Fatima Fernandez Cano (Santiago de Compostela, Spain) came into the final round in hopes to claim her second win on the Epson Tour. A third round 1-over par would lead her into a playoff with Casey Danielson. Fernandez Cano missed birdie putt on the second playoff hole and took home her fourth top-5 finish this season of second place.
“It’s never good to lose, but if I am going to lose in a playoff, might as well do it to a friend,” said Fernandez Cano. “I am proud of Casey she played really well today. I don’t know if the course was harder today or if I just played poorly but she had a really good score. On a day like today 3-under is really impressive. I just didn’t quite have it today. I didn’t feel as comfortable as I had been feeling all week with my irons and putts didn’t drop. All-in-all it was a good week.”
Last season, Cano won the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa where she captured her first win on the “Road to the LPGA.” Fernandez Cano worked her way into the top five courtesy of six top-15 performances across eight starts. This season she is looking to find her way back to the top of the rankings and secure her LPGA Tour card for 2022.
“I am just trying to stay patient. My goal this year is to get my full LPGA Tour card, to do that I told myself to be patient and trust yourself, you are working hard and doing the right things. It stinks to not get it done this week because my game did feel really good earlier this week, but like I said something to build on and it’s always good to not have a good day and still take second.”
RACE FOR THE CARD STANDINGS AFTER WEEK SIX
Following the sixth tournament of the 2021 Epson Tour season, the Race for the Card see some movement in the top-10.
The victory and $26,250 winner’s check move Casey Danielson into the top-10, having earned $36,762 across two six this season. Here is a look at the current top-10 heading into the IOA Golf Classic presented by RP Funding in Longwood, Fla. from May 21-23:
- Ruixin Liu (Guangdong, People’s Republic of China)- $67,220
- Fatima Fernandez Cano - $54,806
- Lilia Vu (Fountain Valley, California) - $44,620
- Sophie Hausmann (Nottuln, Germany)- $41,632
- Casey Danielson - $36,762
- Maude-Aimee Leblanc (Sherbrooke, Quebec) - $33,382
- Bailey Tardy (Norcross, Georgai) – $32,701
- Isi Gabsa (Munich, Germany) - $28,502
- Haylee Harford (Leavittsburg, Ohio) - $25,695
- Morgane Metraux (Laussan, Switzerland) - $22,891
NOTABLE QUOTES
Allison Emrey (-5, 3) on the week in North Carolina:
“It was so nice to see a bunch of people out there today supporting everyone, but also nice to have some familiar faces and their support this week. Overall, I am really happy with how I played, today wasn’t great but it just wasn’t meant to be, I feel like I did my best. There are a lot of tournaments left, so my time will come.”
Sophie Hausmann (-4, T4) on takeaways from the tournament:
“I put myself out there and in a good position and I think that is something I take home, but just frustrating with the last hole. That was a good learning experience because I didn’t trust my game plan and when I tried to force it, it didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped. I could see some putts going in this week which was very important, and my ball striking was better some days but overall, it was pretty good and that’s what I think I can take into the next two weeks in Florida.”
Karen Chung (-3, T6) on having a caddy in Davidson, NC:
“To be honest, I wasn’t feeling 100% with my golf game coming into this week but having a caddy for the first time in two years helped me out a lot. I forgot how easy it was to walk the course without 14 clubs on your back. I’m super thankful for my caddy this week for pushing my limits. I’m super pleased with how everything went and I’m stoked for the next two events in Florida.”
Daniela Iacobelli (-3, T6) on playing at River Run Country Club:
“I felt like I played solid this week but left a lot out there. It feels nice to see some things come together and hopefully I can feed off of that in the coming weeks. It was the best having fans at River Run Coutnry Club. Golf without fans isn’t the same. It’s so great to hear claps for good shots and that kind of energy makes you play harder.”
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