Vicky Hurst Earns ThirdFutures Tour Victory
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE US DURAMED FUTURES TOUR
HAMMOND, Indiana. Rookie Vicky Hurst of Melbourne, Florida, overcame a two-stroke deficit and caught fire on a chilly afternoon in the final round to record a five-under-par 67 and claim her third win of the season at the Horseshoe Casino Classic at Lost Marsh Golf Course.
HAMMOND, Indiana. Rookie Vicky Hurst of Melbourne, Florida, overcame a two-stroke deficit and caught fire on a chilly afternoon in the final round to record a five-under-par 67 and claim her third win of the season at the Horseshoe Casino Classic at Lost Marsh Golf Course.
Hurst, pictured right, finished the weekend at 213 (-3), one stroke ahead of 2005 Duramed Futures Tour winner Jin Young Pak (70) of Kang Leung, South Korea, who posted a three-day total of 214 (-2).
It was a blessing in disguise for the 18-year-old Hurst, who very easily could have been part of the field for the 63rd U.S. Women's Open Championship in Edina, Minn. Hurst was an alternate at the Open, but didn't get in. Instead, she seized the chance to play at Hammond and moved into the top spot of the money list with season earnings of $51,701. After turning in her scorecard, the teen indulged in a celebratory Diet Pepsi with a cream puff.
Along with 23 other players on Sunday, Hurst completed her second round this morning after darkness suspended play on Saturday. Despite having to play 22 holes today, Hurst came out of the gates with a birdie in four holes to complete her second-round score and get early momentum on her side.
"I came out playing really well this morning, trying to stay in the moment and attacking pins to try to get birdies," Hurst said.
She mounted another comeback like her last victory at the Tour's major championship in Decatur, Illinois, coming back from four strokes down in the final round.
Hurst took the lead in the final round for the first time after an eagle on No. 12, rolling home a 40ft putt to move to four-under par on the day. She sealed the win with a birdie on the 16th, draining a 15ft putt.
"I really just tried to two-putt on 12, but it kept rolling and went in the cup," Hurst said. "That's when the momentum got going."
With three wins in just seven attempts, Hurst improved by nine shots from her second-round score of 4-over-par 76 to card the tournament's lowest score by two shots. Earlier this season, she claimed Tour victories at the Jalapeno Duramed Futures Classic in McAllen, Texas, and at the Michelob Ultra Duramed Futures Players Championship.
"I'm really surprised I'm doing this well," Hurst said. "The whole season, I've been thinking, 'Get in the top five or the top 10,' but I'm feeling more comfortable out here."
Even as one of the Tour's longer-hitting players, Hurst said it was a struggle to reach the greens in two on par-5s, playing into gusting winds reaching 35 mph.
"It's really hard when the wind affects everyone so much, because it turns into a mind game," Hurst said. "I just had to limit my mistakes and bogeys and never give up."
She added with a soft laugh, "I really need to work on my "wind putting."
Hurst's birdie putt on her final hole was just inches short of dropping into the cup. She wasn't about to relax with Pak, a former tournament winner, strolling up the 18th green -- about nine feet away from forcing a play-off.
Pak had a chance to tie and force a play-off with a birdie putt on the 18th green, but the former LPGA Tour member's putt stopped just left of the hole.
"I think I played pretty well, but Vicky is a special player," Pak said. "I think this will help me on the money list."
"Koko," Hurst's caddie and mother, shied away from taking credit for her daughter's victory. They embraced on the 18th green and posed for pictures together at the awards ceremony.
"It has been my pleasure to spend time with her," Koko said. "I feel extremely blessed and I feel like I should thank her because not every parent has this chance with their kid."
The Duramed Futures Tour is idle this week before beginning its Eastern Swing, starting with the CIGNA Golf Classic in Bloomfield, Connecticutt, on July 11-13.
For complete scores and more information, visit http://www.duramedfuturestour.com/.
17th Hole Surrenders Third Ace
Amateur Benedikte Grotvedt of Nesbru, Norway, drained a hole-in-one -- the Tour's third in two days -- on the 130-yard, 17th hole. Her single shot would have earned her $500 had she been a professional as part of Duramed's Hole-in-One Challenge. Grotvedt's ace brings the Duramed FUTURES Tour's season total up to nine.
Grotvedt played the shot as if it were 119 yards out. She pulled out a pitching wedge and played the wind right-to-left. A spectator saw the shot bounce twice and land in the cup.
"A hole-in-one is really difficult, but three on the same hole is pretty impressive," Grotvedt said. "There were a lot of good shots because that green is not easy."
Her previous career ace came in a Suncoast Series Tour event in 2007. Up next for the Norwegian is a three-week stay in her homeland in an attempt to qualify for the RICOH Women's British Open.
The 17th hole also surrendered a pair of aces to Haeji Kang of Seoul, South Korea, and Anastasia Kostina of Nakhabino, Russia, in Saturday's second round.
Jin Young Pak Becomes 10th Recipient of Duramed's Sunday Low Round Award
Jin Young Pak of Kang Leung, South Korea, fired a 2-under-par 70 to claim a new Apple 8 GB iPod Touch to continue Duramed's season-long promotion of the Sunday Low Round Award. Pak was in the leading group that teed off at 10:50 a.m. and carded five birdies throughout her round to claim the prize.
Vicky Hurst carded a 5-under-par 67, but the three-time Tour winner had already received the award in McAllen, Texas, at the Jalapeno Duramed FUTURES Golf Classic.
It was a blessing in disguise for the 18-year-old Hurst, who very easily could have been part of the field for the 63rd U.S. Women's Open Championship in Edina, Minn. Hurst was an alternate at the Open, but didn't get in. Instead, she seized the chance to play at Hammond and moved into the top spot of the money list with season earnings of $51,701. After turning in her scorecard, the teen indulged in a celebratory Diet Pepsi with a cream puff.
Along with 23 other players on Sunday, Hurst completed her second round this morning after darkness suspended play on Saturday. Despite having to play 22 holes today, Hurst came out of the gates with a birdie in four holes to complete her second-round score and get early momentum on her side.
"I came out playing really well this morning, trying to stay in the moment and attacking pins to try to get birdies," Hurst said.
She mounted another comeback like her last victory at the Tour's major championship in Decatur, Illinois, coming back from four strokes down in the final round.
Hurst took the lead in the final round for the first time after an eagle on No. 12, rolling home a 40ft putt to move to four-under par on the day. She sealed the win with a birdie on the 16th, draining a 15ft putt.
"I really just tried to two-putt on 12, but it kept rolling and went in the cup," Hurst said. "That's when the momentum got going."
With three wins in just seven attempts, Hurst improved by nine shots from her second-round score of 4-over-par 76 to card the tournament's lowest score by two shots. Earlier this season, she claimed Tour victories at the Jalapeno Duramed Futures Classic in McAllen, Texas, and at the Michelob Ultra Duramed Futures Players Championship.
"I'm really surprised I'm doing this well," Hurst said. "The whole season, I've been thinking, 'Get in the top five or the top 10,' but I'm feeling more comfortable out here."
Even as one of the Tour's longer-hitting players, Hurst said it was a struggle to reach the greens in two on par-5s, playing into gusting winds reaching 35 mph.
"It's really hard when the wind affects everyone so much, because it turns into a mind game," Hurst said. "I just had to limit my mistakes and bogeys and never give up."
She added with a soft laugh, "I really need to work on my "wind putting."
Hurst's birdie putt on her final hole was just inches short of dropping into the cup. She wasn't about to relax with Pak, a former tournament winner, strolling up the 18th green -- about nine feet away from forcing a play-off.
Pak had a chance to tie and force a play-off with a birdie putt on the 18th green, but the former LPGA Tour member's putt stopped just left of the hole.
"I think I played pretty well, but Vicky is a special player," Pak said. "I think this will help me on the money list."
"Koko," Hurst's caddie and mother, shied away from taking credit for her daughter's victory. They embraced on the 18th green and posed for pictures together at the awards ceremony.
"It has been my pleasure to spend time with her," Koko said. "I feel extremely blessed and I feel like I should thank her because not every parent has this chance with their kid."
The Duramed Futures Tour is idle this week before beginning its Eastern Swing, starting with the CIGNA Golf Classic in Bloomfield, Connecticutt, on July 11-13.
For complete scores and more information, visit http://www.duramedfuturestour.com/.
17th Hole Surrenders Third Ace
Amateur Benedikte Grotvedt of Nesbru, Norway, drained a hole-in-one -- the Tour's third in two days -- on the 130-yard, 17th hole. Her single shot would have earned her $500 had she been a professional as part of Duramed's Hole-in-One Challenge. Grotvedt's ace brings the Duramed FUTURES Tour's season total up to nine.
Grotvedt played the shot as if it were 119 yards out. She pulled out a pitching wedge and played the wind right-to-left. A spectator saw the shot bounce twice and land in the cup.
"A hole-in-one is really difficult, but three on the same hole is pretty impressive," Grotvedt said. "There were a lot of good shots because that green is not easy."
Her previous career ace came in a Suncoast Series Tour event in 2007. Up next for the Norwegian is a three-week stay in her homeland in an attempt to qualify for the RICOH Women's British Open.
The 17th hole also surrendered a pair of aces to Haeji Kang of Seoul, South Korea, and Anastasia Kostina of Nakhabino, Russia, in Saturday's second round.
Jin Young Pak Becomes 10th Recipient of Duramed's Sunday Low Round Award
Jin Young Pak of Kang Leung, South Korea, fired a 2-under-par 70 to claim a new Apple 8 GB iPod Touch to continue Duramed's season-long promotion of the Sunday Low Round Award. Pak was in the leading group that teed off at 10:50 a.m. and carded five birdies throughout her round to claim the prize.
Vicky Hurst carded a 5-under-par 67, but the three-time Tour winner had already received the award in McAllen, Texas, at the Jalapeno Duramed FUTURES Golf Classic.
Sunday tournament weather: Mostly sunny with temperatures ranging from the mid-70s to low-80s. Partly cloudy with winds gusting at 15-35 mph with intermittent rainfall in the afternoon.
Labels: FUTURES TOUR
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