Kelly Whaley and Min-G Kim shoot 6-under-par 66 to lead after Round 1.
By Spectrum Sports Staff
GATES, N.Y. — Kelly Whaley, a Sponsors Exemption into the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic, shares the first round lead.
One of two golfing daughters of PGA of America Vice President Suzy Whaley, Kelly recently completed her career at North Carolina and is making her pro debut at the event. She opened with a 6-under 66 and set the early pace before Min-G Kim matched her in one of the last groups of the day.
Unreal,” said Whaley, who recorded 8 birdies at Brook-Lea Country Club. “My main goal today was to take each hole as its own and don’t try to do anything special. It is really different than college, but you can’t put that in your head. I tried to treat it like any other tournament, one shot at a time and I think it went really well.”
Kim played in the Shoprite Classic last week, her first LPGA Tour event since 2017.
“It gave me new perspective of what I need to work on and was nice to see what I’m lacking to not be on the big stage. I got going right from the start with two reachable par-5s. My first nine was really good, putts draining and that helped. It’s all in the putting,” said Kim.
The greens are particularly fast with the recent heat but the Donald Ross design adds to the challenge of putting at Brook-Lea.
“He liked to trick out the greens a little bit and we just played on a Donald Ross last week and we’re playing this week so that’s definitely the teeth of the golf course is the greens,” said Brittany Benvenuto, who is in a 5-way tie for third place at 5-under par, which includes defending champion Eun Jeong Seong.
Webster Thomas grad Mikah McDonnell earned the Fan Vote for a Sponsors Exemption and shot 85 to start. McDonnell is off to William & Mary in the fall to continue her golf and academic careers.
*EDITOR’S NOTE – McDonnell earns Downey Memorial Scholarship
On Monday afternoon, Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic week began with the 13th annual Future of Women’s Golf Pro-Am and was followed by the Danielle Downey Memorial Scholarship reception. The event featured 26 hand-picked current and recently graduated top local high school students alongside Symetra Tour professionals and amateur sponsors.
Just like the tournament, the scholarship was setup to honor Danielle Downey’s legacy and impact in the community. Erica Setzer – one of Downey’s three sisters – presented amateur and tournament sponsor exemption Mikah McDonnell with this year’s $2,500 award. A Webster Thomas High School graduate, who is headed to the College of William & Mary this fall, McDonnell selected The Folds of Honor Military Tribute Program for the additional $2,500 donation that is part of the scholarship.
“It was a really nice feeling to hear Erica talk about family and everything since my dad is such a big influence in my life,” said McDonnell, who chose the charity because her father served in the Marines for several years. “He is always there for me and the award being in Danielle’s honor, to do something along the lines of what she would do was really amazing. All the stories of her are inspiring.”
Tuesday’s celebraty event included Greece native and former NHL player Brian Gionta, former Buffalo Bills QB Jim Kelly, and Syracuse Orange head coach Jim Boeheim.