Emily Tubert (Burbank, Calif.) carded a 5-under 67 and birdied her final three holes of the day to vault into a three shot lead at the Four Winds Invitational on Saturday at Blackthorn Golf Club. Tubert stands at 7-under, 137, and has her sights set on her first career win. Nelly Korda (Bradenton, Fla.), Marissa Steen (West Chester, Ohio), Marina Choi (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Erica Popson (Davenport, Fla.) share second place at 4-under, 140.
Final-round play will begin at 9:00 a.m. from both the first and tenth tees. The final group of Tubert, Steen and Choi will tee at 11:01 a.m. The trophy ceremony will take place on the 18th green at approximately 3:45 p.m.
Tubert, 24, started the day with three pars and then rattled off three birdies in a four hole stretch on her outward nine. After her lone bogey of the day on three, she made birdies on seven, eight and nine to end the day.
On the ninth hole, she hit her best shot of the day. On the par-5, she had 266-yards to the pin with her second shot and blasted a 3-wood that rolled right past the pin and settled just beyond the green. After nearly chipping in for eagle, she tapped in for birdie.
“I felt very comfortable out there although I did get a little nervous because I haven’t been in this situation in awhile,” said Tubert. “Overall, my game seems to be shaping up. Honestly, this entire season, I feel like I have played so much better than I have scored. It is great to finally have a round that reflects how I am playing.”
Tubert has a soft spot for South Bend because she won the 2010 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship held at Warren Golf Club at Notre Dame.
“I have a soft spot for South Bend and yesterday I actually decided to stop by the Warren Golf Club because I haven’t been there in six years,” said Tubert. “I just wanted to get some of the warm and fuzzy feelings, it was definitely a special week and I absolutely think it is what launched my golf career.”
Tubert won three times her freshman year at Arkansas and was the number seven ranked player in the country. She went onto become a three-time All-American and won the 2014 Dinah Shore Trophy.
Unfortunately, Tubert lost confidence towards the end of the her college career and struggled as a rookie on the Epson Tour in 2015 with just one top 10 finish.
“Last year, I played very afraid and I have been working hard to shake that,” said Tubert. “I’m almost back to Emily Tubert golf that I used to play. I felt very comforted after the visit to Warren and I played fearless.”
Tubert has won at every level - amateur, college, Cactus Tour, Arizona State Open - but she has never won on the Epson Tour.
“Every event you enter, you should have the intention of winning,” said Tubert. “I would love to play well. I’ve been making a lot of changes in my game for the better and I’ve been seeing results. My mindset is so much different now than it was last year. I would love to play well and it’s Father’s Day so that would be a bonus.”
Tubert’s father, Marcelo, is an actor.
Tubert, a broadcast journalism major at Arkansas, was a contestant on the Golf Channel reality show Big Break Myrtle Beach.
Her caddy this week is Ball State golfer Michael Makris, who is from Mishawaka and played at Marian High School.
)
)
)
)
