Volvik Championship at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon
Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon - Champions Course
Beaumont, California
First-Round News & Notes
BEAUMONT, Calif., February 27, 2015 - Mary Narzisi (Omaha, Nebraska) opened some eyes by shooting a 6-under 66 on Friday to grab the 18-hole lead at the Volvik Championship at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon. The 66 is a career low for Narzisi, who posted just one total round in the 60’s in 2014. Narzisi was a contestant on the 2014 Golf Channel series Big Break Florida.
Narzisi played a bogey free round with six birdies including three in a row from the second through fourth holes.
“I actually got off to a brutal start when I hit it left on the first, but I got up and down,” said 25-year-old Narzisi. “I just found a groove, I hit it to six feet on two and made the putt and then on three I made a 30-foot winding putt and then on four I hit the green in two and had a nice two-putt birdie so that set me up nice.”
Narzisi decided to make a change after finishing 86th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list in 2014.
“I have a new swing coach, Lewis Green, who is Sadena Parks’ swing coach and we’ve been working really hard this offseason,” said Narzisi, who finished T52 last week at the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club.
“Last week I made seven birdies and three doubles in one round, so we are really just trying to eliminate that big swing miss and today we did it.”
Green helped Parks go from 99th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list in 2013 to fourth in 2014. Parks is now playing full-time on the LPGA Tour.
“Lewis turned Sadena around real quick last year and she made a massive jump, which is also attributed to her being a great player,” said Narzisi. “Lewis and I clicked last year and he approached me in the offseason and asked me to come out. I went out in December and we instantly clicked, he is crazy and so am I.”
Narzisi has also made a new committment to improving her physical fitness. She now goes to 12 gym classes a week including two zumba classes per week with Parks.
“Lewis has me on a pretty good regiment of practicing and working out and being in good shape,” said Narzisi. “For this course, you have to be in good shape because you’re walking up hills.”
Narzisi will try to better her career best finish of a tie for 20th at the 2014 Credit Union Classic in Syracuse.
“Being the leader after day one, you kind of look back at everyone,” said Narzisi. “You know you’re in the lead and have a little bit of room, but the last thing you want to do is be complacent.”
“Today, I thought I did a really good job of keeping it all in perspective,” said the former Minnesota Golden Gophers golfer. “Normally when I get to two or three under I either press or pull back and today was one of those days when I just let it fly. You’ve got to go low on the Epson Tour to win.”
UCLA GRAD, WHITTIER NATIVE ONE BACK: Whittier, California native and former UCLA golfer Lee Lopez made birdie on the 10th hole, her final hole, to pull to 5-under 67. She is one back of Narzisi after 18 holes.
“Everything was pretty solid, I was hitting the driver well so I was putting myself in good positions,” said Lopez. “Today I putted really well and that was the main thing.”
Lopez played a lot of amateur golf at Tukwet Canyon so she is very comfortable on the track.
“The first time I played here I was probably 12 years old,” said Lopez. “We would play here ten to 15 times a year for the Southern California PGA Junior Tour and the Toyota Tour Cup so for all of us from Southern California we are all comfortable here.”
Last week, amateur Hannah O’Sullivan proved that having prior familiarity is a huge benefit.
“Once you get to the golf course, you kind of know what you are going to do at each hole,” said Lopez. “You can spend a little more time practicing and working on your game instead of figuring out the golf course.”
Lopez grew up about an hour away from Tukwet Canyon and has her mom as her caddie this week and had friends and family following her the entire day.
“I’m so excited because this is the only event my family and friends will be able to come out to so to play well is really fun.”
GRICE CONTINUES STRONG PLAY: Last week in Mesa, Casey Grice fired a first-round 3-under 69 and finished in a tie for 16th.
On Friday, Grice carded a 5-under 67 and is just one back of Narzisi.Grice, who started on the back nine, made five pars to open her day before a chip-in birdie on the 16th hole.
“I wasn’t hitting anything super close and then I chipped in and that got me started,” said Grice. “I got hot at periods of time including back-to-back birdies to finish.”
The former UNC golfer is playing the best golf of her professional career.
“I know last season, I finished really strong,” said Grice, who was 24th on the Volvik Race for the Card at seasons end. “I think I’ve been able to keep that momentum going, but 67 is the lowest round I’ve had as a professional.”
Grice is excited to be playing well at her sponsors event.
“I’m so grateful for everything Volvik has done for the Tour in general, but it’s always nice to play well when it is your sponsor’s event,” said Grice.Grice’s best finish was a solo third at the Friends of Mission Charity Classic last year.
GREHAN BACK ON COURSE, OVERCOMES FATIGUE: Megan Grehan left the game of golf after graduating from Vanderbilt in 2011. She took 2012 off, but felt a burning desire to return to the game. After a year away, she qualified for the LPGA Tour through LPGA Qualifying Tournament.
Grehan lost her LPGA Tour status in 2014 and expects to play a full Epson Tour schedule in 2015.
“I quit golf after college for a year and went and got a job,” said Grehan. “I worked at a pasta company in Nashville called The Pasta Shop that makes fun shaped pasta. They sell the pasta kind of like girl scout cookies through fundraising.”
Grehan missed the game so she played as an amateur for a summer and then played on the Ladies European Tour (LET) before qualifying for the LPGA.
“I just really missed the game and I wanted to give myself a chance at the professional level.” said Grehan.
The Mamaroneck, New York native carded a 1-under 71 on Friday.
“I was kind of half sleep and I birdied the first two holes,” said Grehan, who started at 7:30 a.m. “Then I made a double on the 14th and a bad bogey on the hole before, but I clawed back.” Grehan was tired this morning because she had to wake up at 3:00 a.m. due to a fire right down the street from her host family.
“There was a fire right down the street and everyone woke up, a car exploded and there were fire trucks everywhere,” said Grehan. “I got back to sleep eventually, but I had to take an extra shower this morning to wake myself up.”
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