VIKKI LAING HAS REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL
AS US FUTURES TOUR SEASON ENDS

Vikki Laing finished joint ninth in the final event of the US Futures Tour season – and so missed out on one of the top-five automatic entry to next year’s lucrative LPGA Tour. But her high ranking does mean she will avoid the preliminaries and go straight through to the LPGA Final Qualifying School at Daytona Beach, Florida from November 29 to December 3.
The 26-year-old US-based Musselburgh exile finished the season in eighth place on the Futures Tour money table with earnings of $35,891. She also won a $2,000 bonus from the company whose brand of putter she uses.
So it was her best year yet as a professional for the former Scotland amateur international, Curtis Cup player, four times Scottish girls champion and St Rule Trophy winner. And she did score her first win as a pro in the Gettysburg Championship a couple of weeks ago.
The five who gained LPGA Tour players’ cards for next season were:
Emily Bastel (Ohio) $59,779, Allison Fouch (Michigan) $54,476, Millie Fankhauser (Ohio) $50,128, Violeta Retamoza (Mexico) $49,895, Seo-Jae Leo (South Korea) $48,493.
The final Futures Tour event – the $100,000 Iloveny Championship at Capital Hills golf course, Albany in New York State – was won by Onnarin Sattayanabanphot, a 23-year-old from Bangkok, Thailand and a graduate of Purdue University. She answers to the nickname “Moo.”
She shot rounds of 71, 67 and 72 to win the $14,000 first prize with a three-under-par total of 210. Runner-up was Allison Fouch on 211.
Vikki Laing scored 74, 65 and 76 for 215 to earn $1,740.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 213 (3 x 71)
210 Onnarin Sattayanabanphot (Bangkok) 71 67 72 ($14,000).
211 Allison Fouch (Grand Rapids, Michigan) 69 73 69 ($10,000).
212 Taylor Leon 70 68 74, Kim Welch 70 66 76 ($6,310 each).
213 Mollie Fankhauser 69 75 69, Esther Choe 72 72 69,Emily Bastel 72 72 69 ($3,351 each).
Other total:
215 Vikki Laing (Musselburgh) 74 65 76 (jt 9th) ($1,740).

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