Inbee In The Zone
After missing the bulk of last season and making just 10 starts, Inbee Park has gotten her 2017 season off to a hot start.
A few weeks ago, Park became the first two-time winner of the HSBC Women’s Champions for her 18th win of her LPGA Tour Hall of Fame career and her first on the LPGA since her Gold Medal triumph in Rio. Park took six months off following her win at the Olympics and only returned to the LPGA Tour in Thailand where she finished T25.
In six starts this season, she has collected one win (HSBC Women’s Champions), two top-five finishes and has yet to finish outside the top-25.
Park collected her first win of the season in just her second start, something she thinks has boosted her early success this season. “I was really happy to see that,” Park said.
“Because once I win a tournament that early in the season, that just gives me so much confidence and it just gives me so much boost. And obviously being able to play with the confidence is so much different story, especially going into a lot of big major championships in the summer, because I consider myself a very strong player in the summer.”
As a two-time Volunteers of America Texas Shootout champion, Park feels right at home at Las Colinas Country Club. “I love the golf course and the community and the people,” she said. “And obviously there is a lot of Korean people living here, so I love them coming out here and watching us.”
There's No Place Like Home
Wylie, Texas native Maddie McCrary earned an exemption into the 2017 Volunteers of America Texas Shootout Presented by JTBC by way of the HS/College Shootout. The Oklahoma State junior posted a score of 73 (+2) in the one-day shootout on March 15th at the Las Colinas Country Club.
McCrary will have her coach on her bag and her friends and family in the crowd to watch her compete at her second LPGA event. She also earned an exemption into the 2015 Volunteers of America Texas Shootout, where she posted rounds of 75-76. In her second go-round, she feels ready to handle the pressure this year.
“My practice round was really good,” McCrary said. “I got to play with Gerina Piller. She’s a Dallas native and so it was really cool being able to play with her.”
Judy Rankin Offers Five Young Texans The Golf Experience of a Lifetime
For the second consecutive year, five young amateurs will get the opportunity to play alongside the pros thanks to Judy Rankin’s JTR Suitcase Fund and Volunteers of America.
Five high schoolers from West Texas will get a chance to play in the official Volunteers of America Texas Shootout pro-am. Since the event follows a 9&9 pro-am format, each girl will have the chance to meet and play with two different LPGA players.
“It is our second year to have this partnership with Mike King and Volunteers of America,” Rankin said. “It’s been more than fun to randomly select girls from West Texas to come enjoy an LPGA event and pro-am.”
Of the five high schoolers chosen this year, three are from Rankin’s hometown of Midland, one is from Andrews and one is from Lubbock.
This year, the five young players also received an invitation to attend the official pro-am party which will be held on Tuesday at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, as part of the Volunteers of America national conference.
Quotable
“I think Dallas has a lot of great golf course and it’s very famous with the Texas Rangers and I’m a big fan of that sports team.”
- Sei Young Kim on her favorite parts about living in Dallas.
“Eating Korean food every day, which my mom cooks even early in the morning, no matter what time, it just great.”
- McKinney resident, Mi Jung Hur on her favorite part of playing a tournament in Texas.
Quick Hits
Inbee Park is the only two-time winner of the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout, she won the event in 2013 and 2015. In her only other appearance in Texas (2014) she placed 14th.
Park (2015) is the only past Volunteers of America Texas Shootout champion who scored all four rounds in the 60s.
Park is tied for 28th all-time alongside Cristie Kerr, Hollis Stacy and Meg Mallon with 18 career LPGA victories.
Park is in the top three in four statistical categories in the LPGA this season: Putts per GIR (2nd, 1.69), Scoring Average (2nd, 68.83), Rounds Under Par (3rd, 21) and Rounds in the 60s (3rd, 16).
This season Mi Jung Hur has six starts and has yet to finish outside the top-30, with her season-best finish of T4 at the Kia Classic.
At the 2016 Volunteers of America Texas Shootout Hur finished T2, her career-best finish at the event.
A two-time LPGA Tour winner, it’s been three years since Hur’s last win at the 2014 Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.
Five-time LPGA Tour winner and 2015 Lousie Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year, Sei Young Kim has three top-20 finishes in six starts this season including a third place finish at the Honda LPGA Thailand.
At the 2016 Volunteers of America Texas Shootout, Kim finished T7 for her best finish at the event.
Amateur Maddie McCrary will be paired with Laura Gonzalez Escallon and Stephanie Meadow. When she played this tournament in 2015, she was paired with Paige McKenzie and Kim Kaufman.
#NGD17
The 10th annual “National Golf Day” will be held on Wednesday, April 26 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. WE ARE GOLF will meet with Members of Congress, the Executive Branch and federal agencies to discuss the game’s $70 billion economy, $4 billion charitable impact and many environmental and fitness benefits.
Throughout the day, participants will share stories through the #NGD17 social media campaign to join the conversation and share stories directly with Congressional leaders, staffers, media, industry organizations and other golf enthusiasts.
For more information: http://wearegolf.org/capitol-hill/national-golf-day
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