DYE EARNS VOLVIK RACE FOR THE CARD “MOVE OF THE WEEK”
It was only her fifth start on the Epson Tour this season, but Kendall Dye (Edmond, Oklahoma) took full advantage at the Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY by collecting some hardware, an $18,750 winner’s check and our Volvik Race for the Card “Move of the Week.”
Dye jumped 46 spots up the rankings to land at No. 20 with $27,401 earned on the year.
“To be honest, I haven’t looked at any money lists because it’s only August and I know one successful weekend is not going to accomplish my ultimate goal of regaining my full card on the LPGA Tour,” said Dye. “I simply need to go out for the remainder of Epson Tour events and give every weekend my absolute best. The win in Albany helped get me back into firing range and I’m motivated to use every opportunity to the fullest.”
Meanwhile, the top-four positions remain unchanged. Dottie Ardina (Laguna, Philippines) has the No. 1 position on lockdown for a third consecutive week at $59,672. Stephanie Meadow (Jordanstown, Northern Ireland), Jenny Haglund (Karlstad, Sweden) and Isi Gabsa (Munich, Germany) follow in succession.
Checking in at No. 5 is Elizabeth Szokol (Winnetka, Illinois), who moved up two places after a tied for third result last week increased her season money total to $47,292 through 12 starts. The gap between her and Meadow at No. 2 may seem large, but in the grand scheme, $6,083 can dwindle in the blink of an eye.
“I’m definitely excited with my finish in Albany,” said Szokol. “It’s important to have good finishes toward the end of the season and it’s even more of a confidence booster going into the last eight events. I’m happy to be in the top-10 at this point of the season, but I’ll need to keep playing good golf.”
The second half of the top-10 features Eun Jeong Seong (Yongin, Republic of Korea) staying steady in the No. 6 position. A rookie, Seong has missed only one cut in her first eight career Epson Tour events and made $45,763. After Seong is a 2018 Epson Tour champion in Ruixin Liu (Dalian, China) with $42,355 earned.
From there, Stephanie Kono (Honolulu, Hawaii) and Karen Chung (Livingston, N.J.) stay at No. 8 and No. 9, respectively. Chung is one of only three players in the top-10 that has played in all 13 tournaments so far in 2018, joining Meadow and Liu. Therefore, with the official qualifying tour of the LPGA currently on an off week, it is more than welcome for the former University of Southern California (USC) standout.
“The courses we played the last three weeks were super hilly and since I’ve been carrying my bag every week, it’s nice to have a week off to recharge physically and mentally, preparing myself to survive another eight tournaments,” said Chung, who sits at $38,955 for the season. “I usually don’t like looking at where I stand in the Volvik Race for the Card, but I can’t complain with where I am right now. Honestly though, I’m hanging on by a thread so it’s a bit stressful. I have a history of making it on the number and have a feeling it’s going to be a roller coaster ride to the end.”
Rounding out the top-10 is Min Seo Kwak (Seoul, Republic of Korea), having amassed $37,699 across 10 starts. She gets back into the picture for the first time since a tied for second finish in the Island Resort Championship placed her at No. 9 in the standings.
Up next on the road to the LPGA is a trip to Milwaukee, Wis., for the PHC Classic from Aug. 10-12 at Brown Deer Park Golf Course.
“I’ve been around the block so I know that every shot and every dollar means the world on any Tour,” Dye said. “It’s crucial to never let up in this game. I’ll be heading up to Montana on Friday night to spend time with Betsy King and the Golf Fore Africa staff, playing a lot of golf with donors and friends of the foundation. That time will get me back in gear to be competitive next weekend in Milwaukee.”
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