This week’s field is packed with 120 exciting players aiming to get off to a strong start in the Volvik Race for the Card. The top-10 finishers on the Epson Tour will receive their fully exempt LPGA Tour cards for the 2015 season.
A cut will be made after 36 holes to the low 70 scores and ties.
WOODS AIMS FOR FIRST WIN: Tiger Woods’ niece, Cheyenne, is a Epson Tour rookie in 2014. Woods collected her first win on a major professional tour on February 9 at the Volvik RACV Australia Ladies Masters, an event co-sanctioned by Ladies European Tour (LET) and the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour (ALPG). The Phoenix native won back-to-back Arizona 5A state championships in 2006 and 2007 at Xavier College Preparatory High School.
Q&A with Cheyenne Woods...
Question: What was it like to get your season off to a great start in Australia?
Cheyenne: It was great. First of all, to be able to start my year off in Australia was perfect. It was nice and hot, which is weather I love. Now, we are back in Phoenix so I’ve had a great few weeks. So, it was great to start off my year that way and I’m looking forward to playing this weekend.
Question: What does it mean to you to kick off the Epson Tour season right outside your hometown of Phoenix?
Cheyenne: It’s really special because my family is going to come out and they haven’t really seen me compete a lot. So, they’ll be able to come out and watch. I’ve played Longbow Golf Club a few times growing up so it is good to be on familiar territory.
Question: Your uncle, Tiger, sent a congratulatory tweet after your big win in Australia. What did that mean to you?
Cheyenne: It was pretty cool to know that he was watching round after round after round and watching live scoring. It felt good to know that he was supporting. Sending the tweet was cool and then all my Twitter mentions got crazy, I couldn’t even look at them all. I think he (Tiger) was the reason I got 7,000 extra followers, so thank you for that.
Question: You also played in the LPGA event in Australia. What did that do for you?
Cheyenne: After the win, I just felt very good with where my game was. I was very confident with how my game was. Going into the LPGA event (ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open), I knew that I was able to play well. The course was difficult, the conditions were tough, but being able to play next to Laura Davies and Brittany Lincicome and I was paired with Stacy Lewis and Carlota Ciganda. It was just a great experience and I think I took a lot out of it and hopefully will be able to carry it on to Epson Tour this year.
Question: What was your decision behind choosing to play primarily on the Epson Tour?
Cheyenne: For me, it was the best option of getting to the LPGA. I played European Tour and it was a great experience. I played the whole season and was able to travel and then this year, I really wanted to focus on Epson Tour. I want to play every event that I can and hope to be top-ten on the money list at the end of the year.
SARA BROWN RETURNS: Tucson, Ariz. native and Epson Tour veteran Sara Brown will return to the golf course for the first time in eight months after taking a medical midway through the 2013 season.
“I’m so excited to get back on the course,” said Brown. “I haven’t played in any tournaments or hit clubs until about two months ago.”
Brown suffered through Kidney Stones last year and eventually took a medical after seven events.
“My doctor told me to take it easy because of how hot it was,” said Brown. “He told me that I need to drink more water so I had to keep hydrating and I kind of took the time off to get better for myself and my health.”
Admittedly, Brown is a bit nervous about returning to the course after the 8-month hiatus.
“I’m not going to lie, I haven’t golfed in eight months and I’m a little nervous,” said Brown with a chuckle. “It’s great because I have friends out here and I see familiar faces and I feel a little more at ease, but it’s like I’m starting fresh and new.”
The 28-year old also learned a lot about herself during her time away from the game she loves.
“I enjoyed my time at home, yes golf is what I love, but I also loved being able to have a home, sleep in my bed and hang out with my friends in Tucson,” said Brown. “I enjoyed doing the normal life type stuff, but then it got to the point where I was seeing posts on Facebook and Twitter and I missed being out here.”
Brown, who got married in the off-season, is excited to play in her home state.
“It’s awesome to be in Arizona,” said Brown. “I played in this tournament last year and everyone here at Longbow is amazing and Visit Mesa is awesome.”
Brown is excited to have her friends and family come watch her play.
DEFENDING CHAMP SWEENEY IS HERE: Jaclyn Sweeney won the inaugural Visit Mesa Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club last year and is in the field this year. She finished tenth on the Epson Tour money list and thus received her LPGA Tour card. Sweeney wasn’t in the field for this week’s LPGA event, the Honda LPGA Thailand, so she is playing in the first Epson Tour event.
Sweeney played in the first two LPGA events this year. She finished T74 at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open and missed the cut at the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic.
GRAND CANYON STATE REPRESENTS: The 2014 Epson Tour opener will have a strong local representation as six Arizona natives will compete at the Visit Mesa Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club. The six players from the Grand Canyon state are Sara Brown (Tucson), Cara Freeman (Chandler), Taylore Karle (Scottsdale), Sadena Parks (Scottsdale), Tiffany Tavee (Tempe) and Cheyenne Woods (Phoenix).
THREE BIG BREAK FLORIDA CONTESTANTS: The Golf Channel’s new Big Break series, which premieres on February 24, will feature three players who are in the field at the Visit Mesa Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club. Jackie Stoelting, Mary Narzisi and Sadena Parks are all in the field and will be showcased on upcoming season of Big Break Florida.
SUN DEVILS SET TO SHINE: Two former Arizona State Sun Devils will compete in the Visit Mesa Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club - Jaclyn Sweeney and Tiffany Tavee. Sweeney is the defending Visit Mesa Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club champion. Sweeney was a member of the 2009 NCAA Championship team at ASU. Tavee earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors following her 2004-05 year at ASU.
PRESSEL LOOKING TO JOIN LPGA SISTER: Epson Tour rookie Madison Pressel is the younger sister of LPGA Tour member Morgan Pressel. Madison, 22, turned professional in 2013 and played in two events. She finished T11 at the 2013 Credit Union Classic in Syracuse, N.Y. She played her college golf at the University of Texas and was the 2011 Big 12 Conference Player of the Year.
After two LPGA events, Morgan is currently 11th on the money list. She finished tied for sixth at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open and tied for 11th in the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. Her most recent LPGA win was at the Kapalua LPGA Classic in 2008.
11-15 ON EPSON MONEY LIST IN 2013 ARE BACK: Four players that finished just outside the top 10 in the 2013 Volvik Race for the Card to gain exemption into the LPGA Tour are competing in this year’s season-opener. Olivia JordanHiggins (No. 11), Kim Kaufman (No. 12), Melissa Eaton (No. 13) and Laura Kueny (No. 14) are all scheduled to tee off at Longbow Country Club. Jordan-Higgins missed the top-ten last year by less than $200.
24 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES: This week’s field in Mesa features players from 24 different countries outside the United States. There are nine players from Canada (Angela Buzminski, Natalie Gleadall, Sara-Maude Juneau, Lisa Meldrum, Samantha Richdale, Erica Rivard, Alena Sharp, Stephanie Sherlock & Nicole Vandermade).
22 PLAYERS WITH LPGA TOUR STATUS: The field also features 22 players with LPGA Tour status.
TWO FORMER BIG BREAK MEXICO PLAYERS IN FIELD: The first Epson event will feature two players that appeared on Big Break Mexico. Stefanie Kenoyer and Emily Talley both appeared on Big Break Mexico.
Kenoyer and Talley also both appeared on Big Break NFL Puerto Rico.
)
)
)
)
