Fond Memories In Portland
Austin Ernst is enjoying being back in the Beaver State, and for good reason. Ernst was able to secure her lone career LPGA victory here at Columbia Edgewater Country Club in 2014 by defeating I.K. Kim on the first playoff hole the two faced after the two tied each other at 14-under par in regulation.
“I made a lot of birdies the last day,” Ernst recalled. “I don’t know. I can’t remember exactly what I shot. I think I shot 67. But, you know, a lot of good things happened that week, and then, obviously, getting the win at the end of the week just made it even better.”
Ernst has played in the Cambia Portland Classic in each of the last three years and has finished no worse than tied for ninth. Her three results in this tournament alone represent a third of her career nine top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour.
“It sets up really well for my game,” said Ernst. “I normally hit the ball really well, and that’s what you have to do out here. You’ve got a lot of tree-lined fairways. The greens typically are firm. Haven’t played yet. I’m playing this afternoon. But the course just sets up well for me.”
Ernst won the 2011 NCAA National Championship as an individual while playing at LSU, but admitted she had struggled on Tour before her win in Portland. The Greenville, SC native said she has continued to feed off of the confidence that comes from being a proven winner on the LPGA.
“Coming out of amateur golf, you know your game’s ready, but you really don’t know what it’s like until you kind of get out here, and when you win against the fields out here, you know your game’s good enough and you don’t have to play perfect golf. Basically that’s what I learned.”
So far in 2016, the No. 68 player in the world has managed just one top-10 finish (T9, COATES Golf Championship Presented by R+L CARRIERS). Her one-word description of 2016 so far: “Frustrating.” She hopes that this week things will come together again as they have in Portland so far in her career.
“I’ve hit good shots, I’ve not done a good job of getting the ball in the hole,” Ernst said. “So I’ve had a lot of finishes where they’ve been -- I’ve made a lot of cuts, but I haven’t played up to what I wanted to play up to.”
“I feel good coming here and kind of have hopefully righting the ship and kind of getting back hopefully in the winner’s circle at the end of the week.”
Austin Ernst - Record At The Cambia Portland Classic
| Year | Scores | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 72-66-70-68= 276 (-12) | T5 |
| 2014 | 69-69-69-67= 274 (-14) | WIN |
| 2013 | 67-75-62-72= 276 (-12) | T9 |
Brother Knows Best
There’s only one person who knows Austin Ernst’s golf game as well as she does, mainly because he’s grown up watching it his entire life. Austin’s brother, Drew, has remained on the bag for the last three years and has played a big role in her success here at Columbia Edgewater.
“He played, so he knows the game,” the younger sister described. “He played college golf. He played a year professionally. He’s a good player, so I trust him, which is the biggest thing, and he knows my game better than anybody. So we get along well too, so that helps.”
Fresh Faces
There will be a total of 22 out of the 29 players in the 2016 LPGA rookie class teeing it up this week at the Cambia Portland Classic. The new kids on the block will look to follow in the footsteps of last year’s champion Brooke Henderson, who transitioned into an LPGA rookie after her win here in 2015.
For new full-time LPGA members like Gaby Lopez, the No. 137 player in the Rolex Rankings, 2016 has been about learning how to adjust to life on Tour.
“Being a rookie, I need to try everything,” said Lopez. “I tried to play four weeks in a row the first stretch and I loved it. Actually, the more I play the more confidence I gain, and I wanted to keep playing but my coach was like, ‘You know what, you’ve got to rest so you can actually play your best golf in every single week.” Resting is just as important as practice. Just doing quality practicing instead of quantity and knowing when my body is requesting me to rest.”
Lopez doesn’t lack in experience – she finished as the runner-up at the 2015 NCAA national championships and had already competed in ten LPGA tournaments as an amateur. She’s also currently slated to represent Mexico in Rio, and is excited about the opportunity this particular tournament has afforded her fellow 2016 newcomers.
“It’s a lot of rookies and just seeing familiar faces around is really exciting. I love playing with my friends and just having a good time. It’s going to be a really fun and exciting tournament.”
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