NORTH CAROLINA NATIVE WEARN MAKES LEAP UP LEADERBOARD
The defending Epson Tour Championship champion Laura Wearn (Charlotte, North Carolina) is in the hunt to repeat. She turned in a 5-under par 67 in the second round at River Run Country Club and shares the 36-hole lead of 5-under overall with Frida Kinhult (Fiskebackskil, Sweden).
“I made a couple awesome putts and had a chip-in,” said Wearn, who is No. 10 in the Volvik Race for the Card. “Things felt really good today and I hope I can continue it. Obviously, there’s a little bit of pressure, but I know that I have to have a really good week to get into the top five. I haven’t really thought much about it, just try and play golf.”
Wearn entered the week $5,004 back of Peiyun Chien (Pingtung, Chinese Taipei) at No. 5 in the Volvik Race for the Card. She needs a finish of at least solo seventh or better to have a chance of jumping into the top five.
Even though River Run Country Club in Davidson, N.C., is hosting the Epson Tour Championship this week for the first time in tournament history, a change in venue does not alter the approach for Wearn. The Furman University alumna understands the stakes.
“It does feel like a different tournament than the Tour Championship just because we usually play it in Daytona [Beach], but it’s the last tournament so hoping to finish the year really well,” Wearn said. “The day started poorly, but I hit a really good iron shot on the 15th hole that turned everything around. The first couple holes I was definitely concerned, I didn’t hit very many good shots. It was nice to get going.”
KINHULT KEEPS SHARE OF EPSON TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD
Sharing the Epson Tour Championship lead for a second straight day at River Run Country Club is Frida Kinhult. The Florida State University alumna carded a 1-under par 71 today to reach 5-under overall.
“It was a good day. Started off great again, made two really long putts in the beginning of my round to get going,” said Kinhult, who recorded five birdies. “Then I missed a couple on the wrong side and it hurts on this course, but I tried to keep going for every pin. I think that is what you have to do out here to finish at the top this week, don’t be scared of going for pins even if they are tucked. You have to find ways to make birdies. I tried not to think of the consequences and just go for it.”
With her mom Ingela joining her in Davidson, N.C. and serving as caddy, Team Kinhult has found a nice rhythm. They’ll look to continue the momentum tomorrow at 10:09 a.m. ET off No. 1 tee.
“She’s pretty quiet on the bag, I make the decisions,” Kinhult said with a smile. “It is really nice to have her push the [pull] cart and I can have time to focus on shots, stats, save some energy.”
PROJECTED VOLVIK RACE FOR THE CARD TOP FIVE
The Epson Tour annually awards LPGA Tour membership to the top players on the Volvik Race for the Card money list at the end of the season and will usher in the next graduating class on Friday once the Epson Tour Championship concludes to cap 10 events on the 2020 calendar.
From 1999-2002, the official qualifying tour of the LPGA handed out three cards. Then from 2003-2007, that number increased to five before 10 were distributed starting in 2008. Five cards will be awarded at the end of the Epson Tour Championship based on the total number of events on the restructured schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the inaugural year, a total of 157 players have graduated to the big stage. This year, the top five also earn exemption into the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open contested at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas from Dec. 10-13.
With no positions officially secured, the battle in the Volvik Race for the Card top five is as heated as ever. Below is a projection of the top-10 based on the current Epson Tour Championship leaderboard, along with each individual’s projected season money earnings total.
Projections based on Wearn winning and Kinhult finishing runner-up at the Epson Tour Championship:
1. Laura Wearn (Charlotte, North Carolina) - $57,816
2. Ana Belac (Portoroz, Slovenia) - $48,630
3. Fatima Fernandez Cano (Santiago de Compostela, Spain) - $48,069
4. Kim Kaufman (Clark, South Dakota) - $43,588
5. Bailey Tardy (Norcross, Georgia) - $40,982
6. Peiyun Chien (Pingtung, Chinese Taipei) - $38,068
7. Lucy Li (Redwood Shores, California) - $37,386
8. Janie Jackson (Huntsville, Alabama) - $37,133
9. Anna Redding (Concord, North Carolina) - $35,345
10. Frida Kinhult (Fiskebackskil, Sweden) - $32,749
Projections based on Kinhult winning and Wearn finishing runner-up at the Epson Tour Championship:
1. Ana Belac (Portoroz, Slovenia) - $48,630
2. Laura Wearn (Charlotte, North Carolina) - $48,508
3. Fatima Fernandez Cano (Santiago de Compostela, Spain) - $48,069
4. Kim Kaufman (Clark, South Dakota) - $43,588
5. Frida Kinhult (Fiskebackskil, Sweden) - $42,057
6. Bailey Tardy (Norcross, Georgia) - $40,982
7. Peiyun Chien (Pingtung, Chinese Taipei) - $38,068
8. Lucy Li (Redwood Shores, California) - $37,386
9. Janie Jackson (Huntsville, Alabama) - $37,133
10. Anna Redding (Concord, North Carolina) - $35,345
NOTABLE QUOTES
Volvik Race for the Card No. 22 Sierra Brooks (-2, T3) on her bogey-free, 3-under par 69 today:
“Today was big for me. Coming into the week, I knew there’s an outside chance to sneak into the top five by winning and that is my goal. I needed a day like today for a good run the final two rounds. I’ve learned a lot over the last few weeks, getting more and more comfortable every week. My game is in a good place and to have my dad [Brent] on the bag last week was a big help to sharpen things, both my mindset and golf swing. I was also thankful to play with Frida [Kinhult], we’ve become close friends.”
Malene Krolboll Hansen (-2, T3) on how River Run Country Club is playing this time of year:
“From [the Epson Classic] last year, I feel like the pins are more tucked this year and I’m happy with all the pars I get in my pocket. Anything steady—hitting fairways, hitting greens—to keep it in play, that’s the plan. Stay out of my own way. [In my second year on the Epson Tour] I’ve learned to not get too hasty, kind of forget about the cut and what other people are doing. Only worry about what I’m doing because I’m out here to play my best golf. It has helped to say, ‘It’s my golf that matters for me.’”
Clear Golf ambassador Demi Runas (-1, T5) on matching the round of the day with a 5-under par 67:
“It felt good. Yesterday was really something, my scorecard was so colorful. I really just wanted to focus on giving myself more opportunities today and dialing in the speed of the greens because they are tricky but rolling nice. I figured some things out with my ball striking and the putts fell. Clear Golf has been so great, and I recently switched over to the Tour Green ball, maybe that was my good luck charm today. It has been great with everything being so up in the air, they’ve been solid and super supportive.”
PLAYER NOTES
Laura Wearn
- Born May 12, 1991
- Wearn is from Charlotte, North Carolina
- Ended her Furman University career with 12 top-10 finishes
- Two-time All-Southern Conference performer for the Paladins
- Women’s Southern Amateur finalist and qualified for U.S. Women’s Amateur in 2013
- Completed 72 holes at Stage II of the 2013 LPGA Qualifying Tournament to first ear Epson Tour membership as a 2014 rookie
- Made 11 cuts across 21 starts on the Epson Tour in 2019 and matched career-best result with a win at the Epson Tour Championship
- Three-time Epson Tour champion at 2016 Gosling’s Dark ’n Stormy Classic, 2019 Epson Tour Championship and 2020 IOA Golf Classic presented by HomeValue.com
Frida Kinhult
- Born September 25, 1999
- Kinhult is a native of Fiskebackskil, Sweden
- Two-time winner of the Spanish Ladies Amateur Championship
- Spent seven weeks at No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings
- Member of victorious Team Europe for the 2019 Vagliano Trophy
- Three-time medalist in her year and a half at Florida State University
- Member of the victorious International Team at 2019 Arnold Palmer Cup
- 2019 Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) First Team All-American
- Set the Seminoles single-season scoring average record of 70.66 as a freshman
- Two-time winner of the European Ladies Team Championship with Team Sweden
- Named the 2019 ACC and WGCA Freshman of the Year, as well as All-ACC selection
- Shared 2019 ACC Player of the Year honors with now LPGA member Jennifer Kupcho
- Her father Mikael is a golf teaching pro and brother Marcus is a European Tour member
- Finished T67 at 2019 LPGA Q-Series to first earn Epson Tour membership as a 2020 rookie
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