REE CAPTURES 35TH ANNUAL CDPHP OPEN TITLE
She started the final round one shot back of the lead, but when the dust settled this afternoon it was Robynn Ree (Redondo Beach, California) raising The CDPHP Open trophy in Albany, N.Y. at Capital Hills Golf Course after a 4-under par 67 effort.
It is the maiden professional win for Ree, a rookie on the LPGA Tour in 2018. The University of Southern California alumna also steps into the winner’s circle for the first time since capturing the 2017 East Lake Cup individual title for the Trojans.
“It’s awesome and I’m still in awe,” said Ree. “I can’t believe it actually happened and I’m just so happy right now. I tried not to think about where I was at. The more I think, the more nervous I get. Just stayed calm and hit one shot at a time. My game is coming together, better late than never and putting is really getting there. It is all feeling good.”
SON CONTINUES IMPRESSIVE ROOKIE CAMPAIGN
Another outstanding performance in The CDPHP Open came courtesy of Yujeong Son (Busan, Republic of Korea). The 18-year-old secured her fourth straight top-10 finish with a 4-under par 67 today in the Capital Region.
For a rookie, Son has demonstrated a maturity beyond her years to consistently maintain a position near the top of the leaderboard over the last several events and meet demands of newfound expectations.
“It gives me a lot of confidence going into the last seven events,” said Son, who held the solo advantage at one point this afternoon. “I’m pretty worn out and this off week will be really good for me. Even so, I’m excited for what’s ahead. I try not to think how tired I am throughout a round. If I concentrate then I forget. Playing all these under par rounds, I just focus hole-by-hole which really helps.”
VOLVIK RACE FOR THE CARD STANDINGS AFTER WEEK SIXTEEN
Following the 16th tournament of the 2019 Epson Tour season, the Volvik Race for the Card welcomes a fresh top-10.
The victory and $18,750 winner’s check move Ree up eight spots to No. 11, having earned $53,437 across 12 starts this season. Here is a look at the current top-10 heading into the fifth annual PHC Classic at Brown Deer Park Golf Course in Glendale, Wis. from August 9-11:
1. Perrine Delacour (Paris, France) - $113,501
2. Jillian Hollis (Rocky River, Ohio) - $93,821
3. Leona Maguire (County Cavan, Ireland) - $84,149
4. Patty Tavatanakit (Bangkok, Thailand) - $75,646
5. Julieta Granada (Asuncion, Paraguay) - $70,837
6. Ssu-Chia Cheng (Taipei, Chinese Taipei) - $62,553
7. Jenny Coleman (Rolling Hills Estates, California) - $61,350
8. Esther Lee (Los Alamitos, California) - $60,033
9. Nuria Iturrioz (Mallorca, Spain) - $57,990
10. Min Seo Kwak (Seoul, Republic of Korea) - $56,710
NOTABLE QUOTES
Holly Clyburn (-12, T2) on her overall performance in Albany:
“I’m very happy, pretty speechless at the moment. Played solid, had one blip of a hole and that probably cost me. Other than that, I couldn’t have asked anything better of myself, really. I played great from first to the 18th today. I suppose it has been an amazing week and nearly took that monkey off me back, just about grabbed it. Congratulations to Robynn, she played great.”
Maude-Aimee Leblanc (-12, T2) on the momentum to draw from the result:
“I like where my game is at right now and it was fun today being in the final group. It was nice to get a feel for that, hopefully to use over the next seven events. Just a lot of positives to takes from this week. Had a couple bad breaks this afternoon, but overall it was solid.”
Ingrid Gutierrez Nunez (-10, T7) on what she learned playing in the final pairing:
“I hit all greens [in regulation] on the front nine, but didn’t make a birdie. That was a little frustrating, but I learned to be patient. Then two birdies lipped out and at the end I missed two putts for par that were pretty important. I feel a little disappointed, but at the same time really happy about being in the situation and having not a bad score.”
PLAYER NOTES
Robynn Ree
- Ree, 22, is a native of Redondo Beach, California
- Qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open Championship in 2015 as an amateur
- All-Pac 12 First Team member for University of Southern California as freshman in 2016
- Also named 2016 Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Second Team All-American
- Captured the 2017 East Lake Cup women’s individual title, her final tournament with Trojans
- Continues to study real estate development and take classes through USC in pursuit of degree
- Finished T5 at the Final Stage of the 2017 LPGA Qualifying Tournament to earn Priority List Category 12 membership for the 2018 LPGA Tour season
- Competed in 21 events as rookie on the LPGA Tour in 2018 and played the weekend 10 times with season-best T9 performance at the Cambia Portland Classic
- Stepped into winner’s circle for the first time in professional career at the 2019 CDPHP Open on Capital Hills Golf Course thanks to overall score of 13-under par
- Total of 12 starts so far in first year on Epson Tour, earning eight top-15s and four top-10s
)
)
)
)
