ALBANY, New York, June 3, 2017 - Hannah Green (Perth, Australia) has showed tremendous skill and poise as a rookie and it has been on display again this week at the Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY. She posted a 3-under, 68 on Saturday to move into the lead at 7-under, 135. She takes a one-shot lead into the final-round over Mia Piccio (Bacolod City, Philippines), who held the first round lead and carded a 1-under, 70 on Saturday. Kendall Dye (Edmond, Okla.) is in third place at 5-under, 137 while Yu Liu (Beijing, China) is in fourth at 4-under, 138.
The final-round will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday with a split-tee format. The final group of Green, Piccio and Dye will tee at 9:31 a.m. Tour officials decided to move up the start of the final round and split tees in order to avoid scheduled afternoon weather on Sunday. The final group is expected to finish at approximately 2:30 p.m. with the trophy ceremony to take place on the 18th green.
70 players made the cut at 4-over, 146.
Green, 20, has made ten birdies against just three bogeys over the first two days in Albany. She played her first 13 holes on Saturday in 4-under with a clean scorecard. Her lone blemish was the 14th where she made bogey. She closed with four pars.
Green said that she has been thinking about purchasing a new Kia prior to the Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY. On Sunday, she will have a chance to win a 2017 Kia Forte LX with a victory.
“I was thinking about buying a car to travel around with, but I didn’t realize this was the week you could win a car along with the prize money,” said Green. “That’s a great incentive and it would be very nice.”
Green’s main goal entering the 2017 season was to win three times. In April, she captured her first victory at the Sara Bay Classic.
“My goal was three wins to secure my (LPGA) card,” said Green. “I really want to finish in the top 10 and I want to add this one to my list.”
Green has been deadly accurate off the tee this week and that has been the driving force behind her success.
“The rough is very wet and very thick so it is very important to keep the ball in the fairway,” explained Green, who has hit 24-of-26 fairways through two days. “Driver has been the best club in my bag and that has given me an advantage this week. I’ve also made a lot more putts than I normally do this week so it is nice to have it all come together.”
Green’s boyfriend, Jarryd Felton, a professional golfer on the PGA of Australia, is on the bag this week. He flew in from London after his U.S. Open qualifier.
“I think he has made a big impact because I wasn’t really swinging it that well coming into the week,” said Green. “It is nice to have someone from home here with me.”
Green currently ranks seventh on the Volvik Race for the Card money list with $24,868 earned in six starts. The first place payout of $18,750 could move Green to No. 1 on the money list.
Piccio, who will go for her first career win, has been stellar down the stretch on both days. She made four straight birdies to close her round Friday and made three straight birdies on five, six and seven before two pars to finish on Saturday.
“I have a chance to win and that is exciting, I haven’t been in the final group on the Epson Tour,” said Piccio. “I feel really confident over putts right now so that is always a good thing.”
Piccio’s only professional win came on the LET Access Series in 2014.
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