ALBANY, New York, May 29, 2017 - The Epson Tour, the official qualifying Tour of the LPGA, returns to action after a two-week hiatus, with the Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY at Capital Hills from Friday, June 2 through Sunday, June 4. This is the eighth tournament of 22 total this season. The Epson Tour - formerly the FUTURES Tour - has played in the Albany area since 1984. The Tour has played at Capital Hills at Albany for 14 consecutive years dating back to 2004. The rich history of the tournament includes a win by Dottie Pepper in 1985 and a historic win by Sadena Parks in 2014 when she became just the third African-American to win in the history of the tour.
The field of 144 from the United States and a season-high 31 nations around the globe will compete for a purse of $125,000 and the winner will earn $18,750. The winner of the Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY will also drive away with a brand new 2017 Kia Forte courtesy of Fuccillo Kia of Schenectady. This is the third year in a row that the winner of the tournament will also win a new car. This is the only stop on Tour where the champion receives a new car for winning.
All three rounds will begin at 7:30 a.m. There will be a cut to the low 60 and ties following second round play on Saturday. The first two rounds will be split tee starts while the final round will be a single-tee start. Tickets are $10 for a one-day pass and $20 for a three-day pass. New in 2017, Nashville country artist Frankie Ballard, who has #1 singles “Helluva Life”, “Young & Crazy” and “Sunshine & Whiskey” will perform a concert on Friday, June 2 around the 18th hole starting at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets to the concert are $20 while VIP passes, which include food and beverage, are $50.
The Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY begins a very busy stretch for the Epson Tour. The Tour will play six consecutive weeks through July 9. The stops include: Albany, South Bend, Indiana, Decatur, Illinois, Harris, Michigan, Canadian Lakes, Michigan and French Lick, Indiana. In fact, the Tour is on nine of the next ten weeks.
The field is very strong this week as nine of the top 10 on the current Volvik Race for the Card money list are scheduled to compete including the current top five. The only player in the top 10 not in the field is No. 6 Paola Moreno. Amazingly, the top 12 on the current money list represent 12 different countries (Canada, France, Denmark, Ecuador, Thailand, Colombia, Australia, New Zealand, China, South Korea, Jersey (UK), USA). The field also includes 23 current LPGA Tour members.
There is one non-exemption that hails from the state of New York and that is Nannette Hill of Pelham. Hill, who earned six varsity letters at Pelham High School, is a three-time winner of the New York State Junior (2000-02) and has one career win on the Epson Tour (2010 City of Hammond Classic).
“I love being from New York, it is a big part of who I am,” said Hill, who ranks 34th on the current Volvik Race for the Card money list with one top 10. “I try to approach each tournament the same, but it would be great to play well this week. I will have friends and family out here to watch this weekend.”
Hill last played at Capital Hills in 2014 and finished T42. She played predominantly on the LPGA in 2015 and 2016 and had one top 10 at the ‘15 Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.
Capital Hills at Albany is generally a course that lends itself to birdies. The winners’ three-day total has been double-digits four of the last five years. In 2014, Sadena Parks used a final-round 9-under, 62 to win by one shot. That same year, Hyemin Kim carded a 9-under, 62 the day prior. Parks and Seon-Hwa Lee (2005) own the record for lowest three-day total of 14-under. Capital Hills at Albany is a par-71 and will play 6,147 yards this week.
SPONSOR EXEMPTIONS PROVIDE LOCAL INTEREST
For a third straight year, the coach of UAlbany women’s golf, Colleen Cashman-McSween, has received a sponsor exemption into the field. She missed the cut each of the last two years, but has been a great ambassador for the tournament.Cashman-McSween played on the Epson Tour from 1998 through 2004. She recently completed her fourth year as the UAlbany head coach where she led the Great Danes to the MAAC title in 2015 and a second place finish in 2017.
“It’s an honor to be invited to play in the Epson Tour event for a 3rd year in a row,” said Cashman-McSween. “I’m very appreciative to Jimmy Miller for asking me to represent the capital region and the University at Albany.”
Cashman-McSween was an accomplished golfer during her playing days. She posted nine top 10 finishes on the FUTURES Tour including a win at the 2003 Tampa Bay’s Next Generation FUTURES Golf Classic.
“It has been a long time since I have competed on a daily basis, but I still think I can be a factor in an event,” said Cashman-McSween. “This week in the summer is my highlight because it takes me back to the old days when I was very competitive and I knew I could win. I want to be that player again and I honestly think I can be.”
The second exemption is Bailey Cocca, who won the New York State Amateur Championship in 2016. It was the first New York State Women’s Amateur title for a player from the Capital Region since 1989. Cocca played college golf at Coastal Carolina. She currently works at Normanside Country Club. Cocca was last a sponsor exemption into the event at Capital Hills in 2009 and 2010 as a teenager.
RUNNER-UP LAST YEAR, TALLEY, RETURNS TO SITE OF PRO DEBUT
Emma Talley (Princeton, Ky.) - who won the 2015 NCAA individual national title at Alabama - made her professional debut last year at Capital Hills and nearly won. She lost on the first playoff hole to Jackie Stoelting. Talley will return this year as a much more seasoned professional.“Last year was really cool for me being my debut and finishing second after getting beat in a playoff,” said Talley. “My dad was on the bag last year and it was really fun. The course does suit my game and I’m looking forward to coming back this week.”
Talley has had a pretty strong start to the 2017 season. She has three top 10 finishes in seven starts and ranks 21st on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.
“My game this year has been really solid,” said Talley. “I have never hit the ball this well before. However, my putting has been really bad. I even missed two one footers in South Carolina.”
Talley used the two weeks off to work on her putting and reset mentally for a long stretch.
“These two weeks have been really good for me,” noted Talley. “I went back to my old grip (putting) I used in high school and I went to a sports psychologist for the first time ever and I loved it. I’m excited to see the progress after taking a few days off and then grinding on my game too. With a little more than half the season left I feel I’m in a good spot considering how my game has been.”
TWO U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN QUALIFIERS IN FIELD
There are two players in the field this week - Kyung Kim (Chandler, Az.) and Emma Henrikson (Ljunghusen, Sweden) - that have qualified to compete in the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open, which is widely regarded as the biggest tournament in women’s golf. It provides the largest tournament purse on the LPGA of $5 million.Kim and Henrikson finished first and second at the Scottsdale, Arizona qualifier held at the Country Club at DC Ranch. Henrikson finished tied for second and made an eagle on the playoff hole to earn the spot over her good friend Louise Ridderstrom, who is also in the field this week.
“I’m super excited to play in the U.S. Open,” said Henrikson, who is a rookie on the Epson Tour. “It’s something I’ve always dreamed about so the fact that it’s actually happening this year is amazing to me.”
The Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY will be Henrikson’s second event of the season. She didn’t have good status at the start of the season, but finished T18 in her lone start of the season (POC Med Golf Classic) and should get more starts now.
“It (qualifying) gives me a ton of confidence heading into Albany and a stretch of Epson events,” explained Henrikson. “Just knowing that I will be competing among the very best players in the world soon makes me want to practice even harder and show that I belong there. So, I’ve got to start preparing for that.”
LAST YEARS WINNER STOELTING HAVING BEST LPGA SEASON
Jackie Stoelting picked up her fourth career Epson Tour win last year at the Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY. It led her to a third place finish on the Volvik Race for the Card money list to earn a spot on the LPGA. She has made the cut in four of nine starts this year on the LPGA and currently ranks 88th on the official money list. For comparison, Stoelting made just two cuts in 18 starts during her first go-round on the LPGA in 2015.“This season has been so much better than last time I played on the LPGA,” said Stoelting when reached on Sunday via phone. “I feel more comfortable and confident. It was a shaky start, but when I played well at the Kia Classic (T21), I’ve felt more confident with my game knowing I contended with the best in the world. I’m definitely enjoying myself more this year too which definitely helps on the golf course.”
Stoelting’s mom and dad, Teri and Ed, met in the Capital Region so her visits to Albany were always extra special.
“My win in Albany meant just as much as my first win (on Epson Tour),” said Stoelting. “I played my first professional event there so it was surreal to win on that course many years later. It was also special being where my parents grew up and having my dad on the bag and many family and friends there all week. It’s bittersweet not defending, but hopefully one of my friends can defend for me.”
Stoelting will make her 10th LPGA start of the season in New Jersey at the ShopRite LPGA Classic this week.
OF NOTE
- There are two players in the field - Julieta Granada and Savannah Vilaubi - who played on the LPGA Tour last week at the LPGA Volvik Championship in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Both missed the cut.
- Michelle Piyapattra - who finished 3rd last year at 8-under, 205 - is also back in the field. Laura Wearn and Erica Popson finished T4 last year and both return.
- There are three 2017 All-Americans in the field - Katelyn Dambaugh (Second Team, South Carolina), Harang Lee (Second Team, Georgia) and Sierra Sims (Honorable Mention, Wake Forest).
- Augusta James (Bath, Ontario) has played very well at Capital Hills. She finished in a tie for second in 2015 (-12) with rounds of 66-67-69 and finished T20 in 2016 with a 65 on day two.
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