BATTLE CREEK, Mich., July 23, 2016 - Laura Gonzalez Escallon (La Hulpe, Belgium) chipped in for birdie from behind the 18th green to tie the 36-hole Epson Tour scoring record at 15-under, 129. Gonzalez
Escallon posted a Battle Creek Country Club course record 8-under, 64 on Saturday to build a six-shot lead heading into Sunday at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship.
Gonzalez Escallon has 15 birdies against no bogeys through 36 holes of record setting golf. The magical two days ended with a high-degree-of-difficulty chip shot from behind the sloping 18th green that went in for birdie.
“I hit a good drive on 18, but it went a little long for my line,” said Gonzalez Escallon. “I was in the rough and just caught a flyer and ended up behind the green which is a no-no, you can’t be long. I thought of where to land the flop and I wanted to be aggressive. I hit it and it landed perfect and I ran up and it went in so that was awesome. I was praying for a par and ended up with a birdie.”
Gonzalez Escallon caught fire late on the front nine with four straight birdies from the seventh through tenth holes. She never let up with birdies on 13, 15 and 18. She made birdie on seven of her final 12 holes.
“I have just been playing really consistent, my driver is working well, my irons are working well and I’m just being patient,” said Gonzalez Escallon. “I have a really good caddy (Landon Osborne of Battle Creek Country Club) who keeps me positive and just thinking one shot at a time. I’m just having a blast.”
Gonzalez Escallon, 25, has ten career top 10 finishes, but no wins.
“It (win) would mean a lot,” said Gonzalez Escallon. “It has been a lot of hard work, patience and I am far away from home and I don’t get to go home during the season. It would of course mean a lot, but I am just going to enjoy it like I did today and yesterday.”
Gonzalez Escallon would get to go back to Europe if she wins or finishes second to play in The Evian Championship.
“I’m of course aware of it, but I am not thinking about it while I’m playing,” said Gonzalez Escallon. “It would just be very cool to go out there and play and maybe my coach can come watch. My coach is in Belgium so he doesn’t get to come watch me play in the United States.”
Through 36 holes, Gonzalez Escallon has attempted just 53 putts and has hit 25 of 28 fairways and 32 of 36 greens in regulation.
The only other 15-under 36-hole score in Epson Tour history was tallied by Sue Ginter-Brooker (62-65) at the 2002 Hewlett Packard Garden State FUTURES Summer Classic at Knob Hill Golf Club in Manalapan, N.J.
Ally McDonald (Fulton, Ms.) is the closest in the way of knocking Gonzalez Escallon off the mountain top. McDonald is six shots back at 9-under, 135. Four players are seven shots back at 8-under, 136.
The cut was made at even-par, 144 and exactly 60 players will tee off on Sunday.
Gonzalez Escallon and McDonald will tee at 11:51 a.m. The trophy ceremony will take place at approximately 4:00 p.m. on the 18th green.
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