BATTLE CREEK, Michigan, July 29, 2017 - Benyapa “Gift” Niphatsophon (Bangkok, Thailand) made four straight birdies to end her round to vault into the lead on Saturday at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship at Battle Creek Country Club. Niphatsophon posted a 7-under, 65 to get to 9-under, 135 and takes a two-stroke lead into Sunday. Niphatsophon birdied seven of her final ten holes and is in position for her first win.
The cut was made at 2-over, 146 and exactly 60 players will tee it up on Sunday.
The 20-year-old is two shots clear of Erynne Lee (Silverdale, Washington) and Celine Boutier (Montrouge, France). Both Lee and Boutier have won this season and rank inside the top five on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. Mia Piccio (Bacolod City, Philippines) and Lindsey Weaver (Bellefontaine, Ohio) are three shots off the pace at 6-under, 138.
Battle Creek Country Club has found the top three players in the event through the first 36 holes. Heading into Sunday, the top three of Niphatsophon, Boutier and Lee are number’s two, three and four on the money list. All three have a chance to virtually wrap up an LPGA Tour card with the first-place payout of $15,000 on Sunday. Niphatsophon and Lee will tee in the final group at 12:20 p.m. while Boutier and Weaver will tee at 12:10.
Niphatsophon’s standing on the money list is most impressive considering she has accumulated $71,938 without the benefit of a victory. She has seven top 10 finishes in 12 starts and has finished outside the top 25 just one time. She has three second place finishes.
“Same mentality for Sunday,” said Niphatsophon, who also hit a 40-foot bomb on hole 13 for birdie to re-energize herself for the stretch run. “I don’t want to think about the results, I just want to play fast and try and win.”
She shot a 65 even with a double-bogey on the par-3 eighth hole when she over shot the green.
“She responded very nicely after that,” said her caddie, Adam Josephson. “The bomb on 13 really got her going again.”
Niphatsophon finished T19 at Final Stage of Qualifying Tournament in 2015 to earn her full-time LPGA Tour card for the 2016 season. She made eight cuts in 18 starts last year on the big tour, but failed to retain her card. She dealt with a wrist injury.
Fully healthy, Niphatsophon has had a tremendous amount of success in 2017.
She has made 12 birdies, one bogey and one double this week.
Lee, who won two weeks ago and finished fourth last week, will play in the final group for a third straight Sunday. Lee closed her round with birdies on holes 17 and 18.
“It’s just the same old routine as these past two days and the last couple of weeks,” said Lee. “I have been striking it really well, but I missed a lot of putts today so that was a little frustrating. I’ve just got to try and make putts Sunday and use it as momentum.”
There are eight players within four shots of the lead.
)
)
)
)
