The seventh round of the inaugural LPGA Q-Series presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina was suspended at 6:14 p.m. on Friday evening due to darkness, with 51 players left to complete their round on Saturday morning. In the chilly morning temperatures, Sarah Schmelzel put the finishing touches on a 4-under par 68 and currently leads the field at 18-under par.
“Yesterday we got the number off what No. 13 would be like then and this morning it just played completely different than the past three days,” said Schmelzel, who played six holes to complete her round. “This morning you probably got a club extra, just with how cold it was. It was interesting to have to go through that again, but I was glad that my caddie and I had figured it out quickly and got a couple of them in.”
Republic of Korea’s Jeongeun Lee6, who is 16-under par through seven rounds, trails leader Schmelzel by two strokes, feeling the weight of 126 holes with every stroke.
“There’s only 18 holes left, I’m definitely keeping an eye out on the leader and of course, it would be great if I could win,” Lee6 said after signing a 5-under par 67 scorecard. “After playing seven rounds, I’m really tired and don’t have that much energy. I’m just trying to go through the rhythm without exerting too much energy. I’m not really playing with all my strength right now.”
Sitting in solo third is Wake Forest University senior Jennifer Kupcho who carded four birdies against a lone bogey for a seventh round 3-under par 69. Czech Republic player Klara Spilková shot even par and is four shots back of the lead.
The eighth and final round began off both No. 1 and No. 10 tees at 7:50 a.m. Players remained in the same groups for the eighth round as they were in for the seventh round and were NOT re-paired after 126 holes as originally planned.
The top-45 finishers and ties receive LPGA membership in Category 14 on the LPGA Priority List with the remaining competitors earning Epson Tour status.
ERYNNE LEE SHOOTS LOW TO MOVE INTO Q-SERIES TOP-45
2018 LPGA rookie Erynne Lee recorded six birdies and two bogeys during her seventh round 4-under 68, which puts her tied for 40th at 7-over par for Q-Series. After shooting an 11-over par 83 in the first round on Pinehurst No. 6, the former UCLA Bruins standout had to pick herself up, all the way from 99th place.
“Honestly, it’s one of those kinds where you’re truly in the moment and you don’t realize how many birdies you’re making,” said the native of Washington state. “It’s just one good shot after another and making another putt. Definitely at the end of the round, it feels good to put together a good number, especially before the rain comes down on us. I’m really happy with my round.”
The 25-year-old started the eight-round tournament without a caddie, but luckily a good friend in Alvin Okada—also the fiancé to Epson Tour player Nicole Sakamoto—was willing to drive from Florida and help out.
“I think the key was having a great caddie—it was a last-minute pick,” Lee said. “He was able to be by my side and support me all the way. I originally had a caddie reserved for the first week and I guess they didn’t have one reserved for me here. The first day I came, I walked nine holes by myself carrying my bag. It was different, but I didn’t have my staff bag, which was great. Still, you’re not used to carrying your own bag.”
Lee first earned her LPGA Tour card last season after finishing inside the top-10 on the Volvik Race for the Card to become a 2017 Epson Tour graduate. After the completion of Q-Series, Lee is hoping to finish in the top-45 and improve her LPGA status.
“As a rookie, I was trying to play all of the events, just trying to squeeze out as much money as I can and move up that money list,” said Lee who only made three cuts in 19 starts during the 2018 season. “Like all the veteran players have told me in the past, you should know when to take a break and know what your limit is. If you’re having an off week with swings, just learn to take a break and recuperate.”
KNIGHT SLAYING WEEK TWO, COMES BACK FROM FIRST ROUND 81
Cheyenne Knight, a 21-year-old from Aledo, Texas, was looking up from the bottom after shooting a first round 9-over par 81 at Q-Series. Knight turned her game around to shoot even par or better in five of her next six rounds and slowly climb the leaderboard to currently maintain a spot inside the top-45.
“Yeah that first round, it was tough,” said the University of Alabama alumna, currently tied for 23rd entering her 12:01 p.m. final round start. “I hadn’t played that bad in a while. On that golf course, on Pinehurst No. 6, if you start missing the greens and get it in the wrong spot, you’re going to make a bogey.”
A poor score is difficult to come back from, especially when you’re tied for 95th in a field of 102 players. However, Knight managed to rally from a mental standpoint and pull herself together.
“I kept a really good attitude throughout the round and never gave up,” Knight said. “After I was done, I had to tell myself, ‘You have to go out, you have 126 holes left. It’s only one round and you can either feel sorry for yourself and let this round define the tournament or you can persevere and fight through it.’”
Knight left the Crimson Tide women’s golf program early, making her Epson Tour debut at the Four Winds Invitational this season and therefore, forfeiting her final year of collegiate eligibility. In 15 starts on the official qualifying tour of the LPGA, Knight only missed one cut and captured a career-best tied for sixth finish in the Epson Tour Championship.
“I’ve gone through a lot, having to go back to Stage II and I’ve been in contention a few times so it’s really helped,” said Knight, a three-time Women’s Golf Coaches Association First Team All-American while at Alabama. “After Daytona, I was pretty disappointed since I had to go back [to Q-School]. It’s not ideal, but all these experiences have helped me for these six rounds that I’ve played so far. I’m very glad that first round happened because it showed that I can persevere.”
PLAYER NOTES
Sarah Schmelzel (1, -18)
- Schmelzel, 24, is from Phoenix, Ariz.
- Made cut in 18-of-21 starts on the Epson Tour in 2018; her second season on the Tour
- Had seven top-10 finishes on the Epson Tour in 2018; in her last five events, she had four top-five finishes to finish 13th on the Official Money List
- In 2018, she missed out on finishing inside the top-10 on the Epson Tour’s Money List and earning her LPGA card by just $2,584, but earned a spot in the inaugural LPGA Q-Series
- Schmelzel earned All-America Honorable Mention while at University of South Carolina and was a 2016 Golfweek All-American
- When Schmelzel was in fourth grade she watched Annika Sorenstam’s historic 59 at the 2001 Standard Register PING at her home course, Moon Valley Country Club
Jeongeun Lee6 (2, -16)
- Lee, 22, is from Yongin, Republic of Korea and has played on the KLPGA since 2015
- Lee is ranked No. 19 in the Rolex Rankings, the highest ranked player in the Q-Series field
- Lee has seven career victories on the KLPGA, including two wins in 2018 and is currently ranked No. 1 on the season money list
- She has six career starts on the LPGA Tour with two top-10 finishes, both coming in majors: T6 at the 2018 Evian Championship and T5 at the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open
- She’s the sixth player on the KLPGA with the name Jeongeun Lee, hence the number 6 in her name
- Her fan club in Korea is called ‘Lucky 6’
Jennifer Kupcho (3, -15)
- Kupcho, 21, is from Westminster, Colo. and is a senior at Wake Forest
- Has expressed her intentions to stay at Wake Forest and defer LPGA membership if she finishes inside the top-45
- Won the 2018 NCAA individual championship title; the first wire-to-wire NCAA Champion since 2002
- Played on the 2018 U.S. Curtis Cup and Palmer Cup Teams
- Has made three career starts on the LPGA, including two top-25 finishes (T16, 2018 Marathon Classic; T21, 2017 U.S. Women’s Open)
Klara Spilková (4, -14)
- Spilková, 23, is from Prague, Czech Republic and has played on the LET since 2011
- In 2017, Spilková became the first Czech winner on the LET with a win at the Lalla Meryem Cup
- Spilková represented the Czech Republic at the 2016 Rio Olympics, finishing T48
- She has made 16 career starts on the LPGA Tour with a career-best T50 finish at the 2018 Ricoh Women’s British Open
Mel Reid (5, -10)
- Reid, 31, is from Derby, England
- Reid joined the Ladies European Tour in 2008 and was named the Rookie of the Year
- She has six career wins on the LET, and 56 career top-10 finishes
- In 2018 on the LPGA, Reid made seven cuts in 20 starts with one top-10 finish
- Reid finished in a tie for eighth at the 2016 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament to earn Priority List Category 12 status for the 2017 LPGA Tour season
- Three-time European Solheim Cup team member (2011, 2015, 2017) with an overall record of 4-3-1
- Member of Team England in the 2016 UL International Crown, posting a 2-2-0 overall record
Lauren Stephenson (6, -9)
- Stephenson, 21, is from Lexington, S.C. and is a senior at Alabama
- Has made two starts on the LPGA, at the 2016 and 2017 U.S. Women’s Open, with a career-best T41 finish in 2017
- Played on the 2018 U.S. Curtis Cup and Palmer Cup Teams
- Named the Golfweek Player of the Year in 2018
- Held the No. 1 ranking in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings at the end of the 2017-18
- Won the Golfstat Cup in 2018 as the nation’s leading scorer with a school-record 69.76 average
Kristen Gillman (7, -6)
- Gillman, 21, junior at the University of Alabama and native of Austin, Texas
- 2014 and 2018 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion
- 2018 U.S. Palmer Cup team member, compiling a 3-1 record
- 2018 U.S. Curtis Cup team member, becoming the third player in the event’s history to go 5-0-0
- Two-time Women’s Golf Coaches Association First Team All-American and two-time First Team All-SEC
- Named the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2017 and member of the SEC All-Freshman Team that year
- Competed in the 2015 and 2018 U.S. Women’s Open, missing the cut and finishing T27, respectively
Anne-Catherine Tanguay (T8, -5)
- Tanguay, 27, is from Quebec City, Canada
- Made cut in 18-of-20 starts on the Epson Tour in 2017 with a win at the Garden City Charity Classic to finish eighth on the Epson Tour Money List and earn LPGA membership for the 2018 season
- In 2018 on the LPGA, made seven cuts in 17 starts with a season-best T16 finish at the Cambia Portland Classic in September
- Played two events on the Epson Tour in September and collected two top-20 finishes (T17 at the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout; T5 at the Guardian Championship)
- Finished T36 in the Final Stage of the 2015 LPGA Qualifying Tournament to first earn LPGA card in 2016
- A two-time All-Big 12 and honorable mention All-American performer at the University of Oklahoma
Jaclyn Lee (T8, -5)
- Lee, 21, is from Calgary, Canada and is a senior at Ohio State majoring in finance
- Lee is one of 11 amateurs in the LPGA Q-Series field
- In 2018, Lee was named a WGCA Second Team All-American and represented the Buckeyes on the First-Team All-Big Ten team
- As a junior, Lee collected three wins in collegiate competition and has already notched one win this season at the East & West Match Play Challenge in September
- Lee has made four career starts on the LPGA, including a T35 finish at the 2018 Meijer LPGA Classic where she was a sponsor’s invite
- Lee is a member of the Canadian National Team
Becca Huffer (T10, -4)
- Huffer, 28, is a native of Denver, Colorado
- Huffer qualified for the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open
- Won the 2013 Colorado Women’s Open and was runner-up in 2012
- Captured 2009 Big East Freshman of the Year honors and was a four-time All-Big East selection for the University of Notre Dame
- Made 21 starts on the Epson Tour in 2018 with three top-10 finishes
- Had a career-best solo second result in the inaugural Prasco Charity Championship at TPC River’s Bend in Maineville, Ohio
Jackie Stoelting (T10, -4)
- Stoelting, 32, is from Vero Beach, Fla.
- Finished third on the 2014 Epson Tour money list to earn LPGA Tour status for the first time in 2015
- Stoelting made seven cuts in 18 starts on the LPGA in 2018, recorded her first career top-10 finish with a T8 showing at the Volunteers of America LPGA Texas Classic, which was shortened to 36 holes
- Has four career Epson Tour wins and 28 career top-10 finishes, including a T6 finish at the 2018 Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout in September
- Won the Golf Channel reality series Big Break Florida in 2014
Kim Kaufman (T12, -2)
- Kaufman, 27, is from Clark, South Dakota
- Kaufman is a 2014 LPGA rookie
- In 2018, she has made nine cuts in 22 starts on the LPGA—her best finish was T23 at the LOTTE Championship presented by Hershey
- Kaufman’s best career finish is T2 at the 2015 Blue Bay LPGA
- Kaufman is a two-time winner on the Epson Tour – 2014 Volvik Championship and 2013 Island Resort Championship
- Kaufman was a two-time All-American (2012, 2013) while playing at Texas Tech University where she graduated in 2013 with a degree in Political Science
Katie Burnett (T12, -2)
- Burnett, 29, is from Brunswick, Georgia
- Burnett previously qualified for the Tour on her first attempt, finishing 25th at the 2012 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament
- She was named a 2012 Second-Team All-American and Honorable Mention selection in 2010 while she played at the University of South Caroline, where she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Psychology
Tiffany Chan (T14, -1)
- Chan, 25, is from Gong Kong, Hong Kong
- As a 2018 LPGA Tour rookie, Chan made eight cuts in 19 starts—her best finish was T41 at the CP Women’s Open
- Represented Hong Kong at the 2016 Rio Olympics, finishing 37th
- Finished runner-up at the 2017 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament to earn Priority List Category 12 status for the 2018 LPGA LPGA Tour season
- Won back-to-back NJCAA individual national titles in 2014 and 2015 at Daytona State College
Clariss Guce (T14, -1)
- 28, native of Artesia, California and graduate of California State University, Northridge
- Won the 2013 Red Rocks Invitational hosted by Northern Arizona and was named a Second Team All-Big West performer the same year
- Big West Player of the Year in 2014
- Two-time Epson Tour winner at the 2016 Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic and 2016 Decatur Forsyth Classic
- Made 20 starts on the Epson Tour in 2018 with 17 cuts made and five top-10 finishes, including a season-best T3 result in the Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY and IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa
Maddie McCrary (T14, -1)
- McCrary, 22, is from Wylie, Texas
- McCrary finished T30 at the 2017 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament to earn Priority Category 17 for the 2018 Tour season
- In 2018, McCrary made two cuts in 10 starts on the season—her best finish was T32 at the Volunteers of America LPGA Texas Classic; she made five cuts in her 10 Epson Tour starts—her best finish was T16 at Florida’s Natural Charity Classic
- While playing at Oklahoma State University, McCrary won the 2017 Windy City Individual Championship, recorded eight additional career top-5 finishes and was a three-time All-Big 12 honoree
Anne Van Dam (T14, -1)
- Van Dam, 23, is from Arnhem, Netherlands and has played on the LET since 2015
- She is a two-time winner on the LET, with seven career top-10 finishes and is currently third on the 2018 Order of Merit
- Van Dam has made 10 career starts on the LPGA, with a career-best T17 finish at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open
- Van Dam made nine starts on the Epson Tour in 2018 with two top-10 finishes
Nanna Koerstz Madsen (T14, -1)
- Koerstz Madsen, 23, from Smoerum, Denmark
- She is a 2017 Epson Tour graduate and 2018 LPGA Tour rookie
- 22 starts this season on LPGA with nine cuts made and a season-best T15 finish at Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic
- Three-time winner as Epson Tour rookie in 2017 led her to become the 12th player in Tour history to earn a “Battlefield Promotion” to the LPGA, playing in three events between late August and early September that year
- Owns the Epson Tour 72-hole scoring record of 22-under par, which she posted at the 2017 Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic
- Represented Denmark at the 2016 Rio Olympics, finishing T13
Alison Lee (19, E)
- Lee, 23, is from Los Angeles, California
- Lee was a member of the 2015 of the 2015 U.S. Solheim Cup Team, posting a 1-3-0 record
- She was a 2014 U.S. Curtis Cup Team member and two-time U.S. Junior Ryder Cup Team member (2010, 2012)
- Lee was a three-time member of the U.S. Solheim Cup Team helping the U.S. to three-consecutive wins (2009, 2011, 2013)
- She was the inaugural ANNIKA Award winner after her 2013-14 season at UCLA
- She earned 2014 WGCA All-American and Freshman of the Year along with Pac-12 Player and Freshman of the Year honor after winning the 2014 Pac-12 Championship
Kristy McPherson (20, +1)
- McPherson, 37, is from Conway, South Carolina
- McPherson was a 2013 rookie on the Epson Tour and made her debut on the LPGA in 2007
- She has two career victories: 2006 Jalapeno FUTURES Golf Classic and Betty Puskar FUTURES Golf Classic.
- McPherson has made 100 career starts on the LPGA Tour—her best finish was T15 at the 2013 Wegmans LPGA Championship
- She was an individual SEC Championship title holder (2001-02), three-time First-Team All-SEC and NCAA All-American selection from 2001-03 and was named NCAA Honda Inspirational Athlete of the Year while she was at the University South Carolina
NOTABLE QUOTES
Sarah Schmelzel (1, -18) on her feelings before the eighth round of Q-Series:
“It would mean a ton to win this overall and see all the hard work come together at the end. At the end of the day, just try to have fun and plug along and enjoy each shot, enjoy the moment that we have right now. I’m excited for this afternoon.”
Jeongeun Lee6 (2, -16) on what she will do after Q-Series:
“Shopping. I’m going to go shopping. I’m leaving on Sunday evening so I have a day to myself.”
Jeongeun Lee6 on who she has discussed her future with:
“Before I came here I asked a lot of players for advice and a lot of the players said to come out onto the LPGA Tour. I don’t think I really need to ask them anything else—I just need to talk to my family about my decision.”
Erynne Lee (T40, +7) on playing in rainy conditions for the seventh round:
“I’m from Washington state so this is nothing to me. It’s more therapeutic. It’s definitely a bonus to be done. I know there’s rain coming and some girls aren’t going to be able to finish today, so we just got the luck of the draw.”
Robyn Choi (T45, +8) on her seventh round performance:
“I think this course just suited me better. The first few days I didn’t see much, but after today hopefully I’ll play better tomorrow and secure my card. It’s a little nerve-racking because I have to play well again tomorrow, but then it’s exciting because I actually have a chance to get my card. So yeah, it’s both.”
Lori Beth Adams (T27, +4) on her seventh round 7-under par 65:
“All week my swing coach and my family kept telling me, ‘Just get out of your own way, you can do it.’ I got out of my own way, hitting it close and making putts, just enjoying the round and the rain. I was hitting it close to 6 or 7 feet on every hole and making those putts. It was an easy round.”
QUICK HITS
- Seven of the 11 amateurs—Robyn Choi (Colorado), Maria Fassi (Arkansas), Kristen Gillman (Alabama), Jennifer Kupcho (Wake Forest), Jaclyn Lee(Ohio State), Lauren Stephenson (Alabama), Suzuka Yamaguchi (Japan)—are currently inside the top-45 and ties mark of 8-over par.
- Of the players inside the top-45 and ties, 20 would be 2019 LPGA Tour rookies.
- 11 different countries are represented by players inside the top-26.
- 51 players who did complete the seventh round resumed play on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 7:50 a.m.
- Players will NOT be re-paired after 126 holes for round eight of Q-Series on Pinehurst No. 7, which started at 7:50 a.m. with groups going off No. 1 and No. 10 tees
- Doris Chen was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard to dwindle the field to 100 players.
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