Alexandra Casi Takes Surprising Lead at Epson Tour Championship

Epson Tour Championship presented by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
LPGA International, Jones Course
Daytona Beach, Florida
September 18, 2014
First-Round News & Notes

First-Round Recap
How Things would Stand
Dye Has Familiar Face on the Bag
Howard Glad to be Back in Florida
Yadloczky and Rohanna Put Together Solid Rounds
Pressel in Need of Win Shoots 4-under
Woods' Return to America a Success

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., September 18, 2014 – The world was turning against Alexandra Casi (East Palestine, Ohio) and she needed a breakthrough.  On Thursday, in round one of the Epson Tour Championship presented by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at LPGA International - Jones Course she fired a 6-under 66 and has sole possession of the lead.

Casi has a one shot lead over Selanee Henderson, Rachel Rohanna, Amy Eneroth and Stefanie Kenoyer, who each entered the clubhouse at 5-under 67.  Eight players are two shots back at 4-under 68, including Volvik Race for the Card No. 15 Demi Runas, No. 20 Madison Pressel and No. 21 Maude-Aimee Leblanc.

Amongst the top-5 players on the leaderboard, Henderson has the best standing on the money list at No. 56.  Nobody in the top-10 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list is inside the top-10 after round one. 

Casi was frustrated on the golf course with just $3,367 earned this year (127 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list), her caddie Paul just lost his mom to cancer two weeks ago and she was having trouble affording the cost of the upcoming Stage II Qualifying Tournament. 

To compound things, she made bogey on her first two holes.  Then, after two pars, she closed the front nine with four birdies over the last five holes to make the turn at 2-under. She made birdie on the tenth and eleventh holes and accomplished something she had never done before, five consecutive birdies. 

Casi closed the best round of her season with a birdie on the 15^th and her eighth birdie of the day on the 18^th hole. 

In 47 rounds entering the Epson Tour Championship, Casi had zero rounds in the 60s. 

“I’ve been struggling this year, I play really well in the practice rounds and then I have this high expectation and then when things don’t go quite the way I planned it is frustrating,” said Casi, who turned 30-years-old in August. “It was nice to come out and hit some shots as a pictured them and play as I know I am capable.”

Although Casi is not one of the 39 players vying for an LPGA Tour card this week because of her position on the money list, she is fighting for much more, her golf career.

“A good finish would definitely be a confidence booster going into second stage of Qualifying School.  I don’t even have the money to stay there (Venice, Fla.) right now.  I paid the entry fee so obviously a nice chunk of money this week would help me go to Qualifying School.”

Casi didn’t know if she would head to the events in Kansas because of money, but she knew she needed to in order to retain her Epson Tour status for the 2015 season. 

“Somebody gave me barely enough money to head to Kansas and then Kelley Shaw, who runs Ladies Dream Golf league, gave me $2,000 so I could do the second Kansas event and we’re running on $200 and that is the way we do it. At the end of it, all the pressure will make me better.  I never know if I am going to be playing the next event, but it makes it a little more exciting.”

Casi has been playing without a sponsor for over two years. 

“Every time it looks like I’m not going to be able to go to a tournament, somebody else steps in to help me.” 

There is another layer to the Casi story. Each week, she plays for a greater purpose.  This week, Casi is playing for Brenda Johima, a woman she met on a standard poodle forum who has breast cancer and therefore can’t work. She is donating $5 per birdie she makes to Johima.

“I do something like this for an animal or a person each week.  It really helps to keep me going.  If I hit a bad shot, I really have to regroup and try to make a birdie on the next hole because someone else is counting on it.  It has been a good plan for me.”

Casi, who loves dogs and travels with her standard poodle and miniature schnauzer, met Brenda online and they started to share pictures of their dogs.  Casi found her fundraising page and decided to help her.

“I did it last week and unfortunately I only made two birdies in the Kansas cold, but this week is a little better so far.  I ask for pledges on Twitter and Facebook and if I can get four pledges, it could be $20 a birdie.  I’m hoping to give her a little chunk of money to help her since she can’t work.”

Even after a great start and all that is riding on this week for Casi, she is playing for Johima.

“I’m not thinking about myself, I’m thinking more about making birdies for Brenda.  I’ve never made five birdies and when I had a tap-in on 11, I was thinking that’s five birdies in a row and $25 for the lady. I’m not thinking about myself and that has really helped me.”

Casi has a little more riding on this week than most.

“I have more riding on the line than everybody else, but if I wasn’t meant to be doing this money wouldn’t pop up out of nowhere when I think that I won’t be playing the next week.”

HOW THINGS WOULD STAND: Below is a breakdown of how the final Volvik Race for the Card Money List would shake out if things ended after today’s round for players currently ranked between No. 7 and No. 15 on the money list as well as potential card winners in Madison Pressel and Maude-Aimee LeBlanc. 

DYE HAS FAMILIAR FACE ON THE BAG: Kendall Dye is one of four players looking to hold on to their spot in the top-10 on the Volvik Race for the Card Money List. The Edmond, Okla., native is off to a good start in her journey after an opening round of 2-under, 70. 

“I felt like I was fighting the hooks a little bit,” said Dye. “I haven’t been hitting it good at all the last two weeks partially because I altered my swing with all of that wind and craziness in Kansas. I played awesome yesterday in the pro-am so that was kind of a turnaround round for me to give me a little confidence. Overall, it was just a solid little day with 15 greens and no real drama.”

While Dye has a chance to earn her 2015 LPGA Tour Card she has not been getting too far ahead of herself.

“It’s my lifelong dream but I haven’t put myself there mentally for what last year could be and I’m not going to until the final putt drops on Sunday,” Dye explained. “I can’t control what other people shoot and I can’t control my destiny really. I can just give it my best and that’s what I’m planning on doing.”

To give her a little help this week, Dye called on the caddie who was on her bag for her win earlier this season at the IOA Golf Classic. 

“I have Debbie Rasso, they call her “Ras”, on my bag and I won with her in Longwood this year,” Dye said. “I basically said you’re coming whether you like it or not. She gives me a lot of confidence even if I don’t hit it that great.”   

HOWARD GLAD TO BE BACK IN FLORIDA: Bradenton native Ginger Howard started her Epson Tour Championship on a high note with an opening day 69. 

“I was striking it well out on the course,” Howard said. “My irons were working well. Putting was OK. I left some putts out there but I liked my finish. My position gives me a good start for tomorrow.”

Howard, who currently sits 78^th on the money list, chose to sit out the two Kansas events to stay in Florida to work on her game.

“The last month I’ve been in Florida working with my coach, working on my swing and trying to get my mind right mentally for Q-School coming up,” Howard said. “I’m glad I’m back competing though.”

The week has been made even better for Howard because her sister Robbi, who is also a Epson Tour member, is on her bag.

“It was so nice to have my sister on the bag today. She gives me a boost of confidence and just will tell me to keep my head in the game and stuff like that. It’s nice to have my best friend on the bag.”

YADLOCZKY AND ROHANNA PUT TOGETHER SOLID ROUNDS: Paired together in the opening round of the Epson Tour Championship, Rachel Rohanna and Carlie Yadloczky were able to feed off of each other en route to rounds of 67 and 68 respectively. 

“I think it gets things rolling,” Yadloczky said of playing with another player who goes low. “She was making a lot of putts. I was making a lot of putts and I think it just helped out a lot.”

“Like Carlie said my putting was on today just like hers was but other than that we were opposite,” Rohanna explained. “She was hitting a lot of fairways and missing a lot of greens and I was missing a lot of fairways but hitting a lot of greens but we both had that calm and had our putters going. If you’re putting well you can go as low as you want.”

While neither golfer has had the year they would have hoped they are both hoping a solid finish this weekend will help jumpstart their games going into Stage II of Qualifying School.

“I haven’t been playing well lately so to make the cut now would be really great,” Yadloczky admitted. “Just to finish strong would get me ready for next year.”

“If I win I believe I can hop up into the top-25 and advance to Stage III of Q-School so that’s my goal for this weekend,” Rohanna continued. “Other than that any money would be very helpful right now so I’d be glad to end on a good note.”

PRESSEL IN NEED OF WIN SHOOTS 4-UNDER: Volvik Race for the Card money list #20 Madison Pressel must finish in second place or better to have a chance at an LPGA Tour card.  She is off to a good start with a 4-under 68 in the first-round.

“It was a great round today, I think I missed just one fairway and that is key out here,” said Pressel, who won the Decatur-Forsyth Classic and has three top-10 finishes.  “Hitting the fairway gives you the ability to stop the ball on the green.”

Although it won’t be easy to get inside the top-10, Pressel is aiming high. 

“Winning this week would get me my card so that would be an unbelievable thing, but this is my rookie year and I’ve had a win and some rough patches along the way.  I need to be more consistent and that is what you’re out here to do, learn and grow. I’ve had a great year, I’m really happy with where I stand now and I’m able to go out and play my game and play free.”

No pressure?

“I’m in a spot where I am going to be exempt into final stage of Qualifying Tournament so I know I have another opportunity if I don’t win this week.  I’m going into this week to play the best and hopefully end on a good note.”

WOODS’ RETURN TO AMERICA A SUCCESS: Cheyenne Woods had one of her strongest rounds of the season on Thursday.  She fired a 4-under 68 and is just two shots off the lead. 

“I’m really happy with starting out so strong, but it is a really long tournament so I just want to continue it and not get ahead of myself,” said the 24-year-old who ranks 58^th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. “Tomorrow is a completely new day so I’ll take it one hole at a time, one step at a time and hopefully I play like I did today.”

Woods was bogey-free on the day.

“I kept it in play all day.  I had one hole where I had to grind it out for par but other than that I was always right around the hole. “

Woods has been busy.  She just got back from the Evian Championship in France. 

“I love travelling and it is definitely a blessing to have this as a job.  You have to know your body and what you are capable of.  You need to know when to rest, what to eat and that is what I have learned this past year.  You definitely need to be aware of what your body needs and I think that is the biggest thing.”

Woods is not in the running for an LPGA Tour this week, but has other goals in mind.

“I want to have a strong finish to the season, I haven’t played as well as I would have liked on Epson Tour so to finish strong here would be a great end.  Definitely heading into Qualifying School it would be great to be playing well.  If I play well here I may be able to go to stage three which is a goal of mine.”