Epson Classic
Raintree Country Club
Charlotte, N.C.
May 24, 2014
Final Round News & Notes
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, MAY 24, 2014 – Mallory Blackwelder shot the low round of the final round, a 5-under 67, to post 10-under for the tournament and capture a two-shot victory over Emily Talley at the 2014 Epson Classic at Raintree Country Club in Charlotte. The win was the first of Blackwelder’s career.
“It feels amazing,” Blackwelder said. “I have been thinking about this moment for a long long time and it’s really surreal. I didn’t look at the leaderboard on the back nine so I wasn’t really sure what kind of position I was in. I knew obviously that I was playing great so walking up to the 18th I saw that I had a three shot lead and I was on the green so I knew that I was on cruise control and that just felt amazing.”
The Kentuckian followed up rounds of 69 and 70 with the 67 to take home the first place check of $15,000. The victory moves Blackwelder into the top-10 on the Volvik Race For The Card money list at sixth, up from the 24th position that she occupied entering the week.
“I just played really solid all week,” Blackwelder said. “Last week my mom came, who’s pretty much my swing coach and teacher, she came on Sunday to Asheville and we worked on my short game a lot. I had a lot of easy up-and-downs last week but I wasn’t converting so we just made a few tweaks. I changed my putting setup a little bit. My posture had just gotten a little slumped so I just stood taller to it this week. I putted great and I hit the ball great so I played almost flawlessly with the exception of the bogey on the first hole.”
Blackwelder’s mother stayed around the Tar heel state following the lesson in Asheville and was able to witness her daughter capturing her first tile on the Epson Tour.
“It just couldn’t be better. She hasn’t gotten to watch me play a whole lot the last couple of years so it’s just amazing that she could be here,” Blackwelder explained. “Once I kind of knew that I was winning I kind of flashed back to when I won the Kentucky High School state tournament by 10 shots and she was there and we were crying after the round. It just means so much that she’s here. She has put her heart and soul into my career and made a lot of sacrifices and it’s just really special for her to be here.”
While her mother was in attendance for the win, several of her other family members who are involved in golf followed from afar, including her brother Myles Blackwelder who is on the bag for Jodi Ewart Shadoff in the LPGA event in Mobile.
“Hopefully she didn’t mind,” Blackwelder joked of her brother asking Ewart Shadoff for updates. “That’s awesome. We are a huge golf family obviously and everybody knows what’s going on. I’m sure that as soon as my fiancée got done on the golf course today, he caddies for Graham DeLett, I’m sure he was hearing from mom and my dad’s player missed the cut this week so I know he was probably checking the leaderboard every five seconds. It’s just awesome that we’re all so involved and that we understand what each other do because this is a very weird life that we live. Tour life is very strange so the fact that I have so many people who truly understand what I’m trying to do and who really support me is just awesome.”
While Blackwelder obviously felt the support and love from her family she also felt it from her fellow players on the Epson Tour, several of whom stuck around to douse her with water following her win.
“That was awesome,” Blackwelder said of the celebration. “It’s funny because I really honestly, I know this sounds crazy, but I was picturing that this week. I was picturing getting water dumped on me. I just feel really comfortable with this golf course. I’m not really sure what it is about it but I honestly was picturing that. I told my mom that last night and I obviously I wasn’t trying to get ahead of myself but that comforting knowing that I was comfortable with the idea of me winning and that it didn’t make me nervous. It’s just awesome that my girls came to support me. Some of my best friends are out here and it’s just really awesome.”
Talley finished solo second with an 8-under total while Min Seo Kwak and Kendall Dye placed third and fourth respectively with scores of 7-under and 6-under.
Defending champion Laura Kueny finished in a tie for 46th at 3-over.
CLUTCH PUTT FROM TALLEY LEADS TO SOLO SECOND: Emily Talley buried a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to claim a solo second place finish at this week’s Epson Classic. The Colorado graduate finished her tournament at 8-under after a final round 68 (-4).
“I’d never made a putt like that in a situation like that so that was really fun,” Talley said. “That was huge. At the end of the day we’re out here to make a lot of money first of all and move up that leaderboard and up the money list. Seeing Min Seo Kwak make her putt to move to 7-under and tie me I knew that I had to make it.”
Talley came to the 18th tied for second with Kwak after the Korean holed a birdie of her own at the 54th hole.
“I just aimed right edge and said ‘hammer it’ and that was so much fun to see it go in. It was so cool.”
The runner-up finish was the best of Talley’s career and came with a check for $9,272 which moved her into the top-10 on the Volvik Race For The Card money list at ninth, up from the 21st position that she occupied entering the week.
“Yeah it’s for second place but Mallory was untouchable today,” Talley admitted. “Every putt I made it she made it. Every key par I made she’d make birdie so it was really cool to be a part of that and to watch it happen. She’s a really good friend of mine so you’re cheering her on coming down 16 and 17. I love these girls out here and I’m just so happy to see a friend of mine win and win in style like she did.”
While the Epson Tour is off next week, Talley will be in action on the LPGA Tour at the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer competing as a sponsor’s exemption thanks to her win on Big Break NFL.
BLACKWELDER HAS SHORT DRIVE TO THE TOP-5: In addition to the $15,000 first place check for her win, Mallory Blackwelder also took home $1,000 for the Short Drive to the Top-5 which was presented to the player who finished in the top-5 on the leaderboard and had the shortest average driving distance for the week. Blackwelder finished her week with an averaging driving distance of 238 yards. The $1,000 prize was generously donated by Bob Mayberry Hundai.
BLACKWELDER HAS TIFOSI LOW ROUND: Mallory Blackwelder’s 5-under round was also good for the the Tifosi Optics Low Round award.
Blackwelder will receive a free pair of Tifosi Optics sunglasses for winning the Tifosi Optics Low Round award.
Tifosi Optics is the official sunglasses provider of the Epson Tour.
USO INVOLVEMENT AT EPSON CLASSIC: This week’s primary charitable partner for the Epson Classic was the United Service Organizations of North Carolina (USO-NC). As part of the partnership, servicemen and women took part in numerous events throughout the week at Raintree Country Club.
Prior to the opening round of the Epson Classic on Thursday morning, members of the Marines, Air Force, Navy and Army hit ceremonial first drives to open the tournament.
On Friday, Epson Tour players and staff wore red in support of RED Friday. RED stands for R-remember, E-everyone, D-deployed.
Today, the 18th green featured a U.S. Flag on the pin with Staff Sergeant Odom tending as the players completed their final rounds.
The United Service Organizations of North Carolina (USO-NC), founded in 1941, is the lead organization charged with supporting military servicemen and women in the state of North Carolina. For more information on the USO-NC please visit - http://uso-nc.org/.
Media Contact
Matt Haas, Coordinator, Tour Media, matt.haas@lpga.com, 386-679-4770
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