Q-SERIES PLAY SUSPENDED DUE TO WEATHER
Round six of the 2018 LPGA Q-Series presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina was suspended due to heavy rain at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday with 26 players left to finish their round. Play resumed 37 minutes later at 6:07 p.m. The sixth round was finally suspended at 6:24 p.m. due to darkness.
Fifteen players will resume play on Friday morning at 7:50 a.m. with the seventh round projected to start at 9:15 a.m. Sixth-round statistics and seventh-round groupings will be distributed upon completion of round six.
SPILKOVÁ SHARES THE LEAD WITH SCHMELZEL
After 108 holes at the inaugural LPGA Q-Series presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, it is Sarah Schmelzel and Klara Spilková sharing the lead of 14-under par. University of South Carolina alumna Schmelzel ended Spilkova’s reign alone atop the leaderboard with a bogey-free, 4-under par 68 on Thursday to draw even with the Czech Republic player.
“Im really enjoying myself even though I didn’t make a few putts on the last few holes” said the 23-year-old LET winner. “I’m not putting any pressure on myself which is nice, just go out there and see what happens, happens.”
Two strokes behind the leaders are amateurs Jennifer Kupcho (Wake Forest) and Lauren Stephenson (Alabama). Kupcho shot a 3-under par 69 this afternoon, carding five birdies and two bogeys. Meanwhile, Stephenson completed the sixth round with four birdies and three bogeys for a 1-under par 71.
Seven-time winner on the KLPGA Jeongeun Lee6 from the Republic of Korea completed a 4-under round to maintain her fifth place position. In addition, Canadian amateur Jaclyn Lee and Alabama junior Kristen Gillman both hold a stake in the top-10 at Q-Series.
SCHMELZEL INSPIRED TO WIN Q-SERIES
A break of 17 days between the end of the Epson Tour Championship and start of the inaugural Q-Series presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina didn’t derail the momentum of Sarah Schmelzel, who is 14-under par and tied for the lead with Klara Spilková through six rounds at Pinehurst Resort.
The University of South Carolina alumna is feeding off the accomplishments from her second season on the official qualifying tour of the LPGA as she progresses through Q-Series. Schmelzel accumulated 12 top-25 finishes across 21 starts in 2018, including seven top-10s and four top-five results in her last five events.
“It helped knowing I was hot coming into this, didn’t need to change anything or reinvent the wheel,” said Schmelzel, who recorded a bogey-free, 4-under par 68 this afternoon on Pinehurst No. 7. “I’m letting the pieces fall where they may, putting all belief into the work I’ve put in. That is the biggest thing that has got me to this point.”
Yesterday, Schmelzel discussed how she likes to keep an eye on the leaderboard when on the course. Now that she is sharing the lead, Schmelzel’s competitive spirit only increases her desire to win.
“I’m looking at that top number and trying to chase it,” Schmelzel said. “That was the mentality at the end of last season and it helped me out a lot. It’s always fun being near the top and I’m trying to treat this like a regular tournament, trying to win. It was definitely a lot of fun today.”
Furthermore, Schmelzel took some inspiration from her playing partner in each of the last four rounds. She was paired with three-time European Solheim Cup team member Mel Reid for the final two days on Pinehurst No. 6, as well as the first two on Pinehurst No. 7.
“It has been fun to see how she operates,” said Schmelzel. “It was like getting a taste of how a LPGA player goes about her day. She’s really even keel—nothing really brings her down or gets her too high. She’s just plugging along. It’s honestly such an honor to play with someone so established.”
WORLD NO. 2 KUPCHO BATTLING BAD STOMACH BUG
While Q-Series’ eight rounds is a mental game for the 101-player field, it’s also a physical battle for World Amateur No. 2 Jennifer Kupcho, who came down with food poisoning last week prior to round four.
“I started out really strong [today],” said Kupcho who carded four birdies on the front nine on Thursday. “I had food poisoning last week and woke up this morning and it relapsed, so to start out strong on the front nine was really nice.”
The Wake Forest senior struggled to keep her strength up for the back nine and came back with two bogeys, but managed to pocket a birdie on the par-4 7th to complete her 3-under 69. She is currently in fourth place, just four shots back from the leaders.
“It has been a struggle, trying to eat well and just make it through the day. I’ve been barely eating, but I’ve been forcing myself so I have enough strength to hit the ball.”
Kupcho’s father Mike—also her caddie—is also suffering from the same ailments as his daughter.
“We’re thinking it’s either the turkey sandwich at lunch or we got pizza that night and all three of us ate that. My parents have it too. We’re trying to figure out what it was.”
BRINGING PRIDE TO CRIMSON TIDE WITH HELP FROM LPGA ROOKIE EMMA TALLEY
Lauren Stephenson found a better fit at the University of Alabama’s golf program after transferring from Clemson University following her freshman year.
“I loved Clemson, but transferring has been a great experience for me,” said the 21-year-old South Carolina native. “Alabama has been such stronger competition and has helped me get to the point where I’m at.”
Stephenson has enjoyed a successful collegiate career over the last three seasons, including First Team All-SEC accolades and holds the school record for low 54-hole score to par of 10-under. She was also a member of the 2018 U.S. Curtis Cup and Palmer Cup teams.
However, if it had not been for her relationship with Alabama alumna and 2018 LPGA rookie Emma Talley, Stephenson’s collegiate career would not have been the same.
“Emma sort of recruited me. I played with her when I was transferring my freshman year and she sold me on Alabama,” said Stephenson. “She talked about how much she loved it and how it was a great place for her and how the coaches were great. I really loved the environment and that really helped me in my decision.”
Stephenson has a strong support system of teammates and family members that has stood by the young golfer throughout her career.
“We put in hours that people don’t see and everyone out here does that too,” Stephenson said. “It takes a lot of practice and hard work. It also takes a lot from your family and your coaches. They have to sacrifice a lot for you. There’s a lot of people behind my golf score.”
PLAYER NOTES
Sarah Schmelzel (T1, -14)
- Schmelzel, 24, is from Phoenix, Ariz.
- Made cut in 18-of-21 starts on the Epson Tour in 2018; her second season on the Tour
- Had seven top-10 finishes on the Epson Tour in 2018; in her last five events, she had four top-five finishes to finish 13th on the Official Money List
- In 2018, she missed out on finishing inside the top-10 on the Epson Tour’s Money List and earning her LPGA card by just $2,584, but earned a spot in the inaugural LPGA Q-Series
- Schmelzel earned All-America Honorable Mention while at University of South Carolina and was a 2016 Golfweek All-American
- When Schmelzel was in fourth grade she watched Annika Sorenstam’s historic 59 at the 2001 Standard Register PING at her home course, Moon Valley Country Club
Klara Spilková (T1, -14)
- Spilková, 23, is from Prague, Czech Republic and has played on the LET since 2011
- When Spilková earned LET membership as a 16-year old, she was the youngest member in history
- As an amateur, she was named the Czech Republic‘s Golfer of the Year in 2009 and 2010. Then, as a permanent member of the Czech National Golf Team, she won both the International Championship of Austria and the Junior Championship of Germany in 2010.
- In 2017, Spilková became the first Czech winner on the LET with a win at the Lalla Meryem Cup; there has never been a Czech winner on the LPGA
- Spilková represented the Czech Republic at the 2016 Rio Olympics, finishing T48
- She has made 16 career starts on the LPGA Tour with a career-best T50 finish at the 2018 Ricoh Women’s British Open
- In 2018, Spilková is ranked seventh on the LET Order of Merit with a season-best runner-up finish at the Lalla Meryem Cup
- Spilková made her first career start on the Epson Tour this season at the Valley Forge Invitational with a T34 finish
Jennifer Kupcho (T3, -12)
- Kupcho, 21, is from Westminster, Colo. and is a senior at Wake Forest
- Has expressed her intentions to stay at Wake Forest and defer LPGA membership if she finishes inside the top-45
- Won the 2018 NCAA individual championship title; the first wire-to-wire NCAA Champion since 2002
- Played on the 2018 U.S. Curtis Cup and Palmer Cup Teams
- Has made three career starts on the LPGA, including two top-25 finishes (T16, 2018 Marathon Classic; T21, 2017 U.S. Women’s Open)
Lauren Stephenson (T3, -12)
- Stephenson, 21, is from Lexington, S.C. and is a senior at Alabama
- Has made two starts on the LPGA, at the 2016 and 2017 U.S. Women’s Open, with a career-best T41 finish in 2017
- Played on the 2018 U.S. Curtis Cup and Palmer Cup Teams
- Named the Golfweek Player of the Year in 2018
- Held the No. 1 ranking in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings at the end of the 2017-18
- Won the Golfstat Cup in 2018 as the nation’s leading scorer with a school-record 69.76 average
NOTABLE QUOTES
Sarah Schmelzel (T1, -14) on her sixth-round performance:
“I was just hitting the ball really well—had some good looks early and rolled in a couple early on in the round, which I didn’t do so well yesterday. It was nice to see some putts go in and get some confidence going. I was just hitting it really well and I tried to take advantage of that. Golf’s easy when you got it, especially when you’re putting every hole. It was a good day.”
Schmelzel on playing with Mel Reid:
“I played the last two rounds with her on No. 6 too and it’s been fun to see how she operates. It was like getting a taste of how a LPGA player goes about her day. She’s really even keel—she’s got fire but nothing really brings her down or gets too high. She’s just plugging along. It’s honestly such an honor to play with someone so established.”
Klara Spilková (T1, -14), on her relationship with caddie Martin Konecny:
“We’ve been together since last year, so almost a year. I’ve known him since we were very young—so that’s fun. I’ve known him for the past 15 years. We’ve played a lot of golf together when we were young—he used to be a good golfer and he still plays. We don’t really talk about golf between the shots. I’m very independent on the golf course, which is very challenging for caddies because they want to help.”
Spilková on her plans for the 2019 season:
“I still want to play on the LET next year and hopefully LPGA and I want to be at home too. I want to mix it up a little bit to be happy. When I’m on the road all the time, I’m not the happiest person. For me, it’s much more important to mix it up and trying to play as much golf as I can, but also be with my family and enjoy Prague.”
Jennifer Kupcho (T3, -12) on her sixth-round performance:
“It was really good. I was making a good amount of birdies—made a few mistakes on the back nine just because the wind was hurting—it kind of got into our minds, all of us. I was able to recover and come back strong.”
Kupcho on how it would feel to earn her LPGA Tour card for the 2019 season:
“It would be awesome, obviously after school. It would be great to go back and finish school, knowing that I could go straight to the LPGA right after.”
Lauren Stephenson (T3, -12) on what it will be like to play on the LPGA:
“I’m not someone who likes to sit at home. I love being on the go and just seeing different places. That’s the coolest thing about professional golf—you get to do that for a living.”
Stephenson on the support from her University of Alabama teammates:
“All of my teammates have been great—we’ve been cheering them on at the East Lake Cup. My family and close friends have all been very supportive. Alabama has provided me such strong competition and has really helped me get to where I’m at.”
Jaclyn Lee (T8, -5) on representing her country and university:
“I’m definitely proud to be representing Canada and Ohio State, it’s nice to have my name out there as well. It’s definitely a nice thing to be doing and I’m proud of myself as well. I’m glad to be playing good golf this week. I had a bit of a stump yesterday, but I came back a little today.”
Lee on her decision to defer LPGA membership for the 2019 season:
“I have not decided yet because there’s no decision to make yet until everything is done. I know it’s something I need to think about after the tournament is over, but I haven’t thought about it. I don’t know if it makes things more complicated or easier, but at least you have the option.”
QUICK HITS
- Six of the 11 amateurs—Maria Fassi (Arkansas), Kristen Gillman (Alabama), Jennifer Kupcho (Wake Forest), Jaclyn Lee (Ohio State), Lauren Stephenson (Alabama), Suzuka Yamaguchi (Japan)—are inside the top-45 and ties mark of 8-over par following the completion of their sixth round.
- Of the players inside the top-45 and ties, 22 would be 2019 LPGA Tour rookies.
- All players inside the top-45 have completed the sixth round on Thursday except for Alana Uriell, who is currently 4-under par through 14 holes and 1-over par for Q-Series
- 11 different countries are represented by players inside the top-25.
- Round six on Pinehurst No. 7 was delayed on both tees due to fog—the morning wave by 25 minutes, the first tee time was 8:15 a.m. Afternoon tee times were delayed 10 minutes.
- The sixth round was suspended due to heavy rain at 5:30 p.m. with 26 players left to finish their round; play resumed at 6:07 p.m.
- The sixth round was suspended again due to darkness at 6:24 p.m. with 15 players left to complete their round, which will resume at 7:50 a.m. on Friday morning.
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