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Sunday, July 19, 2009

Galway-born rookie pro Alison Walshe

shoots a 63 to lead on Futures Tour

Irish-born former US Curtis Cup team player Alison Walshe, a rookie pro based at Westford, Massachusetts, shot her lowest round as a pro - a seven-under-par 63 to take a two-stroke lead at nine-under-par 131 after two rounds of the $100,000 ING New England Golf Classic at Bloomfield, Connecticut.
The former All-American from the University of Arizona recorded seven birdies, one eagle and two bogeys on a day that sent her racing up the leaderboard from a tie for eighth into the leader's position she has spent all season trying to reach.
"I have been grinding all season and I just haven't gotten up here," said Walshe, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency at last year's Curtis Cup match at St Andrews, who was born in Galway, Ireland, and moved to the United States with her parents when she was four. "Now, the Tour swings up here to the North-east and I was able to see my coach right after the US Women's Open. He fixed some things and now I feel relaxed."
Walshe is trailed by former Pac-10 All-American, rookie Dewi Claire Schreefel from Diepenveen in the Netherlands, who carded a 64 to charge from a tie for 16th into sole possession of second at 133 (-7). Schreefel was the 2006 NCAA Women's Golf Championship individual champion from the University of Southern California.
Former UCLA All-American Hannah Jun (68) of San Diego moved into third at 135 (-5), while rookie Moon Su (67) of Incheon, South Korea and Sofie Andersson (69) of Angelholm, Sweden, who played collegiately at the University of California-Berkeley, are tied for fourth at 4-under 136.
With parents John and Mary Walshe commuting from their Boston suburb to watch daughter Alison sizzle the par-70 Wintonbury Hills Golf Course, the pro put on a show, much to the delight of her mother, who had never seen her compete on the Duramed Futures Tour.
Walshe three-putted the first hole for bogey from 30 feet, failing to make a six-footer for par, but she nearly holed out for an ace on the par-3 third hole, tapping in for birdie to get back to even. Then she went on a birdie spree with five consecutive birdies on holes 6 through 10, with no putt longer than 10 feet.
"I guess I do have an aggressive style," said Walshe. "I was hitting my driver well and that set me up with some short irons into the greens."
Walshe missed her 9-iron, downwind tee shot to bogey the 168-yard, par-3 12th hole, but she came back with a birdie on the 13th from three feet. The highlight of her day came on the par-4 14th hole, where she holed out from the fairway for an eagle-2 with a 6-iron from 168 yards. The shot hit 12 feet short of the hole and rolled in.
"I knew it was good," said Walshe, who hit 15 greens in regulation and needed only 26 putts today. "My dad and his buddy were up at the green and when they screamed, I knew it went in."
Walshe saved par from 12 feet on the 15th hole and played her last three holes at even par.
Meanwhile, Schreefel, playing three groups in front of Walshe, put together a round that featured six birdies, no bogeys and the kind of golf the methodical rookie has been trying to play all season.
Buoyed by sports psychologist Bob Rotella's audiotapes, loaned to her earlier this week by current USC player Jennifer Song (who is also in the field), the Dutch player said her focus was more about her mental approach than her technical play.
"I've been trying to stay more calm and not get so hyped up about bad shots," said Schreefel, whose best finish was a tie for third earlier this season in Brownsville, Texas. "For me, it's all about self-talk. I know that me, myself and I are the only thing standing between me and success."
Of course, Schreefel's putter helped. She needed only 26 putts, but was forced to do some serious scrambling for par on her last five holes. She pulled her tee shots on holes 14 and 15, saving par from five feet and 12 feet, respectfully.
The former Trojan rolled in a birdie from six feet on the 16th, saved par from 10 feet on the par-3 17th hole, and then drained her last birdie from eight feet on the final hole.
The tournament's leaderboard was busy in today's second round with nine players tied for the lead at four under, before Walshe and Jun broke away with birdies at 5 under. Jun carded four birdies and two bogeys, but played her last five holes at level par on the tricky greens of the Pete Dye-designed course.
A total of 21 players are under par after two rounds, while 27 players are at even-par 140 or better.
Eighty-three players made the 36-hole cut at 145 (+5).
For live scoring from the final round and more information, visit duramedfuturestour.com.
Weather: Mostly cloudy with heavy morning rain, delaying play by one hour rendering the course unplayable. Becoming partly sunny by late morning with temperatures reaching the mid-80s. Light winds around 6 mph.
SECOND ROUND TOTALS
Par 140 (2x70). 35-35. 6,087yd
1 Alison Walshe (Westford, Massachusetts) 68-63 - 131
2 Dewi Claire Schreefel (Diepenveen, Netherlands) 69-64 - 133
3 Hannah Jun (San Diego, California) 67-68 - 135
4 Moon Su (Incheon, South Korea) 69-67 - 136
4 Sofie Andersson (Angelholm, Sweden) 67-69 - 136
6 Aimee Cho (Orlando, Florida) 68-69 - 137
6 Whitney Wade (Glasgow, Kentucky) 68-69 - 137
6 Michaela Cavener (Ponca City, Oklahoma) 68-69 - 137
6 Jean Reynolds (Newnan, Georgia) 67-70 - 137
6 Gerina Mendoza (Roswell, New Mexico) 66-71 - 137
6 Song Yi Choi (Seoul, South Korea) 64-73 - 137
12 Kim Welch (Sacramento, California) 70-68 - 138
12 Ryann O'Toole (San Clemente, California) 69-69 - 138
12 Christine Cho (Kent, Washington) 69-69 - 138
12 Mariajo Uribe (Bucaramanga, Colombia) 68-70 - 138
16 Taya Battistella (Bend, Oregon) 69-70 - 139
16 Ashley Knoll (The Woodlands, Texas) 69-70 - 139
16 Onnarin Sattayabanphot (Bangkok, Thailand) 68-71 - 139
16 Misun Cho (Cheongju, South Korea) 68-71 - 139
16 Nicole Jeray (Berwyn, Illinois) 66-73 - 139
16 Kristie Smith (Perth, Australia) 66-73 - 139
22 Violeta Retaomoza (Aguascalientes, Mexico) 73-67 - 140
22 Ashley Prange (Noblesville, Indiana) 70-70 - 140
22 Su A Kim (Seoul, South Korea) 70-70 - 140
22 Jennifer Song (Ann Arbor, Michigan) (am) 70-70 - 140
22 Yoora Kim (Seoul, South Korea) 70-70 - 140
22 Molly Birmingham (Cornelius, North Carolina) 69-71 - 140
28 Stephanie George (Myerstown, Pennsylvania) 74-67 - 141
28 Nontaya Srisawang (Chiang Mai, Thailand) 70-71 - 141
28 Jenny Gleason (Clearwater, Florida) 70-71 - 141
28 Jessica Shepley (Oakville, Ontario, Canada) 70-71 - 141
28 Praewnapa Phol-Uayporn (Bangkok, Thailand) 70-71 - 141
28 Libby Smith (Essex Junction, Vermont) 70-71 - 141
28 Brandi Jackson (Greenville, South Carolina) 71-70 - 141
28 Caroline Larsson (Stockholm, Sweden) 72-69 - 141
36 Selanee Henderson (Apple Valley, California) 75-67 - 142
36 Hwanhee Lee (Las Vegas, Nevada) 73-69 - 142
36 Angela Buzminski (Oshawa, Ontario) 73-69 - 142
36 Danah Ford (Indianapolis, Indiana) 70-72 - 142
36 Blair Lamb (Flat Rock, North Carolina) 71-71 - 142
36 Sue Ginter (Appleton, Wisconsin) 71-71 - 142
36 Garrett Phillips (St Simons Island, Georgia) 71-71 - 142
36 Christi Cano (San Antonio, Texas) 69-73 - 142
36 Lehua Wise (Kauai, Hawaii) 68-74 - 142
36 Jane Chin (Mission Viejo, California) 72-70 - 142
36 Camila Mori (Santiago, Chile) 72-70 - 142
47 Mo Martin (Altadena, California) 74-69 - 143
47 Mallory Hetzel (Summerville, South Carolina) 73-70 - 143
47 Rachel Bailey (Faulconbridge, Australia) 73-70 - 143
47 Courtney Mahon (Lee's Summit, Missouri) 73-70 - 143
47 Janell Howland (Boise, Idaho) 70-73 - 143
47 Malinda Johnson (Eau Claire, Wisconsin) 70-73 - 143
47 Natalie Sheary (West Hartford, Connecticut) (am) 69-74 - 143
47 Stephanie Connelly (Pasadena, Maryland) 71-72 - 143
47 Perry Swenson (Charlotte, North Carolina) 71-72 - 143
47 Sarah Lynn Sargent (Greer, South Carolina) 69-74 - 143
47 Cindy LaCrosse (Tampa, Florida) 72-71 - 143
58 Liz Janangelo (West Hartford, Connecticut) 74-70 - 144
58 Ashley Grier (Hagerstown, Maryland) 75-69 - 144
58 Sunny Oh (Manhattan Beach, California) 74-70 - 144
58 Laura Crawford (Lancaster, South Carolina) 73-71 - 144
58 Seo-Jae Lee (Seoul, South Korea) 70-74 - 144
58 Briana Vega (Andover, Massachusetts) 71-73 - 144
58 Amanda Costner (Claremore, Oklahoma) 71-73 - 144
58 Sophia Sheridan (Guadalajara, Mexico) 69-75 - 144
58 Jenny Suh (Fairfax, Virginia) 72-72 - 144
58 Samantha Richdale (Kelowna, British Columbia) 72-72 - 144
58 Janice Olivencia (Caguas, Puerto Rico) 72-72 - 144
58 Kira Meixner (Richmond, British Columbia) (am) 72-72 - 144
70 Stephanie Oukeo (Paris, France) 74-71 - 145
70 Min Seo Kwak (Seoul, South Korea) 76-69 - 145
70 Lisa Ferrero (Lodi, California) 73-72 - 145
70 Lynn Valentine (East Lyme, Connecticut) 73-72 - 145
70 Sae Hee Son (Seoul, South Korea) 73-72 - 145
70 Tiffany Tavee (Tempe, Arizona) 73-72 - 145
70 Madeleine Holmblad (Stockholm, Sweden) 70-75 - 145
70 Lene Krog (Lier, Norway) 70-75 - 145
70 Jasi Acharya (Columbus, Montana) 71-74 - 145
70 Carmen Bandea (Atlanta, Georgia) 72-73 - 145
70 Jennie Lee (Henderson, Nevada) 72-73 - 145
70 Michelle Jarman (Wilmington, North Carolina) 72-73 - 145
70 Taylor Leon (Dallas, Texas) 72-73 - 145
70 Gemma Webster (Glasgow, Scotland) 72-73 - 145
MISSED THE CUT
Mary Kate Morgan (Longview, Washington) 76-70 - 146
Amanda Mathis (Opelousas, Louisiana) 74-72 - 146
Mina Harigae (Monterey, California) 76-70 - 146
Virada Nirapathpongporn (Bangkok, Thailand) 77-69 - 146
Elisa Serramia (Barcelona, Spain) 73-73 - 146
Lucy Nunn (Lawton, Oklahoma) 72-74 - 146
Carling Coffing (Middletown, Ohio) 72-74 - 146
Hannah Yun (Bradenton, Florida) 74-73 - 147
Marcela Leon (Monterrey, Mexico) 75-72 - 147
Susan Nam (Edmonton, Alberta) 76-71 - 147
Lori Atsedes (Ithaca, New York) 73-74 - 147
Cindy Lee-Pridgen (Sabah, Malaysia) 71-76 - 147
Noon Huachai (Bangkok, Thailand) 72-75 - 147
Benedikte Grotvedt (Nesbru, Norway) 72-75 - 147
Christina Jones (Jensen Beach, Florida) 74-74 - 148
Mary Moan (New Haven, Connecticut) 74-74 - 148
Maria Laura Elvira (Buenos Aires, Argentina) 74-74 - 148
Lili Alvarez (Durango, Mexico) 74-74 - 148
Lindsey Bergeon (Sarasota, Florida) 74-74 - 148
Kelly Lagedrost (Brooksville, Florida) 74-74 - 148
Meghan Little (Sturgis, South Dakota) 73-75 - 148
Brenda McLarnon (Belfast, Northern Ireland) 76-72 - 148
Jennifer Ackerson (Dallas, Texas) 72-76 - 148
Lisa Meldrum (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) 75-74 - 149
Whitney Myers (York, Pennsylvania.) 75-74 - 149
Tzu-Chi Lin (Taichung, Taiwan) 75-74 - 149
Devan Andersen (Guadalajara, Mexico) 75-74 - 149
Kelly Jacques (Longmont, Colombia) 76-73 - 149
Sara Brown (Tucson, Arizona) 76-73 - 149
Katrina Leckovic (Burnaby, British Columbia) 74-75 - 149
Jessica Carafiello (Coral Springs, Florida) 77-72 - 149
Mayule Tomimbang (Kissimmee, Florida) 77-72 - 149
Priscilla Duffield (Gold Coast, Australia) 72-77 - 149
Lauren Doughtie (Suffolk, Virginia) 75-75 - 150
Stephanie Otteson (Wilson, North Carolina) 74-76 - 150
Tiffany Joh (San Diego, California) 76-74 - 150
Christine Song (Fullerton, California.) 74-77 - 151
Kelly Froelich (Raizeux, France) 75-76 - 151
Melissa Eaton (Port Shepstone, South Africa) 74-77 - 151
Sin Ah Ham (Seoul, South Korea) 74-77 - 151
Nicole Hage (Coral Springs, Florida) 77-74 - 151
Sarah Olsen (Grosse Ile, Michigan) 74-78 - 152
Jae Oh (Je Ju, South Korea) 75-77 - 152
Gina Umeck (Redlands, California) 74-78 - 152
Kristina Tucker (Stockholm, Sweden) 78-74 - 152
Lorraine Ballerano (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) 78-74 - 152
Jessica Yadloczky (Casselberry, Florida) (am) 79-73 - 152
Susannah Aboff (Huntington, New York) 72-80 - 152
Tanya Dergal (Durango, Mexico) 75-78 - 153
Lee Ann Walker-Cooper (Southport, North Carolina) 77-76 - 153
Esther Choe (Scottsdale, Arizona) 80-73 - 153
Stephanie Kim (Orlando, Florida) (am) 76-78 - 154
Kimberly Goedecke (Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida) 75-80 - 155
Sam White (Potomac, Maryland) 76-80 - 156
Maggie Simons (Raleigh, North Carolina) 76-80 - 156
Kim Augusta (Rumford, Rhode Island) 74-83 - 157
Kylene Pulley (Kokomo, Indiana) 77-80 - 157
Renee Skidmore (Everett, Washington) 77-80 - 157
Nara Shin (Avon, Connecticut) (am) 81-76 - 157
Dana Bates (Thousand Palms, California) 79-79 - 158
Alison Cowles (East Longmeadow, Massachusetts) (am) 83-91 - 174

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