McKinnon Maintains Lead at LPGA Qualifying School Stage II After Second Round

LPGA Qualifying Tournament Stage II
Plantation Golf and Country Club – Bobcat and Panther Courses
Venice, Florida
Second-Round News & Notes
October 1, 2014

VENICE, Fla., October 1, 2014 – Brogan McKinnon (Mississauga, Ontario) held firm and maintained her lead at the LPGA Qualifying Tournament Stage II by shooting a second-round 1-under 71 to move to 7-under 137 (66-71) after 36 holes. 

McKinnon holds a two-stroke advantage over Minjee Lee (Perth, Australia), Ginger Howard (Bradenton, Florida) and Celine Herbin (Santander, Spain). Carly Werwie (Kenosha, Wisconsin) is in solo fifth at 4-under 140.

“It was a good day,” said 19-year-old McKinnon. “Just like yesterday, all parts of my game were working well. I made three birdies on the front nine after a bogey and my putting was great again.  I feel like my game is in pretty good shape.”

With the 36-hole lead in hand, McKinnon will now aim for medalist honors. 

“It would be nice to get my first professional win at Qualifying Tournament, but top 80 is every players goal and if I need to play it safe I will, but I will try and win now.”

McKinnon played in seven Epson Tour events and one LPGA Tour event in 2014.

She did not advance to Stage III of Qualifying Tournament in 2013. 

The top 80 players plus ties advance to Final Stage of LPGA Qualifying Tournament, which will take place at LPGA International in Daytona Beach from December 3 through December 7.  Final stage is a five-round event with a cut after round four. 

MINJEE LEE CARDS 5-UNDER 67: Minjee Lee (Perth, Australia) is mature beyond her years. At just 18-years-old she has already played in some of the biggest events on the LPGA Tour including the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the International Crown, the U.S. Women’s Open and The Evian Championship. 

On Wednesday at LPGA Qualifying School Stage II, Lee fired a bogey-free 5-under 67 to improve to 5-under through two days.

“I started off well with five birdies in a row so that really helped me,” said Lee, who carded birdies from the 12th hole through the 16th hole.  “During that stretch, I hit some really good shots and everything was working for me.”

Lee, who started on the back nine of the Bobcat Course, made her lone birdie on the front nine on the par-4 second hole. 

Lee has had several impressive finishes on the LPGA Tour this year. She finished T24 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, T22 at the U.S. Women’s Open (which would have earned her just over $40,000 if she was a professional at that point) and T16 at The Evian Championship, which earned her a paycheck of $42,329. 

The Evian Championship was her first LPGA Tour event as a professional.

“I have played in LPGA majors and I think I just need more opportunities to play and learn from the top players in the world,” said Lee, who was the #1 ranked amateur in the world by WAGR before turning professional.  “Ever since I joined the Australian National Team when I was 14-years-old I wanted to get my card to play on the LPGA Tour.”

The last month has been a whirlwind for Lee, who played her final event as an amateur in Japan at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship. She fired a 7-under 65 to help Australia win.

Lee also represented Australia in the inaugural International Crown earlier this year.

“It was great to be teamed with Karie (Webb) and represent Australia. Karie has done so much for women’s golf in Australia and she was somebody I looked up to when I was growing up.”

Her mother, who was a golf teaching professional in Korea, introduced Lee to the game of golf. 

GINGER HOWARD TRYING TO WIN AGAIN: In 2011, Ginger Howard carded a four-day total of 15-under-par to earn medalist honors at the LPGA Qualifying Tournament Stage II.  She carded a 5-under 67 on Wednesday to move from T28 to T2.

“I was hitting it pretty solid and made more putts than I did yesterday,” said Howard, who shot an even-par 72 on Tuesday. “I just had the putter rolling today.”

Howard is hoping to relive 2011.

“I have a lot of positive vibes here at Plantation Golf and Country Club. I have some good memories.”

Howard said she has played both courses well over twenty times.  She is also very comfortable with the person driving the cart this week, her sister, Robbi. 

KARRIE WEBB GIVES JAYDE PANOS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY: Each year, Aussie legend Karrie Webb gives two top amateur golfers from Australia the opportunity to shadow her at the U.S. Women’s Open.

This year, Jayde Panos (Perth) was one of the players that had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to stay with Karrie and follow her every move.  On Wednesday, Panos shot a 4-under 68 to move to 1-over 145. Panos shot a 5-over 77 on Tuesday.

“What Karrie does for the week is have two players come stay with her in the house she rents and we just spend the week with her,” said Panos, who is graduating from Oklahoma State in December.  “We pretty much follow her for the whole week.”

This week, Karrie also helped Panos find a caddie.

“My caddie cancelled last week and I called Karrie and I told her that I really need a caddie. She (Karrie) called me back within five hours and had two people that could help me.”

31-YEAR-OLD HERBIN CONTINUES STRONG PLAY: Celine Herbin followed her 3-under 69 on Tuesday with a 2-under 70 on Wednesday and is 5-under through two days. 

“I played much better today than I did yesterday, I hit five greens more than yesterday,” said Herbin.  “Today is much more of the statistics I expect based on my season this year.”

Herbin is in a tie for second after two days.

“I may want to win a little bit more than yesterday, but it is still not the goal. I just want to be in the top 80.  If I win, it is a bonus like a cherry on top of the cake. This tournament is so different than most, I am not here to win.”

Herbin feels like she is peaking at the right time. 

“The pressure forces me to be much more focused on my game.  I am arriving playing well – I played well in Sweden, played well in the Spanish Open and that was very good practice for this event.  It was the same type of grass – bermuda – that we are playing here. We are not used to playing bermuda in Europe.”

UCLA’S ANI GULUGIAN SHOOTS 70: Ani Gulugian (Irvine, California) recently graduated from UCLA in June and is competing in her first Qualifying Tournament this week.  She shot a 2-under 70 on Wednesday and is even-par 144 through two days. 

“I started out playing steady and then I made a nice up-and-down from 75-yards out from behind the trees,” said Gulugian. “I made a 20-footer for birdie on the next hole and made birdie on 10 and 11 and was rolling along.”

Following the 2011-2012 season at UCLA, she was named to the NGCA Honorable Mention All-America team.  She was an Honorable Mention All-American by Golfweek after the 2010-2011 campaign.

“The coaches are great at UCLA and I feel like we have a really good team environment and we get to practice on really nice courses so that is really nice.”

Gulugian was one of the top junior golfers in the nation in 2009 earning first-team AJGA All-America honors. 

LIZ NAGEL DOESN’T WANT TO BE DEFINED BY “C” WORD: As soon as you mention the WGCA Kim Moore Spirit Award to Elizabeth Nagel (DeWitt, Michigan) she knows where the conversation is heading. On Wednesday, she shot a 2-under 70, a ten-stroke improvement from her first-round 8-over 80.  Nagel moved from T176 to T108.

“I hit almost every fairway, I hit my driver very well,” said Nagel, who prefers to talk about her golf game rather than her bout with thyroid cancer in 2012.  “I had quite a few looks a birdie, only made a few, but 70 is good.”

Nagel was realistic in her approach to Wednesday’s round.

“I shot an 80 yesterday so I knew I needed to play well today. Hopefully I am a little closer to the middle of the pack now versus the bottom of the pack and I have two days to keep it there so I felt I played better today.”

She was courageous in her fight against thyroid cancer in 2012, missing just one college event. It was interesting to hear Liz compare herself to college teammate (Michigan State) and Epson Tour player Caroline Powers.

“I’m more spirited and tough and had cancer and life kind of sucked for a while and she is great and so smart and does nothing wrong.”

Liz and Caroline are great friends, but it’s a good example of how she has had to grind during her golf career. 

Nagel was first team All-Big Ten this past year and held a career-low scoring average of 74.43. She was part of three Big Ten Championship teams at Michigan State. 

Nagel’s father, John, played on the Hooters Tour with the likes of Chris DiMarco and David Duvall before she was born. 

He also caddied on the LPGA Tour for JoAnne “Big Momma” Carner.

“He is on the bag this week for me, he was on the bag for me in California and he caddied on the LPGA for a while so he has a lot of knowledge. It is great to have him on the bag.”

BIG BREAKER PUISITE MAKES 9-SHOT IMPROVEMENT: Krista Puisite (Riga, Latvia) carded a nine shot improvement from Tuesday to Wednesday. She shot a 7-over 79 in round one and responded with a 2-under 70 in round two.

“Today was much better than yesterday,” said Puisite, who is on Big Break Myrtle Beach, which premieres on October 7. “I think yesterday the nerves got the best of me and today I just played my normal game.”

Puisite’s sister Mara also played college golf at Texas State. This week, she is serving as Krista’s caddie. 

“I think she is more talented than I am, I’m serious.  She hits it far, hits it straight and is very talented.  She is very smart too so she decided to join the work force after college instead of pursuing a professional career.”

Puisite is excited for the 22nd season of Big Break to begin.

“It is always great to be on television and they try to make you more recognizable. They try to make you look good and help you reach more and more people so I think it definitely helps. If you have the game and get to be on national television than it should help.”

Why should golf fans watch the newest Big Break?

“If you look at the golf achievements of the cast, I think it is pretty impressive.  When I went to Myrtle Beach (to film), I actually was a little bit surprised at how good the other girls were.”  

NOON “HEART” MAKING A COMEBACK: Noon Huachai (Thailand) remembers when she was a teenager playing on the FUTURES Tour (now Epson Tour) as the only player representing Thailand.  This week, there are nine players in the field that carry the Thailand flag with them.

She fired a 2-under 70 on Wednesday to get to 1-under 71 through two days.  She improved from T51 to T15. 

“I got my card after my last year of high school and turned professional and played on the FUTURES Tour,” said Huachai, which means heart in Thai.  “I played for four years and wasn’t playing so well and I went home to get a change. I’ve been playing in Thailand, on the Asian Tour and the China LPGA for the past two and half years.”

Now, she is hoping to make a return to the Epson Tour or the LPGA Tour.

“I actually like playing here better and I am used to the people more because I grew up here and went to IMG Academy for a year and then lived in Orlando for seven years.”

“It’s nice to come back and see some girls that I knew. They all ask me where I have been.”

Huachai remembers being a “baby” on the FUTURES TOUR.

“Mindy Kim and I were like 17-years-old and were the two babies on Tour. I have grown up a lot as a person and all the experiences have taught how to handle myself better.

HOW DID THE TOP COLLEGE PLAYERS IN COUNTRY FARE:

WAGR (WORLD AMATEUR GOLF RANKINGS): There are six amateur golfers in the field ranked in the top 25 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).  Here is a look at how they finished the first round. 

MEDALISTS AT LPGA QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT STAGE II: Here is a look at some of the recent medalists at LPGA Qualifying Tournament Stage II.

2013 – Amy Anderson (-16)
2012 – Katie Burnett (-15)
2011 – Ginger Howard (-15)
2010 – Lucy Nunn (-6)
2009 – Stephanie Connelly (-3)
2008 – Chella Choi (-9)
2007 – Na-Yeon Choi (-7)
2006 – Angie Hill/Nontaya Srisawang (-2)
2005 – Annie Young (-8)