Rookies have stolen the show more than once this season on the LPGA Tour, and there is now another first-year member playing her way into the spotlight in Texas.
Sofia Garcia is the latest member of the 2023 LPGA Tour rookie class to make headlines on the LPGA Tour after opening with rounds of 66 and 68 at The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America to put herself into the mix heading into the weekend. The 25-year-old made just a single bogey through 36 holes and has averaged 28 putts in the first two rounds.
“I think overall both days I had a really strong short game and putting. Maybe I didn't hit it as well as I did yesterday, but I was able to stay patient,” Garcia said after her round on Friday. “I had a couple bad breaks, also couple good breaks. The chipping was working out nicely, and the putter was solid, so I think that helped to keep a solid round both days.”
It’s easy to take for granted the smooth transition that some rookies have made to the LPGA ranks, with five first-year members winning this season on Tour. But it’s not always that simple, and the move to the LPGA Tour has been a challenging one for Garcia who changed both her coach and her caddie at the start of the year and who has made just three cuts so far this season.
“I mean, this year has been – it has been a rollercoaster for sure,” said Garcia after her round on Thursday.
Garcia took advantage of the two-week break that the LPGA Tour had between the stop in Cincinnati and Arkansas to regroup. She returned to action at last week’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G and made her third cut of the season after carding back-to-back rounds in the 60s on days one and two for the first time this year. She carried that good form with her to Texas this week to put herself not just well inside the cutline but also near the top of the leaderboard.
“Being able to strategize well and having the tools to play well today by striking well and putting it well, and my short game definitely improved the last two weeks,” Garcia said after her round on Thursday. “That definitely kind of clicks everything.”
In the midst of an unfamiliar year, Garcia is feeling right at home competing in the Lone Star State. Originally from Paraguay, Garcia played for Texas Tech University and has chosen to stay in Texas, calling the Denison area her home. She was a four-time winner at Texas Tech and turned professional in 2021 before joining the Epson Tour the following season. She then advanced to the LPGA Tour after earning her card through last year’s LPGA Q-Series.
Being able to compete close to her adopted home this week and being familiar with Texas’ windy conditions has helped the rookie find a spot of comfort at Old American Golf Club. Garcia says that her experience playing in the wind has been an advantage for her through the first two rounds as she knows that it just comes with the territory when you’re playing in Texas.
“More than having an advantage of knowing the golf course, it's just being mentally prepared to be patient,” Garcia said. “I think also been a bit lucky that Texas is kind of a place I'm familiar with that, so that helps for sure to get a good round together.”
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