURES TOUR:
Olof Marie Jonsdottir (a) Hafnarfjordur, Iceland 77-77-77-74 - 305 (after
play-off)
Louise Zylstra Toronto, Ontario 76-77-80-72 - 305 (after play-off)
Shannon Hanley Littleton, CO 74-82-77-72 - 305 (after play-off)
Tasha Browner Tarzana, CA 77-85-73-70 - 305 (after play-off)
Marina Marselli Settimo Vettone, Italy 72-78-76-79 - 305 (after play-off)
Patty Frohna Waukesha, WI 73-79-79-75 - 306
Krissie Register Roswell, GA 75-77-78-76 - 306
Sarah Johnson Littleton, CO 76-74-80-76 - 306
Cortney Reno Grosse Ile, MI 78-78-73-77 - 306
Lisa Penske-Jensen Bethlehem, PA 76-76-77-77 - 306
Natalie Tucker Lawrenceburg, IN 78-77-81-71 - 307
Yvonne Weng (a) Taiwan 80-78-76-73 - 307
McKenzie Dyslin Grand Junction, CO 74-79-79-75 - 307
Heather Lee Edmonton, Alberta 79-76-76-76 - 307
Jessica Allwood West Palm Beach, FL 77-79-74-77 - 307
Randi Meadows Fair Oaks Ranch,TX 72-81-77-77 - 307
Shayne Wild Bulawayo, Zimbabwe 71-76-82-78 - 307
Jerilyn White Keizer, OR 75-83-78-72 - 308
A-Ra Nam Seoul, Korea 76-78-81-73 - 308
Heather Wrede (a) Jupiter, FL 76-80-78-74 - 308
Naree Song Wongluekiet (a) Bradenton, FL 80-75-79-74 - 308
Mari Katayama Tsukuba, Japan 80-77-76-75 - 308
Caroline Cole (a) Mansfield, TX 76-80-76-76 - 308
Wendy Hawkes (a) Arrowtown, New Zealand 73-79-80-76 - 308
Lynn Valentine East Lyme, CT 74-81-76-77 - 308
Meredith Ward Brentwood, TN 74-79-78-77 - 308
Natasha Hemms Sydney, Australia 75-82-73-78 - 308
Laura Torrisi Lunenburg, MA 77-79-79-74 - 309
Kim Goldstrohm Newport Beach, CA 75-80-80-74 - 309
Angie Blythe Evansville, IN 73-79-82-75 - 309
Kitty Hwang Guayaquil, Ecuador 72-78-83-76 - 309
KIRSTY FISHER (Lancashire, England) 79-78-80-73 - 310
Lotta Jonson Vasteras, Sweden 75-79-81-75 - 310
Bobbi Salmon Mt. Dora, FL 71-80-82-77 - 310
Kimberly Adams (a) Fredericton, New Brunswick 73-80-79-78 - 310
THE REMAINING PLAYERS WHO MADE THE FINAL DAY BUT FINISHED OUTWITH THE
LEADING 73 GAINED PRIORITY 2 (Category E) STATUS:
Libby Yavello Scottsdale, AZ 76-82-79-74 - 311
Inga Snyder Goshen, IN 80-79-76-76 - 311
Theresa McDermott (a) Scarborough, Ontario 76-74-85-76 - 311
Tammy Carter Lake City, FL 76-81-77-77 - 311
Stacey Bergman Fort Dodge, IA 77-79-78-77 - 311
Susan Lippitt (a) Calgary, Alberta 70-82-82-77 - 311
Kari Hilton London, Ontario 79-76-78-78 - 311
LINZI MORTON (Tulliallan, Scotland) 78-79-75-79 - 311
Julie Wells (a) West Linn, OR 74-79-78-80 - 311
Samantha Fox Nashville, TN 79-73-72-87 - 311
Patricia Beliard Pontarlier, France 81-79-76-76 - 312
Kareen Qually Calgary, Alberta 79-80-75-78 - 312
Danielle La Voie Napa, CA 76-78-80-78 - 312
Rebecka Heinmert Sweden 81-79-75-78 - 313
Donna Serino Boca Raton, FL 76-78-81-78 - 313
Jan Dowling Bradford, Ontario 73-83-78-79 - 313
Cheryl Lala Rohnert Park, CA 74-81-79-79 - 313
Yuho Okubo Nagoya, Japan 78-83-76-77 - 314
Nisha Sadekar (a) Toronto, Ontario 81-78-78-77 - 314
Meghan Spero (a) Bonita Springs, FL 79-82-75-78 - 314
Melanie Curtin South Weymouth, MA 78-82-76-78 - 314
Tammy Lohren Dandridge, TN 74-84-77-79 - 314
Lisa Whitt Oklahoma City, OK 76-78-80-81 - 315
Claudia Beauchesne Montreal, Quebec 78-78-81-79 - 316
Sarah Seo (a) Lima, OH 74-78-84-80 - 316
Anne Fraser (a) Deerfield Beach, FL 73-78-84-81 - 316
Bobbi Brandon Dauphin, Manitoba 76-80-81-80 - 317
Sasha Medina Ponce, Puerto Rico 77-79-78-83 - 317
Lynn Cavanaugh-Cribb Lake Mary, FL 77-82-78-81 - 318
Amelia Schrage Johannesburg, South Africa 79-79-79-81 - 318
Erin Kerr (a) Phoenix, AZ 78-76-81-83 - 318
THOSE WHO MISSED THE 54-HOLE CUT INCLUDED:
Katie Tebbet Mountsorrel, England 80-81-77 - 238
Jo Clingan Gloucester, England 78-82-78 - 238
Linda Sorensen Norrahammar, Sweden 76-82-83 - 241
FIONA WATSON (Dumfries, Scotland) 80-77-85 - 242
Jenny Chuasiriporn Timonium, MD 79-78-85 - 242
CLAIRE HUNTER (Aberdeen, Scotland) 83-82-79 - 244
Charlotte Montgomery Stockholm, Sweden 76-84-84 - 244
Vanessa Bell Ipswich, England 88-87-87 - 262
Svetlana Gounkina (a) Moscow, Russia 88-82-92 - 262
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