WEAVER IS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC AFTER 65
Lindsey Weaver was happy, but cautiously optimistic after carding a 65 in round one. She did the same thing two weeks ago at the Decatur-Forsyth Classic, but stumbled over the weekend with rounds of 74-73 and finished T27.“It is always nice to be in contention, but I just want to take a slower approach to things,” said Weaver, who has four top 10 finishes this year. “I want to take it shot-by-shot and day-by-day and try to stay in contention.”
Weaver made five birdies on her outward nine and three consecutive birdies on holes 4-5-6 on her back nine.
“I hit a lot of close wedge shots and made a lot of putts within 10-feet,” said Weaver, who attempted 27 putts on the round. “This course is a wedge and putting game so whoever has the best short game is going to shoot a low score.”
MSU RISING SOPHOMORE GEER POSTS 68
Allyson Geer (Brighton, Mich.) appears to have the game and maturity of someone much more seasoned than a rising sophomore at Michigan State. Geer, who has won back-to-back Michigan Women’s Amateur Championships, carded a 4-under, 68 in the opening round of the Tullymore Classic. She made five birdies against just one bogey, which was a rare 3-putt on her final hole.“I was able on the first tee to relax, be smooth and really enjoy it out there,” said Geer, who is playing on a sponsors exemption for a second straight year. “I just played my game and didn’t overthink it. I dropped a couple putts early on and got the momentum going.”
Geer made front nine birdies on holes two, five and seven. Her birdies on the back came on holes 16 and 17.
Geer seems to be having a ton of fun this week. She has her longtime friend, Nick Park, a junior on the Eastern Michigan golf team, as her caddy and has one of the larger galleries following.
“When you get these opportunities like Meijer (she was an exemption into the Meijer LPGA Classic) and this event, you can only go out there and have fun,” said Geer. “There is no money at stake for me, there aren’t really any expectations and I’m just trying to go out there and have fun and finish higher than I did last year. I’m trying to show people there I can compete out here.”
Geer is most excited about the improvement she has seen in her game over the last 12 months.
“I knew that if I was going to be under-par out here my short game had to be on,” said Geer. “Not having huge misses is what I’ve learned from the girls out here. Hopefully I’ll keep learning over the next three years and be out here (Epson Tour or LPGA) someday.”
NANNA KOERSTZ MADSEN HAS CHANCE AT BATTLEFIELD PROMOTION
Nanna Koerstz Madsen already has two wins this season and a third would give her a “Battlefield Promotion” to the LPGA this season. Koerstz Madsen is in a tie for third, just two shots off the lead.If she wins this week, she would move into Category 13 on the LPGA priority list and have a chance to get into fields right away. The LPGA still has five full field events left this season that Koerstz Madsen could get into.
Koerstz Madsen won the Epson Classic and the Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY.
SILVERS MAKES SECOND HOLE-IN-ONE OF SEASON
Carleigh Silvers (Martinsville, Indiana) made her second hole-in-one of the season on Friday at the Tullymore Classic. Silvers carded a 2-under, 70 and is in a tie for 27th.The ace came on the par-3 fifth hole, which was playing 170 yards. She used a 5-iron. She also made a hole-in-one during the second round of the Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY on June 3.
“Last year, I hadn’t had an eagle in a long time and then three tournaments in a row I made an eagle at each so I feel like that now with the aces,” said Silvers, who made her first ace in middle school and didn’t have another one until Albany. “I feel like now I won’t have another one for 10 or 20 years. It was exciting because it was the first one that I’ve ever seen go in.”
Silvers now has three career aces.
“The ball hit pin high on the right side of the green and stopped and then rolled towards the hole,” said Silvers. “I was thinking it would come up a touch short and then it just disappeared and we were like ‘oh my gosh, it went in’.”
OF NOTE
- Of the top nine on the leaderboard, eight are inside the top 20 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.
- Allyssa Ferrell, who played college golf at Michigan State, is T16 after a 3-under, 69.