Q-SERIES SIXTH ROUND FINALLY COMPLETE
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 afternoon with 26 players left to finish their round. Play resumed 37 minutes later at 6:07 p.m. before the sixth round was finally suspended at 6:24 p.m. due to darkness. Fifteen players resumed play on Friday morning at 7:50 a.m.
Following the completion of round six on Friday morning, competitors were re-paired for the seventh round of Q-Series and headed off both tees starting at 9:25 a.m.
URIELL FINDING HER STRIDE
After three rounds of competition at the inaugural Q-Series presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Alana Uriell found herself at 11-over par and in a tie for 92nd—not exactly where she hoped to be.
The University of Arkansas alumna bounced back with authority, going 9-under par over the last 54 holes to now sit tied for 14th at 2-over par overall. On Friday morning, she put the finishing touches on a 3-under par 69 performance in the sixth round.
“I came from Stage II so I would attribute some bogeys to simply being tired,” said Uriell, who concluded the Second Stage of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament on Oct. 18 in a tie for 10th at 4-under par to advance to Q-Series. “I would say Pinehurst No. 7, I like a little bit more than No. 6 and took a little more time studying the course, getting it in my headspace. Came out here and have been cruising.”
Uriell was still playing as an amateur until she turned professional on Oct. 22, just a couple days before the start of the 144-hole event at Pinehurst Resort. While she started off slow in the Sandhills Region of North Carolina, Uriell is showcasing why her decision was the right one.
“It was really exciting and really cool to see all my hard work pay off to finally achieve this long-term goal of becoming pro,” said Uriell, a 2018 First Team All-SEC selection for the Razorbacks. “It doesn’t really feel like it yet, but it’s a good title to have finally.”
Between several weather delays and possible threats from Mother Nature, nothing has phased Uriell as she continues to push toward the top-45 and ties that will earn LPGA Tour membership for 2019 in Category 14 on the LPGA Priority List. If anything, the external factors have made her pay more attention to the small details.
“The rain makes you more careful—with equipment, how you read the greens, you’re adding another element,” Uriell said. “I would say the darkness really got to me because it was hard to see where the hole was and then had to wait to scrub the greens. It was a combination of waiting, rain and darkness that got to me.”
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