BATTLE CREEK, Mich., July 22, 2016 - Laura Gonzalez Escallon (La Hulpe, Belgium) posted a bogey-free 7-under, 65 to grab the 18-hole lead on Friday at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship at Battle Creek Country Club. Gonzalez Escallon ties the tournament record and the female course record with a 65 to set the pace. Carlie Yadloczky (Casselberry, Fla.) and Dana Finkelstein (Chandler, Ariz.) are one shot back at 6-under, 66. Five players are three shots back at 4-under, 68 including Nelly Korda (Bradenton, Fla.), 2-time winner Jackie Stoelting (Vero Beach, Fla.) and Detroit-born Daniela Iacobelli (Melbourne, Fla.).
Gonzalez Escallon, 25, started on the back nine with four pars and then ran off four consecutive birdies from the 14th through 17th holes. On the front nine, Gonzalez Escallon made birdies on three, five and nine to post a 65.
“It was really solid, I hit all the fairways, my iron game was really good and I had a lot of opportunities and I took a couple of them,” said Gonzalez Escallon, who played college golf at Purdue. “I just had a blast out there, the weather is perfect and I had a fun caddy so that helps.”
Gonzalez’s caddy is Landon Osborne, who works in the pro shop at Battle Creek Country Club and plays college golf at Northern Kentucky. Osborne’s dad, Ron, runs Binder Park Golf Course, a 27-hole course in town.
“I usually don’t get caddies, but my knees have been bothering me a little and Cliff (Steagall) told me it would be better to have a caddy,” explained Gonzalez Escallon. “Lili (Alvarez) told me about Landon and I met him and he was really nice. He knows golf and does a really good job so it was just useful to have someone.”
Gonzalez Escallon ended her day with a short birdie putt on the ninth after missing her drive a little left.
“I couldn’t go for it in two so I just layed up to a good number and hit a full wedge and felt comfortable with it,” said Gonzalez Escallon. “I hit three or four of those today so I knew exactly what to do.”
Gonzalez Escallon hit 16 of 18 fairways and made birdie on three of the four par-5 holes.
“I love the set up, it is just a nice golf course where you have to be precise on your driving, but it is not too long,” said Gonzalez Escallon. “You can definitely take advantage of the par-5’s and go for it and be aggressive, especially with the rain yesterday.”
The 2011 Big Ten Player of the Year said she was not thinking about The Evian Championship opportunity while on the course, but she would love the chance to head back to Europe.
“I wasn’t thinking about it on the course, but it is just a bonus, if you play well you get something else,” said Gonzalez Escallon. “I’m just going to play my game, but it would be fun to go because it is close to home.”
Gonzalez Escallon has two top 10 finishes this year and ten for her career on the Epson Tour. She is still searching for her first career win. She currently ranks 38th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.
YADLOCZKY HOLES OUT FROM 144 AND IS ONE BACK: Carlie Yadloczky has struggled this year. She has missed the cut in 10 of 11 starts including five in a row. On Friday, she flipped the script and carded a bogey-free 6-under, 66.
“I trusted Phil (Crowl) with the yardages and I just started to make putts,” said Yadloczky. “Seeing some go in definitely got my momentum going.”
It didn’t hurt that she made eagle on 13 from 144 yards out.
“I was in the right rough with an awkward yardage and a tree in front of me,” explained Yadloczky. “I told myself that I am just going to hit a knock down 8-iron and I hit it a tad right and it disappeared and I was like ‘no way’. I haven’t had a hole out since high school so that was fun.”
The former Auburn star finished T20 at the W.B. Mason Championship in late May. As the missed cuts have mounted, so has the stress.
“I feel like this is the first time this season that I didn’t play stressful golf,” said Yadloczky. “I didn’t overthink anything.”
NO. 10 ON MONEY LIST MORE FOCUSED ON LPGA: Dana Finkelstein (Chandler, Ariz.) has been to Geneva, but never France. Four years ago, she played in the World University Championship in Switzerland with Team USA. A top two finish this week would get Finkelstein back to Europe, but she said after a
6-under, 66 that she is more focused on earning money and moving up the money list.
“Evian is of course a nice added bonus, but my main goal is to get to the LPGA,” said Finkelstein, who currently ranks 10th on the money list. “It would be great to go to France, but my main focus is right now (Battle Creek and Epson Tour).”
Finkelstein, who has four top 10 finishes this year, can’t help but glance at the money list from time-to-time.
“It is hard not to look at the money list at this point in the game,” said Finkelstein. “I felt this kind of round coming and I’ve felt really good about my game this whole year. I feel like I kind of found something during the final round in Rochester last week.”
The rookie finished T7 last week at the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic.
FRANCE OR BUST SAYS DETROIT-BORN IACOBELLI: There are a season-high 31 LPGA members in the field this week and most are playing for one reason - to earn one of the two spots in The Evian
Championship. Daniela Iacobelli, who was born just north of Detroit, carded a 4-under, 68 to put herself in good position.
“I’m just looking at first or second or nothing,” said Iacobelli, who has played full-time on the LPGA this year after earning her card through the Epson Tour in 2015. “If I’m not really in contention on Sunday, I’ll just try to go as low as I can, if I am in contention it might be a little different. It’s two spots, it’s France or bust.”
Iacobelli has always played well at Battle Creek Country Club. She finished T11 last year and held the 36-hole lead and finished solo second in 2014.
“I think it is just the environment, I get along with all the people,” said Iacobelli. “I know the head pro, superintendent, tournament director and everyone part of the tribe adopts me every year. I have comfort and good vibes and it is like an old school Michigan course that I grew up on.”
Iacobelli has seen pictures of The Evian Championship and said it is on her “list of places to go” so she’d love the opportunity.
“I’ve seen pictures and it looks spectacular so if golf can take me there that would be great,” said Iacobelli. “I missed qualifying for the British Open by one shot so I’m hoping that I can make that up this week.”
OF NOTE
- Nelly Korda, the younger sister of LPGA winner Jessica, carded a 4-under, 68. She finished T9 last week at the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic. Korda now has two top 10 finishes this season and ranks 36th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.
- A total of 63 players finished even-par or better on Friday.
- Three players in the top 10 on the money list (Dana Finkelstein, Marissa Steen, Jackie Stoelting) are T4 or better after day one.
- Grand Valley State national champion Gabrielle Shipley of Hastings posted a 4-over, 76.
- Adrienne Plourde, who played at Olivet College, posted a 5-over, 77.
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