WHITE JUMPS OUT TO CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION LEAD

Alexandra White (Lancaster, Ohio) LPGA Professionals Apprentice started her 2023 National Championship campaign on the back nine of Kingsmill Resort’s River Course. She kept her composure early on, following up a bogey on No. 11 with a birdie on No. 12 before closing out her opening nine with six straight pars.

White kicked off her back nine with a birdie on No. 1 and two straight birdies on Nos. 3 and 4. From there, White added three pars before play was suspended due to darkness. Returning on the morning of July 25, White picked up right where she left off, carding another par and a closing birdie on the par-4 No. 9 to grab the first-round lead at 4-under 67.

“I think I made some good putts, and when I got in trouble, I had some good shots to get me back in play,” White said. “You know, I had to hit a couple punch outs right off the bat, but it all ended up coming together with some good breaks, making solid putts and hitting great recovery shots.”

White competed on the Epson Tour from 2013-2022. She recorded multiple top-10 finishes in her career, including a career-best, third-place finish at the Twin Bridges Championship in 2022.

“I made the transition to the club pro life in March, and am currently working on my LPGA Professionals certification,” White shared. “So, this is my first opportunity to play in this tournament, which is really exciting.”

Dr. Alison Curdt (Reseda, Calif.) LPGA Master Professional; Joanna Coe (Haverford, Pa.); Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth (Fleming Island, Fla.) LPGA Class A Professional, and Juli Erekson (Mapleton, Utah) LPGA Class B Professional are T2 at 1-under 70.

The top-eight finishers in the Championship Division will earn exemptions into the 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, to be held June 19-23, 2024, at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, WA.

DEPAULO, WILLIAMS COME OUT SWINGING

Lisa DePaulo (Austin, Texas) and Kimberly Williams (Franklin, Tenn.), both LPGA Class A Professionals, sit atop the Senior Division at 4-under 67 after round one. Playing in different groups, the two players happened to match scores on the first 13 holes of the day, with birdies on Nos. 3, 4 and 10 standing out amongst the pars. DePaulo added another birdie on No. 17 before finishing with a par on No. 18 to complete the bogey-free round. Williams bogeyed the par-4 No. 14 but bounced back with two straight birdies on Nos. 15 and 16.

Returning to Kingsmill for the first time in nearly 20 years, DePaulo was in search of redemption. The former LPGA Tour player’s last appearance at the venue came at the 2004 Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill, which she opened with a 14-over 85. That round may have been one to forget, but the story that took place after is one she will remember forever.

“So, I get done and I’m sitting the in the bar, of course, with my caddy having a drink,” DePaulo shared. “I tell the bartender, ‘Can you keep my glass full? I’ve had a really rough day.’ He goes, ‘You’ve had a rough day? One of the gals out there shot 85 and she’s supposed to be a pro.’

“After he said that I pulled out my money clip and went, ‘That’s me, I’m Lisa DePaulo.’ I’ll never forget it. So, it feels really good [to come back with this 67]. When I shot that pour round that many years ago it was because I wasn’t patient, disciplined or committed. So, at age 57 now, I’ve got a lot more patience and discipline, and I’m still learning to be committed.”

Williams is also a former LPGA Tour player, and despite battling various injuries throughout her career, she managed multiple top-10 finishes on tour. She too competed at the 2004 Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill, firing her career low round with an 8-under 63 in round two.

“My round today was really steady,” Williams said. “I hit it really well and putted a lot better today. It’s probably my first round in a couple years that I didn’t have a three putt.

“You know, I was a little hesitant [coming into the week] because I didn’t play any practice rounds due to my back going off the rails. But, I know the course very well from playing in the LPGA tournament here, and that certainly helped my game.”

Cathy Johnston-Forbes (Kitty Hawk, N.C.), Joan Delk (Jasper, Ga.) and Tonya Gill Danckaert (Atlanta, Ga.) sit in T3 at 1-under 70. The three LPGA Class A Professionals combined for nine birdies.

AUSTIN HOLDS SUPER SENIOR DIVISION LEAD AFTER ROUND ONE

Sally Austin (Pinehurst, N.C.) LPGA Class A Professional holds a one-shot lead at 4-over 75 following round one of the 2023 LPGA Professionals National Championship. The former University of North Carolina women’s golf coach carded three birdies on the round.

“I played better than I have been recently,” Austin said. “I hit some good shots in there and made some putts. My best shot of the day was on the par-5 No. 3. I had a hanging lie and managed to hit a great shot up there to about 20-25 feet to set up an eagle putt. I ended up two-putting for birdie, but to get up there in two was something I was quite pleased with.”

DORECE HOLDS SLIM LEAD IN CHALLENGE DIVISION

Christine Dorece (Harveys Lake, Pa.) LPGA Class A Professional leads the Challenge Division after round one at 1-over 72. She opened her round with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 1 and 2, eventually finishing with a total of three to offset four bogeys.

“I was hitting the ball really good today,” Dorece said. “I had a lot of looks for birdie, but I just couldn’t get the putts to drop. The greens were slower because of the rain, so it took me a little while to get used to that.

“I honestly believe I could have shot 10-under today if I had the putter going, so I’m really excited to get back out there tomorrow and have another go at it.”

This National Championship is about much more than golf, and that’s something Dorece has learned over her years competing in the tournament.

“I love this event,” Dorece said. “I’ve been coming to this event a long time. I’ve been a Class A pro for over 20 years, and it’s always awesome to see your friends, even if it’s just once a year. It’s like time has never passed. So, it’s good camaraderie to see everybody and especially all the young girls coming up. I think they get a lot out of this event too.”

Joellyn Crooks (Fuquay Varina, N.C.) LPGA Class A Professional and Liz Cooper (Roanoke, Va.) LPGA Class A Professional are T2 at 2-over 73. Crooks played a steady round with a birdie and three bogeys, while Cooper bounced back from an up-and-down front nine with two birdies on her bogey-free back nine.

2023 LPGA Professionals National Championship - First-Round Notes

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