Jean Reynolds Snags Lead at FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship

Eaton in contention after busy three weeks
Spartan grad Sara Brown in the hunt
Tang looks to make a move
Positive outlook leads to solid day for Kirby Dreher
Jean Chua wins iPad courtesy of Volvik

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (June 6, 2014) – Jean Reynolds fired an opening round 66 (-6) to hold a 1-shot lead after the first round of the 2014 FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship at Battle Creek Country Club.

“I just hit the ball really solid from tee to green and was able to make a couple of putts today,” Reynolds explained. “I think I just really like the golf course. I don’t know, you kind of get a feel for it and your momentum just keeps going. It’s been a fun week so far.”

Reynolds started her day solidly, at 1-under through six, but started to pour it on making birdies in four of the next five holes to jump into the lead at 5-under. The Newnan, Georgia, native added two more birdies down the stretch against a lone bogey to post her lowest round of the 2014 season.

“It’s been kind of a slow start,” Reynolds said of her 2014 campaign. “I’ve been playing well just not finishing how I’d want to. It’s mostly been the putting but today, and in Ft. Myers especially, I was able to make some good birdie putts and give myself some good opportunities.”

The Georgia alum will be looking to better her best finish of the year, a T7 at the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial, and climb up from her current position of 56th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list as the season reaches its halfway point.

“Keep plugging along,” Reynolds said of her approach going into the final 36 holes. “You definitely have to hit the fairways out here. You have to stay patient and take birdies when you can. It’s a long way to go but it’s a fun golf course to play. We’ve got great weather and everybody out here has been great so far so it should be fun.”

Melissa Eaton sits a stroke back at 5-under while a trio of players – Jessy Tang, Daniela Iacobelli and Sara Brown – are two back after opening round 68s.

EATON IN CONTENTION AFTER BUSY THREE WEEKS: Melissa Eaton has had a wild last three weeks. She flew home to South Africa for her twin sister’s wedding. She flew back and played her U.S. Open qualifier in Houston and then played the Epson Classic in Charlotte.

After a week off, Eaton fired an opening round 5-under 67 and stands in solo second place.

“I just executed my game plan and I was able to hit the ball real good,” explained Eaton. I had a strategy, stuck to it and it worked out”

Eaton made six birdies, three on each side of her round. "I was in good positions on the green.”

Eaton, who finished 13th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list in 2013, has yet to find her rhythm in 2014.

"This round was the start of the second half for me. I feel like I have had the worst luck so far this season. I had my caddie Wayne back on the bag this week and we worked really well together. Last year I started fast and I hope that this year I finish strong."

Eaton has echoed the sentiments of many in the field regarding the hospitality and course conditions here in Battle Creek.

"So far, I’m really impressed and I think the course is in phenomenal shape. I haven’t heard a single complaint. Everything has been done really well and there were so many people out there
today. Everyone has been great so far."

SPARTAN GRAD SARA BROWN IN THE HUNT: Sara Brown is one of three players who sits two shots out of the lead thanks to an opening round 68.

“I love it,” Brown said about playing golf in Michigan. “I went to school at Michigan State, graduated in 2008, but I love being back in the state of Michigan. It’s awesome to be back. I had some people watching today and they were yelling ‘Go Green!’ when I made birdies so it was cool to hear that again.”

Brown, who made seven birdies against three bogeys on her first round, is one of five Spartans in the field this week.

“It’s awesome. Every time a new girl graduates and comes out on Tour I try to greet them with open arms,” Brown said. “We’re always a family at Michigan State and that’s why I went there. I love the family atmosphere of the athletic department. I got recruited by Tom Izzo and I’m still really close with my golf coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll so it’s really cool to be back in this area. I feel really good about my game this week and hopefully it continues tomorrow.”

While Brown has the support of her Spartan family, she also has some extra support from her own family as her husband Derek is on her bag this week.

“It’s great,” Brown explained. “I hadn’t seen him in six weeks since he’s a college coach at Arizona and he’s been busy working and I’ve been playing so it’s really great to have him out here. It’s just kind of a confidence boost. I felt like I was ready to play this week but having him on the bag just helps me pick my yardages and pick my clubs and feel comfortable with what I’m about to swing with so it’s really cool to have him out here.”

TANG LOOKS TO MAKE A MOVE: Jessy Tang is ready to make a move at the midway point of the Epson Tour season. She fired a bogey free, 4-under, 68 on Friday in the first-round of the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship and is two shots off the lead.

“I just struck the ball really well,” said Tang. “I hit a lot of greens and didn’t really miss any fairways and that is really big here because the rough is intense.”

Tang, who started on the back nine, had a great stretch from the 13th through the 15th holes when she dropped three consecutive birdies. Tang also made birdie on the par-4 sixth hole, however, she was most pleased with steering bogey-free.

“I hit a lot of greens, but the three times I missed the green (in regulation), I was able to get up-and- down. I had to get up-and-down on my last hole to make it bogey free so that was exciting.”

The Orlando, Florida resident had an opportunity to go even lower today. She lipped up birdie putts on the seventh and eighth holes coming in.

“The momentum is really building, I’m just exciting to go low tomorrow.”

POSITIVE OUTLOOK LEADS TO SOLID DAY FOR KIRBY DREHER: Kirby Dreher posted her lowest round of the year with a 2-under 70 in the first round of the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship.

“I was hitting a lot of fairways and on the front nine I was making quite a few long putts. The back nine I was hitting a lot of close approach shots so I kind of made it easy on myself,” Dreher said. “I finished bogey, bogey, which doesn’t make you happy ever but I’m happy with 2-under and I’m just happy to be out here.”

Dreher, who only has partial status on the Epson Tour, got into the event as an alternate and is looking to make the most out of her opportunity, an approach she credits to her new coach Tony Ziegler.

“For me, I had a rough last year and was in the middle of changing a golf swing and was in the lowest point that you can be in a golfer’s mindset so he turned that around and made golf fun for me again,” Dreher said of Ziegler. “He’s just super easy going and he’s very knowledgeable and he just makes me happy to be out here. He doesn’t know that he’s helped me in that way but he has. I’m just out here trying to have fun and do the most with the opportunities that I get.”

The Fort St. John, British Columbia native believes that the new mindset will lead to more positive results in her game.

“It’s just a different mindset. I’ve kind of realized that golf isn’t your life and that it’s not life or death if you don’t make a pay check here and there,” Dreher said. “I feel like I’m on the outside looking in now with my status so I’m appreciative of every opportunity that I get so I just want to make the best out of it and have a good attitude while I’m at it.”

JEAN CHUA WINS IPAD COURTESY OF VOLVIK: Jean Chua was recently awarded an iPad Air courtesy of Volvik as part of the Volvik Drive Further Performance Awards thanks to her strong showing over a six event stretch.

“I want to thank Volvik for my new iPad, my new travel companion,” Chua said.

In addition to the gas cards given at each tournament, Volvik will be giving a cumulative prize every 6 Tournaments. Volvik will be giving an iPad Air to the player who has the lowest cumulative score for those 6 events. Players must use a Volvik ball in four of six events to be eligible for the award.