KANSAS CITY, Mo., July 29, 2016 - Jackie Stoelting (Vero Beach, Florida) tied the Staley Farms course record with a 17-foot birdie putt on 18 to post a 7-under, 65 to lead the Kansas City Championship by one shot. Stoelting will aim for her third win of the season this weekend. Laura Gonzalez Escallon (La Hulpe, Belgium), who won last week, is in second at 6-under, 66 while Emma Jandel (Dayton, Ohio) and Liv Cheng (Auckland, New Zealand) are tied for third at 5-under, 67.
“65 is always a good number and it is my low round of the year,” said Stoelting, who ranks third on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. “I started off really well with birdies on two through five which helped me early. I also made some really good par saves coming in.”
The four-time Epson Tour winner ended her bogey-free day with a fist pump after draining her final putt of the day.
“I had 17-feet down the hill and I said ‘OK, just get it started’ and I actually hit it way too firm,” explained Stoelting. “The first thing I said was ‘hit the hole, hit the hole, hit the hole’ and fortunately it went in. When things like that happen, it is your day and it was definitely my day today.”
Stoelting won back-to-back tournaments earlier this year at the Fuccillo Kia Championship at Capital Hills and the Four Winds Invitational. After her round, she admitted losing a little focus of late and now wants to get a third win.
“I think the last couple weeks, I lost my focus a little bit and at Rochester I didn’t play well the second day and I let it creep in my mind if I had made enough money to secure my card,” said Stoelting, who missed the cut for just the second time this season. “I was talking to my husband, Travis, last night and I was like sometimes I forget that I’m just one win from getting right onto the LPGA and there are still a couple events I could get into.”
If Stoelting wins this weekend, she would earn a “Battlefield Promotion” to the LPGA. A win would also move her closer to stamping a full-time ticket to the LPGA for 2017.
Stoelting graduated from the Epson Tour to the LPGA in 2014 by finishing third on the money list. She played on the LPGA in 2015, but lost her full status.
Stoelting’s putter was hot all day. She attempted just 27 putts and hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation.
Stoelting said the greens at Staley Farms reminded her of the greens at Mystic Creek, home of the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout, an event she won last year.
GONZALEZ ESCALLON NOW BOGEY-FREE IN 60 STRAIGHT HOLES: Laura Gonzalez Escallon’s golf game is on another level of late. She posted a 6-under, 66 on Friday, her fourth consecutive under-par round. She is coming off a win last week at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship and is 21-under in her last three rounds.
Gonzalez Escallon has now gone 60 consecutive holes without making a bogey dating back to the final-round of the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic.
The 25-year-old put an exclamation point on her round with a 15-foot downhill putt on 18 to close at 6-under.
“It was important to make the last one, I had a downhill putt so I just touched it and it rolled around and went in from the back door,” explained Gonzalez Escallon. “I hit my irons really well so that gave me a lot of opportunities and I was able to leave myself putts from the correct side.”
Gonzalez Escallon jumped from 38th to 16th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list with her win last week and her confidence continues to blossom.
“I feel like I’m swinging it well and I can be aggressive,” said Gonzalez Escallon. “My putting and chipping are in a good place and I’m confident so I’m just going out there and having fun. Having fun is the key.”
Gonzalez Escallon said this stretch of golf is the best she has played since winning Stage I of LPGA Qualifying Tournament after graduating from Purdue.
Gonzalez Escallon has three top 10 finishes this season, but just wasn’t scoring the way she knew she could until last week.
Gonzalez Escallon, who became the first Belgium native to win in Tour history, has been in Kansas City just once before. She played in a pro-am in last year.
“I really like the golf course, but the greens are tricky and they really make you think,” said Gonzalez Escallon. “Overall, it suits my game and even during the practice round I had a feeling I could play well.”
CONNELLY CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY WITH 2-UNDER: Stephanie Connelly (Pasadena, Md.) celebrated her 29th birthday with her host family last night. On Friday, her actual birthday, she posted a 2-under, 70 and stands in a tie for 13th.
“My host family made a cake, got me flowers and a balloon and organized a dinner at their friends house and it was just really sweet,” said Connelly, who is staying with Marilyn and Gary McCullough. “The card was really sweet and it said we just met you, but it has been great having you this week. We’ve made some awesome friendships and we’re so lucky to have the host housing we do. When they go above and beyond, it makes you feel special.”
LIV CHENG MOVING PAST OLYMPICS: Liv Cheng (Auckland, New Zealand) nearly qualified for the 2016 Olympic Games. Although disapointed she fell short, she is ready to move forward and focus on trying to climb the Volvik Race for the Card money list. On Friday, she took a step in the right direction with a 5-under, 67 to stand in a tie for third.
“I putted well, which definitely helped me score well,” said Cheng, who ranks 56th on the money list. “I hit my approach shots close and gave myself chances. I was able to roll a few in.”
Cheng’s best finish this season is a tie for 11th at the Epson Classic.
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