Symetra Tour Catch-All Thread

[RFKFREAK]

So, the Symetra Tour is back in Albany this year and I just finished caddying for the first time. It was fun and I get to do it again tomorrow. The player I caddied for didn't do so well (+4) but in the group was Emily Tubert from Big Break Myrtle Beach. After her round she was in good spirits (might have been because she is 1 or 2 off the lead) and she agreed to take a picture with me after I shamelessly asked her to. :)

[RandallT]

So, the Symetra Tour is back in Albany this year and I just finished caddying for the first time. It was fun and I get to do it again tomorrow. The player I caddied for didn't do so well (+4) but in the group was Emily Tubert from Big Break Myrtle Beach. After her round she was in good spirits (might have been because she is 1 or 2 off the lead) and she agreed to take a picture with me after I shamelessly asked her to. :)

AWESOME!!!!!  Tell her she was a big fan fav.  Maybe she will follow in Jackie and Sadena's footsteps and make the top 10 for promotion to LPGA. Have you written up somewhere else your caddy experience? I'm just browsing quickly now.  I'd love to hear more about what that was like.

[RFKFREAK]

AWESOME!!!!!  Tell her she was a big fan fav.  Maybe she will follow in Jackie and Sadena's footsteps and make the top 10 for promotion to LPGA. Have you written up somewhere else your caddy experience? I'm just browsing quickly now.  I'd love to hear more about what that was like.

No, I literally had just finished when I put up the post but I'll write something up the weekend is done. And I'll def tell her my internet golf friends

[RFKFREAK]

Shannon Fish was kind enough to take a picture with me today. (I'm such a Big Break fanboy.) :8)

[natureboy]

Was a spotter on hole 6 today. Saw lots of good play. The Albany coach hit a great drive down the center that carried far and rolled forever to past 300 (she just missed the cut). Some good up & downs from the greenside bunkers. One putt holed from across the green. Most impressive to me was one player who was about a foot from a fairly high lip in the fairway bunker. She hit the green and made par when I thought her lie was 'dead' and was almost sure to drop a stroke (I would have been happy to just get out without catching the lip). I'm not sure she made the cut so she may have gambled, but still cool to see. Also very impressive to see several tiny women (~ 120 pounds & <) keeping up with their fellow competitors to whom they give what looks like 1-2' in height let alone muscle mass and also hitting about as far or farther than me (and way more accurate of course).

I genuinely can't believe more 'serious golfers' from the area don't come out to watch when it's so close and so reasonable cost-wise.

[Phil McGleno]

I genuinely can't believe more 'serious golfers' from the area don't come out to watch when it's so close and so reasonable cost-wise.

Maybe because a scratch golfer could beat most of them.-These are gals that can not make the LPGA Tour after all. Even a guy who is a 6 handicap probably does not hit a hybrid from 155.

[colin007]

Was a spotter on hole 6 today. Saw lots of good play. The Albany coach hit a great drive down the center that carried far and rolled forever to past 300 (she just missed the cut). Some good up & downs from the greenside bunkers. One putt holed from across the green. Most impressive to me was one player who was about a foot from a fairly high lip in the fairway bunker. She hit the green and made par when I thought her lie was 'dead' and was almost sure to drop a stroke (I would have been happy to just get out without catching the lip). I'm not sure she made the cut so she may have gambled, but still cool to see. Also very impressive to see several tiny women (~ 120 pounds & <) keeping up with their fellow competitors to whom they give what looks like 1-2' in height let alone muscle mass and also hitting about as far or farther than me (and way more accurate of course). I genuinely can't believe more 'serious golfers' from the area don't come out to watch when it's so close and so reasonable cost-wise.

300 yards on hole 6? You sure? That would put her at almost the end of the pond, at the narrowest part of the fairway

[natureboy]

Was a spotter on hole 6 today. Saw lots of good play. The Albany coach hit a great drive down the center that carried far and rolled forever to past 300 (she just missed the cut). Some good up & downs from the greenside bunkers. One putt holed from across the green. Most impressive to me was one player who was about a foot from a fairly high lip in the fairway bunker. She hit the green and made par when I thought her lie was 'dead' and was almost sure to drop a stroke (I would have been happy to just get out without catching the lip). I'm not sure she made the cut so she may have gambled, but still cool to see. Also very impressive to see several tiny women (~ 120 pounds & <) keeping up with their fellow competitors to whom they give what looks like 1-2' in height let alone muscle mass and also hitting about as far or farther than me (and way more accurate of course).

I genuinely can't believe more 'serious golfers' from the area don't come out to watch when it's so close and so reasonable cost-wise.

It was Molly Aronsson who hit the shot from the bunker. Shannon Fish also had a nice chip in for birdie from the hill behind the green on hole 18 (tournament's 9).

Maybe because a scratch golfer could beat most of them.-These are gals that can not make the LPGA Tour after all. Even a guy who is a 6 handicap probably does not hit a hybrid from 155.

I get your point, and I agree it's fitting that PGA gets more fans because their skills are more other-worldly. Winning score was about .8 of a stroke under course rating per round over the 3 days. Cut line was around a 2 HCP expected average score.

My point was there is a far larger population of 'serious golfers' (people who are 'into' golf) than just near scratch or 'serious players' like you. I think their game - distance-limited as some of them are - is completely more relevant to the average high HCPer who constitutes the majority of golfers. From watching them past few years, I've learned better course management watching the lines they chose off the tees and how they dealt with certain lies. Relative to your standard, I know I suck but watching those tournaments helped me improve and I am much closer to the average golfer in skill than you.

Your observation about the hybrids is interesting. I did notice that the Symetra Tour field's driving is superior (long & consistently tight dispersion) to the vast majority of players male or female I've played with or seen on my course or any driving range. One of them routinely carries it about around the PGA carry average. But as you say, there was a distance drop-off for many of them (not all) on the irons vs what I would expect from their driver distance. Probably a shoulder / rotator cuff strength thing. To me this underscores how efficient their driving is (as a field) relative to the majority of golfers and a reason for watching at 1/3 the cost of a PGA event - especially when it's in your backyard. There were only two players I saw who hit hybrid from inside 160. Many more from inside 180. The player who hit the bunker shot I mentioned in my post hit 7-iron from 150. Not sure if that was her normal club or if she clubbed down to clear the lip. But even hose hitting hybrid from 160 were more accurate than the 'average golfer' hitting an iron from the same distance.

300 yards on hole 6? You sure? That would put her at almost the end of the pond, at the narrowest part of the fairway

Yep. Tee was almost all the way back. She probably carried ~ 250 with a lowish draw, hit center of fairway got a great series of hops on the firm fairway and roll out down to the narrow part. Not brute force distance, but a perfectly executed shot for the hole. Leblanc hit it almost as far with a 3-wood. Field average was probably ~260 total distance.

[RFKFREAK]

Laura Kueny stayed with me again this year and I was able to watch most of her round today. I wonder what Peter Kostis would say about her swing. According to the Tour website, she is ranked 24th in average drives at 256.6 yards, however, I saw her bomb a few of them between 265-280 today. For a girl that is 5'2" and weighs around 100 pounds, that's impressive to me. The first one is driver from the 8th hole and the second is an iron from the Par 3 18th (which is normally the 9th but which they make the 18th for this tournament). [VIDEO]https://youtu.be/IVm4vsxufmE[/VIDEO] [VIDEO]https://youtu.be/pyW2hMCAU-w[/VIDEO]

[natureboy]

Laura Kueny stayed with me again this year and I was able to watch most of her round today.

I wonder what Peter Kostis would say about her swing. According to the Tour website, she is ranked 24th in average drives at 256.6 yards, however, I saw her bomb a few of them between 265-280 today. For a girl that is 5'2" and weighs around 100 pounds, that's impressive to me.

The first one is driver from the 8th hole and the second is an iron from the Par 3 18th (which is normally the 9th but which they make the 18th for this tournament).

Yeah she played well yesterday...clean round. She made a nice birdie on 18 (tournament 9).  Pound-for-pound and inch-for-inch impressive and athletically talented.

[natureboy]

Winning score was about .8 of a stroke under course rating per round over the 3 days. Cut line was around a 2 HCP expected average score.

This was wrong. I forgot that the tees were a mix of the normal blues and whites. So I used the wrong course rating. Estimating a course rating about halfway between the blues and whites, the winning score was about 2.2 strokes per round under the course rating. Cut line was about 3.2 strokes per round over the course rating and 1 over par per round.

In looking at the scores relative to the course rating, I realized something new. What is officially a 'scratch' or 'par' player (the ones whose average is the course rating) is not the same as a zero handicap under the USGA handicap system. They are actually closer to a plus 1 or 2. I wasn't really aware of this discrepancy in the terms before and had always assumed a '0' HCP meant you were 'scratch'. Actually, zero handicaps have 'par potential', but average a few strokes over on a course rated 72 while a plus 2 will average around par.

So the winning score was about the equivalent of a plus 2 to plus 3 performance, and the cut line was about equivalent to between a 1 and 1.5 HCP expected average score. A zero HCP would have averaged about .5 strokes under par per round.

[Parker0065]

I had to work this year during the tournament and didn't get a chance to get out there. Bummer, it's a great tournament on one of my favorite courses in the Capitol area.

My son and I played Capitol Hills yesterday in preparation for today's NENY Tour Championship at Glens Falls CC. They do not allow any practice rounds at Glens Falls and not that Capitol Hills is identical but with the big rolling hills and elevation changes I figured it would be about as close as we could get for a practice round. My son is setting 6th in points and needs a solid round to get into the State Junior PGA Championship, top 7 qualify! He played a decent round yesterday at Capitol from the blues, started off poorly with three sloppy bogey's in a row then he played the next 15 holes -1 under for a 73. Sadly I got off to a good start paring the first three holes and he thrashed me by 5 shots, I took my beating like a man lol!

One cool thing I did hear about for this years Symetra event was one of the local junior girls, 16 year old Madison Braman received an exemption to play. I didn't look up the scores to see how she finished but she can flat out play. My son has been competing in the NENY Junior Tour for a number of years now so I've seen Madison play on occasion. Wouldn't be surprised to see her in the field again as a pro some day if that's the road she takes.

Anyhow, really bummed I didn't get out there this year. Hopefully my work schedule will cooperate next year!

[natureboy]

I had to work this year during the tournament and didn't get a chance to get out there. Bummer, it's a great tournament on one of my favorite courses in the Capitol area.

My son and I played Capitol Hills yesterday in preparation for today's NENY Tour Championship at Glens Falls CC. They do not allow any practice rounds at Glens Falls and not that Capitol Hills is identical but with the big rolling hills and elevation changes I figured it would be about as close as we could get for a practice round. My son is setting 6th in points and needs a solid round to get into the State Junior PGA Championship, top 7 qualify! He played a decent round yesterday at Capitol from the blues, started off poorly with three sloppy bogey's in a row then he played the next 15 holes -1 under for a 73. Sadly I got off to a good start paring the first three holes and he thrashed me by 5 shots, I took my beating like a man lol!

One cool thing I did hear about for this years Symetra event was one of the local junior girls, 16 year old Madison Braman received an exemption to play. I didn't look up the scores to see how she finished but she can flat out play. My son has been competing in the NENY Junior Tour for a number of years now so I've seen Madison play on occasion. Wouldn't be surprised to see her in the field again as a pro some day if that's the road she takes.

Anyhow, really bummed I didn't get out there this year. Hopefully my work schedule will cooperate next year!

That's a terrific score for your son. I would like to break 80 someday. Your profile says 'pro' what course do you teach / work at?

I saw Braman on the range before the event. Very smooth, repeatable (and strong for her frame) swing. I think the level of competition or local media attention could have psyched her out a bit. She was hitting it very low on the range on Friday relative to the other players, but I didn't watch her round. She scored around your number: http://www.symetratour.com/golf/tournaments/symetra/fuccillo-kia-championship/full-results.aspx. Seems like that would be above your assessment of her game.

[Parker0065]

That's a terrific score for your son. I would like to break 80 someday. Your profile says 'pro' what course do you teach / work at?

I saw Braman on the range before the event. Very smooth, repeatable (and strong for her frame) swing. I think the level of competition or local media attention could have psyched her out a bit. She was hitting it very low on the range on Friday relative to the other players, but I didn't watch her round. She scored around your number: http://www.symetratour.com/golf/tournaments/symetra/fuccillo-kia-championship/full-results.aspx. Seems like that would be above your assessment of her game.

I don't work as a pro by trade but turned pro a number of years ago and lets just say well past my playing prime but have really enjoyed being a sparring partner for my son and a couple of his buddies as they have matured into solid players.

As far as Ms. Braman, not a surprising result for a 16 year old in her first pro event ever. My assessment of her game is based on how well she has played against equal competition in junior events, which has been pretty solid. Going up against more seasoned older Pro's was a great experience for her. If she plays in it again in 2016 I think she will do much better!

[natureboy]

I don't work as a pro by trade but turned pro a number of years ago and lets just say well past my playing prime but have really enjoyed being a sparring partner for my son and a couple of his buddies as they have matured into solid players.

As far as Ms. Braman, not a surprising result for a 16 year old in her first pro event ever. My assessment of her game is based on how well she has played against equal competition in junior events, which has been pretty solid. Going up against more seasoned older Pro's was a great experience for her. If she plays in it again in 2016 I think she will do much better!

What tour did you play on? Yeah, I kind of expected her to shoot lower given what I saw of her game, but it's surely different in a tournament.

[RandallT]

Congrats to the 10 "graduates" from Symetra to the LPGA:

http://www.symetratour.com/golf/news/2015/10/volvik-race-ten-card-release.aspx

1. Annie Park - Levittown, New York, University of Southern California, 20-years-old, $68,673

Park came onto the scene in mid-June after finishing her junior season at USC. She finished T19 at her first professional event (Four Winds Invitational). One month later, she won her first professional event at the Toyota Danielle Downey Classic, holding off a late surge by Vicky Hurst. Two weeks later, Park proved that her first win was far from a fluke as she captured the PHC Classic in a playoff over Lee Lopez. In early September, Park won the Prairie Band Casino & Resort Charity Classic. Park is the only player in the top 10 that played in fewer than 15 events. 

Park on Earning her LPGA Tour Card

“It means a lot to earn my card. It has been a lifelong dream to play on Tour and to finally get status is unbelievable. I still can’t believe that I got my card, but I’m going to have to believe it next year.”

Notables

• Park is the first player to win Symetra Tour Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year since Mina Harigae in 2009. Since 1999, the other players to win both in the same year are Vicky Hurst (2008), Song-Hee Kim (2006), Lorena Ochoa (2002), Beth Bauer (2001) and Grace Park (1999). 
• Park is the 11th player to win at least three times in a single-season in Symetra Tour history
• Park finished in the top 20 in nine of 11 events

2. Giulia Molinaro - Treviso, Italy, Arizona State University, 25-years-old, $68,673

Molinaro graduated from the Symetra Tour to the LPGA in 2013. After struggling on the LPGA in 2014, she decided to return to the Symetra Tour to try and earn full exempt status again. Molinaro flourished right away with a third place finish at the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club. She had a tie for second and a tie for sixth at the third and fourth events of the year and went onto record nine total top 10 finishes. She finished third on Tour in scoring average and had a stretch with five straight top-5 finishes between mid-June and mid-July. Molinaro has made 23 career LPGA Tour starts. 

Molinaro on Earning her LPGA Tour Card

“It’s a honor to be back on the LPGA and having the opportunity to be back with the best in the world. The Symetra Tour has given me the perfect platform to improve and grow in my golf game.”

Notables

• Spent the first 16 years of her life in Kenya
• 2012 Pac-12 Golfer of the Year
• Won a 2016 Kia K900 at the LPGA Founders Cup earlier this season

3. Brianna Do - Lakewood, California, UCLA, 25-years-old, $64,877

Do saved her best for last closing the season with a solo second at the Symetra Tour Championship after a runner-up showing at the penultimate IOA Golf Classic. Do also added four more top-10s on her season including a runner-up showing at the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial.

Do on earning her LPGA Tour card

“I’m overwhelmed with all kinds of different emotions. I’m excited. I’m relieved. It’s just a crazy moment right now and I’m trying to soak it in.”

Notables

• Ranked eighth on Tour in sub-par holes
• Won the 2011 Women’s Amateur Pub Links
• Finished in the top-9 in each of her first four events and in the top-2 in the final two

4. Daniela Iacobelli - Melbourne, Florida, Florida Institute of Technology, 27-years-old, $62,692

The turning point of Iacobelli’s season was when she won the inaugural Tullymore Classic in early July. In her next two starts she finished T14 and T7. In mid-August, Iacobelli finished fourth to put her firmly in the top 10. After strumbling with two missed cuts in the Midwest that put her LPGA hopes in jeopardy, Iacobelli closed with a T3 finish in Arkansas, a T6 finish in Longwood and a T14 finish in Daytona to easily earn her Tour card for 2016. This is the second time Iaocbelli has earned her card through the Symetra Tour. She won the 2012 Daytona Beach Invitational to move from 22nd to fifth. Iacobelli made 15 starts on the LPGA Tour in 2013 with her best finish coming at the RR Donnelley Founds Cup, a tie for 29th. 

Iacobelli on Earning her Tour Card

“It’s a good feeling to finish what I set out to do in the beginning of the year. That was my main goal starting the year back out in Arizona. That seems like years ago really but it’s a good feeling to know that all of the hard work came through this year.”

Notables

• Iacobelli finished fourth on Tour in driving distance and fourth in total birdies 
• She has 15 career top 10 finishes on the Symetra Tour
• She is a member of the Florida Institute of Technology Hall of Fame

5. Dani Holmqvist – Stockholm, Sweden, University of California (Berkeley), 27-years-old, $62,160

Holmqvist began her march towards the top-10 with a victory at the Island Resort Championship and entered the Midwest Swing at No. 17 on the money list. She then caught fire by finishing second at the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge to move to fifth and then finished in a tie for sixth at the Prairie Band Casino & Resort Charity Classic and a tie for fourth at the Garden City Charity Classic before a T8 at the IOA Golf Classic all but locked up her spot in the final top-10.

Holmqvist on earning her LPGA Tour card

“It means a lot. I played some events last year on conditional status but it felt like it wasn’t for real.  This time I’m really excited.”

Notables 

• Played on the LPGA with conditional status in 2014
• Received national headlines in 2013 when she used a golf tee to remove potentially fatal venom from a spider bite during a competitive round in Australia 
• Has 2012 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Mats Sundin, a fellow Stockholm native, as a mentor who helps her with mental toughness

6. Lee Lopez - Whittier, California, UCLA, 25-years-old, $61,731

Lopez was one of the most consistent players on Tour. Although she did not win an event, she posted nine top 10 finishes and 13 top 20’s. Lopez started the year on fire. She finished in the top five in four of the first five events and never looked back. She nearly won the Volvik Championship (lost in playoff) and the PHC Classic (lost in playoff). Lopez qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open and made the cut. She also made an ace in the third round that was the top play on Sportscenter’s Top 10. Lopez ranked fifth on Tour in scoring average.

Lopez on earning her LPGA Tour Card

“The ultimate goal was to get my card, a lot of people asked me if it bothered me not to win, but there are a lot of girls that won that won’t get a card. My goal was to keep getting better and stronger and let the results take care of themselves and I think they did. I don’t think it’s sunk in just yet but it’s definitely a dream come true. I remember watching Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam compete at the Kraft Nabisco when I was 14-years-old and to know that I’ll get a shot to do what they were able to do for so many years is exciting. I can’t wait.”

Notables

• Lopez is the sixth UCLA golfer to graduate from the Symetra Tour to the LPGA since 2010 - Ryann O’Toole (2010), Mo Martin (2011), Tiffany Joh (2011), Sydnee Michaels (2011) and Brianna Do (2015)
• Lopez played in every single event in her two years on Tour and made the cut in 40 of 42 starts
• Lopez had five career second place finishes on the Symetra Tour including four this year

7. Alejandra Llaneza – Mexico City, Mexico, University of Arizona, 27-years-old, $61,289

Llaneza earned a victory in the sixth event of the year, the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic, to climb into the top-10 and didn’t look back en route to earning her 2016 LPGA Tour Card. The Arizona grad was one of the most consistent players on Tour as she made 17 of 19 cuts adding five additional top-10 finishes including a T8 at the Symetra Tour Championship. 

Llaneza on earning her LPGA Tour card

“It means a lot. I’m really excited and I can’t wait for what this new opportunity is going to bring. I’m really excited.”

Notables

• Played on the LPGA Tour in 2013-14
• Became the third player from Mexico to win on the Symetra Tour with her win in Greenwood
• Five-time Junior National Champion in Mexico
• Member of the Mexican National Team

8. Vicky Hurst – Melbourne, Florida, 25-years-old, $57,814

Hurst had a slow start to the 2015 Symetra Tour season before exploding in mid-July. Hurst’s run started with a runner-up showing at the Toyota Danielle Downey Classic and marked a seven event stretch where she didn’t finish outside of the top-14. The strong stretch of play was highlighted by a pair of victories at the W.B. Mason Championship and the Garden City Charity Classic. The wins were the fifth and sixth of her career on the Symetra Tour.

Hurst on earning her LPGA Tour card

“It feels really great to be back on Tour. I worked really hard through the injury and the ups-and-downs of golf. It’s a relief to be back on Tour. I’ve got my game back and I’m looking forward to keep improving for next year.”

Notables

• Played on the LPGA Tour from 2009-15 before a wrist injury 
• Was a member of the 2011 U.S. Solheim Cup Team in Ireland
• Won four times on the Symetra Tour as a 17-year-old after turning pro and topped the tour’s money list in 2008

9. Casey Grice - College Station, Texas, University of North Carolina, 24-years-old, $55,621

Grice posted nine top 10 finishes throughout the season including four during the Midwest Swing towards the end of the season. Her best was a solo second at the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic. In just her second season, Grice led the Tour in total birdies and total eagles. Grice earned conditional LPGA Tour status at LPGA Qualifying Tournament in 2014 when she finished T21. 

Grice on earning her LPGA Tour card

“It’s huge. It’s a dream come true. Since I started playing golf the LPGA is what I’ve been shooting for and so to now know I have my card secured for 2016 there’s really no words right now.”’

Notables

• Grice won the 2014 ANNIKA Academy Elite Athlete Award and the 2015 Heather Wilbur Spirit Award
• Grice was selected Honorable Mention All-American in 2012 at UNC
• As of now, Grice will be the only Tar Heels golfer on the LPGA in 2016

10. Rachel Rohanna – Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, Ohio State University, 24-years-old, $53,867

Rohanna captured the first victory of her career at the Guardian Retirement Championship at Sara Bay to ignite her run towards her 2016 LPGA Tour Card. The Pennsylvania native added five additional top-10 finishes including a third at the Symetra Classic and a T4 at the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge. She finished $284 in front of Haruka Morita-WanyaoLu. 

Rohanna on earning her LPGA Tour card

 “I’m really happy with how I played this year but I know there’s a lot that I have to work on for next year and I’m just looking forward to competing at the highest level.”

Notables

• Purchased a cow with her winnings at the Guardian Retirement Championship at Sara Bay and named it “Sara Bay”
• Second on the Tour in driving distance
• 2010 U.S. Women’s Am medalist
• Had her dad caddying for her at the Symetra Tour Championship when she locked up her card 
• Grandfather is her swing coach

Rachel Rohanna above is a cousin of Robert Rohanna, who we saw in some recent Big Break, for those that remember.

 

 

 

 

 

[iacas]

Congrats to the 10 "graduates" from Symetra to the LPGA:

http://www.symetratour.com/golf/news/2015/10/volvik-race-ten-card-release.aspx

Rachel Rohanna above is a cousin of Robert Rohanna, who we saw in some recent Big Break, for those that remember.

I'm glad to see Hurst getting back in… Hopefully she can realize her potential this time around.

[davechen]

Cool!  Casey Grice is a Tar Heel! :)