Irene Cho makes an eleventh-hour qualification to the LPGA Tour
Irene Cho secured one of the four LPGA Tour cards offered at the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament’s playoffs, after finishing tied for the 17th position, in the final round of the Stage III, on Sunday, December 2, 2012.
The tournament was being played at LPGA International, where a total of 20 LPGA Tour cards were on offer for the upcoming season.
Cho, who carded an even-par 72 in the final round for a three-under par overall score, entered a seven-player playoff, to contend for the last four spots.
Lauren Doughtie, Nicole Jeray and Taylore Karle were the other three players who survived the playoffs to make it to the 2013 LPGA Tour season.
Talking to the reporters after securing her card, Cho admitted that she was feeling the pressure while trying for an easy two-foot birdie putt on the final playoff hole.
"By far the most nerve-racking putt of my life," Cho said about her birdie try on the final hole. "I learned a lot about my game this week. About my endurance and patience. But just a lot of emotions right now. I couldn't be happier”.
Amateur Breanna Elliott, Jiayun Li and Kelly Jacques were the players who failed to make it into the top-20, after losing in the playoffs.
Marina Stuetz, in the meantime, was the only amateur to finish among the top-20 players on the leaderboard. Furthermore, she was the only Austrian player to qualify for the 2013 LPGA Tour season.
"I'm just overwhelmed," Stuetz said. "I can't describe how I feel at the moment. I'm so happy. I made my dream come true. I'm super excited. I told myself I would stay amateur to keep off the pressure, but that I actually made it in the top 20, of course,
I will turn pro”.
Rebecca Lee-Bentham and Moriya Jutanugarn finished tied for the top spot, at a 13-under par tournament score.
The other players, who secured their LPGA Tour cards, include Ayako Uehara, Kathleen Ekey, Chie Arimura, Lisa McCloskey, Felicity Johnson, Karlin Beck, Laura Diaz Stephanie Sherlock, Kayla Mortellaro, Kim Welch, Brooke Pancake, Austin Ernst and Caroline
Masson.
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