Erynne Lee shoots 7-under-par to tie Nanna Koersta Madsen atop the leaderboard.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Fans at Brook-Lea Country Club were treated to some spectacular golf on Friday. Erynne Lee (Silverdale, WA.) stole the show late with a 7-under, 65 to move into a share of the lead heading into the weekend at the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic with Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Copenhagen, Denmark).
The two-time Symetra Tour winners are 11-under, 133 through 36 holes. The second-round also included two hole-in-one’s on the 18th hole and a course record 9-under, 63 by Laura Wearn (Charlotte, N.C.).
The first-round resumed on Friday morning at 7:30 am and was completed just before 10 am. The second-round began at 8:45 am.
The cut was made a even-par, 144 and 68 players will play over the weekend.
Lee, who won two weeks ago at the last Symetra Tour event in French Lick, Indiana, was on fire on her front nine. She turned in 29, which was her lowest nine hole score of her career, and was 8-under through her first ten holes. While Lee cooled off on the back nine, she moved from a tie for fifth to the top of the leaderboard.
“From the beginning, I was hitting really good shots,” said Lee, who attempted just 26 putts and hit 13 of 14 fairways. “A lot of my birdie putts were within ten feet, nothing crazy at all. My putting was on fire so I’m really excited about the 29 on the front. I just felt like I was in the zone and I could make another birdie and another one.”
The back nine was more of a grind-it-out type nine. She made seven pars and one bogey on the 16th hole.
Lee will try to become the first player to win consecutive events since Jackie Stoelting won the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout and the IOA Golf Classic late in the 2015 season.
“My confidence is at an all-time high,” said Lee, who has finished inside the top 20 in five of the last six starts. “I’ve had the same feeling the last six weeks. I’m just trying to be committed out there and that is the key to my success.”
Following her win in French Lick, Lee moved up to No. 4 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. She was a little worried about losing momentum during the off week, but she has clearly kept her rhythm.
“In an off week, who knows what might happen, you could start tweaking with your swing, but I didn’t do any of that,” said Lee. “I took a few days off, but I just kept my routine the same. I’m really happy to see that I am progressing.”
With the first-place payout of $22,500, Lee would move near the top of the money list and would put herself in great position to wrap up a spot in the top 10.
Lee said she thinks it’ll take at minimum 17-under over the weekend to finish on top.
“Considering that after two days, the top is 10-under and 11-under and there are a lot of birdie opportunities, I think 17-under is a good number,” said Lee. “A lot of girls can go low out here.”
Koerstz Madsen didn’t have her “A” game on Friday, but still posted a 5-under, 67 to share the lead. Nobody is more experienced in the pressure of trying to win a tournament than Koerstz Madsen, who has two victories this season.
“The few times I’ve been there, it’s not like I’m chocking or anything,” said a confident Koerstz Madsen. “I like being there. It’s not like I get nervous. I feel like I’m good being in the position where you have a chance at winning, so I like it.”
Koerstz Madsen has a chance to earn a “Battlefield Promotion” to the LPGA with a third win. She can also improve her chance of being a captain’s pick on Team Europe for this years’ Solheim Cup.
WEARN CARDS A 63, THE LOWEST OF HER CAREER: Laura Wearn couldn’t miss during a stretch between holes four and eight when she made four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 seventh. Wearn also made birdie on the second hole and turned in 29.
She kept her foot on the gas pedal at the turn and made birdies on 10 and 11 and was 10-under through 11 holes. She cooled off a bit on the back, but still holed crucial par putts on holes 13 and 17 to post a career-low 63. Wearn was most proud of making zero birdies.
“It was really exciting, everything kind of felt really easy,” said Wearn, who has one career win on the Symetra Tour at the 2016 Gosling’s Dark ‘n Stormy Classic. “I was hitting the ball where I wanted to hit it and my putts were dropping. I wasn’t really thinking a whole lot, it was just all happening. It was really fun for awhile.”
Wearn has three career top 10 finishes.
“This type of groove doesn’t happen as much as we would like so when you’re playing really well, it is an incredible feeling,” said Wearn. “After the round, I looked back and realized how well I was playing.”
Wearn attempted just 26 putts and hit 15-of-18 greens in regulation.
TWO ACES ON ONE HOLE…AGAIN: Katelyn Dambaugh (North Charleston, S.C.) made her first slam-dunk hole-in-one Friday afternoon on No.18. She was smiling ear-to-ear walking up to the 18th green while the crowd roared and clapped for her. She posted a solid second-round with a 3-under-par, 68 and made four birdies.
This was her first competition ace and throughout her career she has recorded four aces including the one Friday.
“I didn’t know (that it went in) because I couldn’t see the ball, but I did hear something. I thought it might have actually landed in the rough in front of the green. It was about 142 yards and I hit an eight-iron,” she stated after her great round. “Everyone screamed, so I knew it went in. It slammed dunked. I’ve never done that before.”
Dambaugh is in her rookie season from South Carolina University. In March, she received an amateur invite into the ANA Inspiration. During her time with the Gamecocks she earned 2015-2016 Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WCGA) All-American status, was First-Team All-SEC (2016), and Second-Team All SEC in 2014 & 2015. Prior to turning professional, Dambaugh was ranked No. 5 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
Jean Chua (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) also made a slam-dunk ace during Friday’s play on No. 18. There were three groups in between the two aces. Chua made her last ace at the Symetra Tour Championship during the 2014 season.
Chua posted a great round with a 5-under-par, 67. The crowd cheered when her shot went in on No. 18, and she also could hear the sound of the ball hitting the pin.
“I started with an eagle and birdie,” Chua said. She recorded four birdies, one eagle, and one ace during Friday’s play.
“I didn’t have a yardage for the hole. I had two numbers from the practice round and the first-round, so I went with what I had from the back tee,” Chua stated. “It felt solid and it was a good shot.”
The two aces were separated by less than an hour. “Players are just getting better,” Chua stated after finding out that she wasn’t the only person to have an ace on No. 18.
“It was a fun round after not being out here for a while because of injuries. I have had a lot of 67’s before, but this was the first under-par in awhile. It felt good to have that feeling again.”
This is the second tournament in a row that two players made an ace on the same hole during the same round. At the Donald Ross Centennial Classic two weeks ago, Jenna Peters and Kate Machado made aces on the 16th hole on the Donald Ross Course in French Lick, IN.
OF NOTE
• Rochester native Jenna Hoecker carded a 6-over, 78 and missed the cut at 9-over, 153.
• No. 1 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list, Benyapa Niphatsophon, is in a share of fifth place at 6-under, 138.