EMREY POSTS CAREER LOW ROUND
Allison Emrey (Charlotte, N.C.) carded a career low 6-under, 66 on Saturday to jump from T33 to a tie for fourth at 6-under for the tournament.
She made seven birdies against just one bogey.
“I played really consistent and I hit the ball well and capitalized on that and made the putts,” said Emrey, who attempted 28 putts. “I had a great group and we were talking all day so that put me at ease.”
Emrey played with Elizabeth Szokol (Winnetka, Ill.) and Kim Welch (Sacramento, Calif.).
The 23-year-old finished 51st on the Volvik Race for the Card money list as a rookie and feels ready to improve upon that.
“I feel like it is definitely easier your second year because you’ve seen all the courses before and you know all the players and you know what is going to happen each week,” explained Emrey. “I’m staying with my same host family from last year so it is really nice to come back to Beaumont.
She will likely improve upon her finish last year at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon when she closed T55.
LACROSSE GETTING CLOSE AFTER NEARLY A YEAR OFF
Cindy LaCrosse, who won three times on the Epson Tour in 2010 and has made 88 career starts on the LPGA, feels her game is headed in the right direction. This week is a good sign as she posted a 2-under, 70 on Saturday and stands at 6-under, 138.
“I played really well, if a few more putts had dropped it could have been even lower,” said LaCrosse, who only played in two Epson Tour events last year. “I’m hitting the ball really well and I’ve done a lot over the last year with swing changes and they are really starting to feel comfortable.”
LaCrosse played in the first Epson Tour event last year and then withdrew from the rest to make big changes. She started working with Justin Sheehan out of Tampa, who also coaches Brittany Altomare and a few other professionals.
“I told him that I’ll do whatever you tell me with the golf swing so it took a long time,” said LaCrosse. “Even at Q-School, I was still uncomfortable. I knew if I wanted to keep playing I needed to do something drastic.
LaCrosse was the Epson Player of the Year in 2010. She hasn’t had a top 50 LPGA finish since 2013.
FRANCE’S RICORDEAU PLAYING EPSON TOUR FOR FIRST TIME
Marion Ricordeau (Laon, France) posted a 1-under, 71 to move to 3-under for the tournament. She played six years on the Ladies European Tour (LET) and then earned partial LPGA Tour status through Q-School in 2015 and played the LPGA in 2016. She finished T23 at the LOTTE Championship in Hawaii, but struggled the remainder of the season. She has decided to focus on the Epson Tour in hopes of returning to the LPGA.
“I tasted it (LPGA) and I loved it so obviously I want to try and get there again,” said Ricordeau, who made 14 starts on the big tour last year. “I want to do my best each week to try and get my card through Epson (Tour), if not then Q-School.”
Ricordeau finished 48th on the LET Order of Merit in 2015 when she last played in Europe. She has three career top 10’s on the LET.
“It’s pretty motivating on the LPGA when you can’t play average to make a living, you have to give your best every week,” explained Ricordeau. “I started to work (on my game) more than I ever have in the past because I had to against the competition.”
Ricordeau confirmed that she likely won’t play in many LET events because she doesn’t want to travel back-and-forth between the states and Europe.
During off weeks, Ricordeau will spend time with her coach, Patricia Meunier-Lebouc, in Jupiter, Florida. Meunier-Lebouc won twice on the LPGA Tour including the 2003 Kraft Nabisco Championship.
OF NOTE
• Stanford products Lauren Kim (-4) and Mariah Stackhouse (-3) are both in the top 10.
• Brittany Benvenuto, who finished 3rd at Tukwet Canyon in 2015, is T10 with back-to-back 70’s.
• Rookie Lindsey Weaver, who finished fourth at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic, is ninth heading into the final round at 5-under, 139.
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