Prairie Band Casino & Resort Charity Classic
Firekeeper Golf Course
Mayetta, Kansas
September 12, 2015
Second-Round News & Notes
MAYETTA, Kan., September 12, 2015 - Sara-Maude Juneau (Quebec, Canada) started with five pars and then turned it on to post a 5-under 67 to grab the lead at the Prairie Band Casino & Resort Charity Classic on Saturday. Juneau is 9-under 135, two strokes clear of Brittany Altomare (Schrewsbury, Massachusetts), Margarita Ramos (Mexico City, Mexico) and Christine Song (Fullerton, California). There are nine players within three shots of Juneau.
Juneau, Altomare and Ramos will play in the final group on Sunday at 12:20 p.m. A total of 76 players made the cut at 3-over-par.
After making a birdie on six and turning at 1-under for the day, Juneau birdied four of six holes to start the back nine. She closed with pars on her final three holes.
“I started a little slow, but I had an awesome group today with Brittany and Jessica (Wallace) and we were throwing birdies,” said Juneau, whose group combined for 17 birdies and just one bogey. “I told my caddie that I didn’t want to force things and eventually the putts started to go in.”
Last week, Juneau opened strong but faded. This week, she’s pleased with her consistency through 36-holes.
“Today, I was able to keep doing what I did on day one,” said the 27-year-old Juneau. “My goal was to hit fairways and greens and I did that. I really wanted a bogey-free round and I was happy my par putt on 18 rolled around and down.”
Juneau has two second place results, two third place results and 13 total top 10 finishes in her four-year Epson Tour career. She’ll take aim at her first win on Sunday.
“I know I’ve been in this position in college, but I’m not sure as a professional so tonight I’ll think about it a little,” said Juneau. “I need to make sure I don’t play match play against my group because that’s the wrong way to do it.”
The former Louisville golfer ranks 35th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list and a win would put her near the top 20.
“It would mean a lot (to win) because I’ve been working really hard,” said Juneau. “The year started a little iffy, but I kept grinding and hopefully it will all pay off. I’m just happy to be in the position.”
Juneau has some good mojo in her favor as she is rooming this week with Olivia Jordan-Higgins, who won the inaugural Prairie Band Casino & Resort Charity Classic.
PERFECTLY TUNED SONG THIS WEEK: Christine Song (Fullerton, Calif.) carded a 4-under 68 in round two and shares second place at 7-under. Song will aim for her fifth career Epson Tour win and first since August of 2013.
Song, who finished 8th on the money list in 2009, third in 2010 and fourth in 2013, started with three birdies on her front nine. After a bogey on hole five, she closed with birdies on six and nine.
“I hit a lot of greens today and I’m just feeling really comfortable with my swing the last few days,” said the 24-year-old Song, who has made just two cuts in six starts this year. “I was able to hit it close and make putts.”
Song has hit 27 of 28 fairways this week and attempted just 27 putts on Saturday.
“I feel really confident right now and played well last week,” said Song, who posted her best finish of the year at the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge, a tie for 36th. “I won in Mexico two weeks ago and the confidence is just growing.”
Song has made 45 career starts on the LPGA Tour. In 2014, she was forced to take a medical after suffering a back injury in June at the Shoprite LPGA Classic. While still feeling less than 100 percent, Song missed the cut in her first seven LPGA starts this year and has played on the Epson Tour ever since.
“My game is starting to get way better,” said Song. “First of all, I’m not hurt which is great and I’m
starting to get my distance back with the driver. I need the distance to compete on the LPGA again and even out here.”
After her injury in June, Song wasn’t able to grab a club for three months. Two weeks ago in Mexico, she finally started to feel healthy.
“I feel like I can now hit the ball where before I could just tap it,” said Song. “The last day in Mexico, I was hitting the ball well and I was like ‘I’m finally back’ and last week I was wondering if it was just one week, but I felt good last week too.”
If Song is able to win on Sunday, it won’t be her first victory in the state. She won the 2006 AJGA Wichita Wildcat Championship.
ALTOMARE AND RAMOS POST MATCHING FEMALE COURSE RECORDS: Brittany Altomare likes the second round of golf tournaments. Last week, she set the course record at Willow Run Golf Course with a second round 8-under 63. On Saturday, she tied the female course record at Firekeeper Golf Course with a 7-under 65 to match Margarita Ramos, who finished with a 65 in the group ahead of Altomare.
“Everything is clicking at once and I’m hitting it pretty well,” said the 25-year-old Altomare. “I’m excited because there are still five events left and I can definitely make a move. Sadena (Parks) made a run for it late last year and who knows what I can do.”
Altomare moved from a tie for 23rd to a tie for second with her record setting day. She currently ranks 29th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.
Ramos’ 7-under 65 is her best round on the Epson Tour. Just like Altomare, she moved from T23 to a tie for second.
“I actually started with a bogey and a hard working par and my caddie looked at me and said ‘why are you making this so complicated’, you need to have fun’,” said Ramos. “After that, it was just one of those days. I was standing on 18 adding up the birdies and was thinking ‘wow, I really made all those birdies’.”
Ramos has one top 10 finish this year and ranks 93rd on the money list.
“It’s fun to be in the last group and it has been awhile since I’ve been in this position,” said Ramos. “I’ve worked really hard and it’s nice to see it pay off.”
Ramos said she took some inspiration from Roberta Vinci’s upset victory over Serena Williams at the U.S. Open on Friday.
“I was watching Serena’s match yesterday and I was thinking this one girl that nobody knew did so well,” said Ramos. “That stayed in my mind and definitely was a source of motivation.”
ANNIE PARK GOES FOR A THIRD WIN: Annie Park is the only player on the Epson Tour with multiple wins this season. The 20-year-old posted a 4-under 68 on Saturday to move to 6-under 138 and just three off the lead. She won the Toyota Danielle Downey Classic and the PHC Classic this year and would become just the tenth player in Tour history to win three times in a single-season.
“After I missed a short putt on 17 I started to give up and then I started to make putts,” said Park, who missed a short par putt on nine to end her day. “I was hitting good shots so as soon as the putts started to drop I was able to score.”
Park caught fire on her back nine with birdies on one, two and three. She also made birdies on six and eight.
Interestingly enough, Park’s motivator for a third win is the opportunity to go back to school. She is taking 20 credit hours this semester and hasn’t had much time to focus on school. A third win would give her LPGA status in category 13 on the 2015 LPGA Priority List. More importantly, a win would secure a spot in the final top 10 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.
“It would be great to wrap it (LPGA card) up so I can go back to school and start attending classes again,” said Park. “I have so much school work to do and I’ve been procrastinating so much because of golf. In all seriousness, whatever the results are tomorrow, I’ll be happy with it.”
Although it might be unrealistic because of golf, Park hopes to graduate after next semester.
Park currently ranks fourth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list and has earned over $50,000 in just eight starts. She has finished inside the top 15 in six straight events.
LPGA VET MINDY KIM IN HUNT FOR WIN: Mindy Kim, 26, finished second on the Volvik Race for the Card money list in 2008 with three wins and has been playing on the LPGA Tour ever since. In 104 LPGA starts, she has seven top 10 finishes including a tie for fourth at the 2013 Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic. Kim has been in a self-described “two year slump” and has played exclusively on the Epson Tour this year.
On Saturday, she posted a 2-under 70 and is 6-under for the tournament.
“It’s very nice to see my name up on the leaderboard, it has been awhile,” said Kim. “I’m very excited about tomorrow so I’m going to need to calm down.”
Kim admits that it was hard to come to terms with the fact that she had to come down to the Epson Tour after six years on the LPGA.
“The moment I realized I was coming back to the Epson Tour was tough,” said Kim. “It’s (Epson Tour) not like it was eight years ago, there are more rules officials and the Tour has come a long way. Everyone has been very nice.”
At this point of the year, Kim is just trying to develop some confidence for Final Stage of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament. She’s also currently working with a new coach, Jin Park, who plays on the Web.com Tour.
GINGER HOWARD IN CONTENTION FOR NUMBER ONE: Ginger Howard (Bradenton, Florida) has four top 10 finishes including a second and third place result in four years, but no wins. The 21-year-old carded a 1-under 71 on Saturday to move to 6-under 138 to give herself a chance at a win.
“I haven’t seen my name on the leaderboard in awhile so it’s nice,” said Howard, whose lone top 10 finish came in early March at the Volvik Championship. “I just kept telling myself that it is a matter of time and that it is a process. It’s better late than never.”
“My only goal as a professional golfer is to be in contention.”
Howard currently ranks 49th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list and said that her goal right now is to get primed for LPGA Qualifying Tournament.
“A win or a good finish would mean I’m doing what I need to be doing and I’m on the right track,” said Howard. “I want to have a win or some good finishes in the last few events.”
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