WHITE MAINTAINS CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION LEAD

Within a couple hours of finishing her first round that was suspended due to darkness the night before, Alexandra White (Lancaster, Ohio) LPGA Professionals Apprentice went back out on the River Course at Kingsmill Resort to start her second round of play at the LPGA Professionals National Championship. The former Epson Tour player had a back-and-forth opening to her round, with a par on No.1, a bogey on No. 2 and a birdie on No. 3. Still trying to find the same rhythm she had in round one, White struggled over the next several holes, carding three bogeys before making the turn at 3-over 39.

“I started off pretty slow, and not very hot with the putter,” White said. “It didn’t feel like I should be three over making the turn, but there I was.

“I finally hit a good swing on nine though, like a real good one. I didn’t make the birdie, but I told my buddy, ‘Okay, I think I just turned the corner.’ So, then we hit it to a foot on 10, made birdie, and battled back from there.”

After making that birdie on No. 10, White returned to form. She added two more birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 on her way in with a bogey-free 3-under 32 for an even-par round of 71. Her two-day total is 4-under 138.

Leading by three with one round of the competition left, White is fully aware of the stakes at hand. 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. With so much on the line, White’s strategy is to forget about it.

“You know, I’ve had to work pretty hard this week at not being result oriented because that is such a cool result,” White said. “So, I’m just going to work really hard at staying in the process tomorrow because that is so cool.”

White is no stranger to major competition, and having the opportunity to compete in another one, especially a major that continues to set the bar with purse increases, is something she doesn’t take for granted.

“I mean I’ve played in two U.S. Women’s Opens and those were definitely the best sports moments of my life, maybe besides that one penalty kick I saved in eighth grade soccer,” she said with a laugh. “So anyway, if you can get to a major, that’s where it’s at.”

Joanna Coe (Haverford, Pa.) and Sandra Changkija (Kissimmee, Fla.) LPGA Class A Professional are T2 at 1-under 141. These two close friends have quite the history at this championship, as just last year Changkija got the better of Coe in a three-hole playoff to secure the win.

DEPAULO SECURES THREE-STROKE LEAD AHEAD OF FINAL ROUND

Lisa DePaulo (Austin, Texas) LPGA Class A Professional, leads the Senior Division by three at 6-under 136 after round two. Starting her second round on the back nine, DePaulo struggled to get things going, carding a bogey on No. 14 to finish 1-over 36 on that side.

“I was probably trying a little too hard,” said DePaulo. “I shot one over on that side and when I came to the turn, I thought, ‘Just let it go. You’ve got nothing to lose here, let’s just rip it.’ Anyways, it went way better. I had three birdies on the front side to finish the round.”

DePaulo shared the lead after round one with Kim Williams (Franklin, Tenn.) LPGA Class A Professional, but she eventually took solo first with three birdies in her last nine on Nos. 1, 5 and 7. Finishing with a 3-under 33, DePaulo secured her lead at 6-under 136 with a strong mindset heading into tomorrow’s final round.

“If I can just keep doing what I am doing, I’ll be in good shape. I’ve had a few tournaments where I get distracted by weather, so I’m just trying to take it one shot at a time,” DePaulo said. “I’m trying to stay very focused and disciplined. Do the shot, in and out, get her done, and I’m just going to do it again tomorrow and see how it works. It’s been working pretty well so far.”

Tonya Gill Danckaert (Atlanta, Ga.) LPGA Class A Professional, jumped up the leaderboard to a tie for second with Williams at 3-under 139. With back-to-back birdies on Nos. 3 and 4, as well as on No. 13, Danckaert finished with a 2-under 69.

The Championship Division isn't the only division with huge stakes. In fact, the top-eight finishers and ties in the Senior Division will qualify for the Senior LPGA Championship. Additionally, players who finish in the top-15 of the Championship Division who are over the age of 45 will qualify. Spots in the U.S. Senior Women's Open are also on the line, as the three lowest scorers will earn a spot in the field.

AUSTIN TAKES CONTROL OF SUPER SENIOR DIVISION

What started as a one-stroke lead quickly turned into more for Sally Austin (Pinehurst, N.C.) LPGA Class A Professional in round two of the LPGA Professionals National Championship. The former University of North Carolina women’s golf coach opened the tournament with a 4-over 75, which was enough for the lead, but still frustrating.

Austin flipped a switch in the second round however, firing a total of five birdies to offset four bogeys. Three of those birdies came on the front nine, while the back nine birdies were on Nos. 16 and 17. Austin enters the final round with a seven-shot lead at 3-over 145.

“For the most part, I hit it pretty well,” Austin said. “I hit a few errant shots, but I chipped better to save par on some of those holes. I also had a couple of silly three putts that irritate the life out of me, but overall, it was a good round of golf. I know I don’t play as well anymore, so days like today are a bonus.”

Though Austin is clearly in the driver’s seat heading into the final round, she remains focused on keeping expectations low and just having fun.

“I try to have no expectations,” Austin shared. “I came in with the mindset to go out, play, have fun, and don’t expect to do anything. That’s what I want to do tomorrow, too. Just play every shot as best I can.”

COOPER, CROOKS SHARE CHALLENGE DIVISION LEAD

LPGA Class A Professionals Liz Cooper (Roanoke, Va.) and Joellyn Crooks (Fuquay Varina, N.C.) share the Challenge Division lead at 5-over 147. So far both players have been in lockstep with rounds of 73-74. Cooper has fired seven birdies in total, while Crooks has carded three through two rounds of play.

“It’s been fun,” Cooper said. “If I could make a couple more putts, it’d be a little lower, but I’m hitting the ball well and enjoying it. That’s really what this event is about. It’s so much more than golf. It’s coming and seeing people you haven’t seen all year and just enjoying the game.”

LPGA Professionals National Championship - Second-Round

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