Florida’s Natural Charity Classic
Lake Wales Country Club
Lake Wales, Florida
March 20, 2014
Pre-Tournament News & Notes

LAKE WALES, FLORIDA, March 20, 2014 – The Florida swing of the Epson Tour, the official Road to the LPGA, gets underway on Friday, March 21 with first-round play at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic. The three-day tournament will be played through Sunday, March 23 at Lake Wales Country Club.

The wide-open field features 144 of the top up-and-coming women’s golfers vying for their share of the $125,000 purse. The winner of the event will leave Lake Wales with $18,750.

This is the sixth year of the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic and first year at Lake Wales Country Club.

The event will have a distant local flavor as two former Florida Southern College Moccasins, Jackie Stoelting and Emily Flanigan Motta are in the field.

Stoelting, a Big Break Florida cast member, helped the Moccasins win the 2007 NCAA Division II National Championship. Stoelting was a two-time All-American on the course and was also twice selected as an All-American Golf Scholar by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (NGCA).

“The Florida’s Natural Charity Classic is a little over an hour from where I live and 45 minutes from where I went to college so I should have some family and friends out which is great.” said Stoelting. “It’s just really nice to be close to home and in a way I feel like it’s a home event and I have a great support system out.”

Stoelting finished T35 at the Visit Mesa Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club and T79 at the Volvik Championship. Last year, she finished 22nd on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.

The 27-year-old earned conditional status for the LPGA Tour through Q-School in December.

Stoelting’s college teammate Emily Flanigan Motta is in the field at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic through a sponsor exemption.

“The opportunity is life changing, I mean all it takes is one great week and I’m so privileged to have the opportunity to be able to play on Epson again,” said Motta, who played on Tour in 2012. “I’m surrounded by a wonderful support team and just feeling really blessed that Florida’s Natural and Epson gave me the opportunity to go play and play well.”

Flanigan Motta has an opportunity to represent Polk County this week. She works in outside services at Mountain Lake Golf Course, which is in Lake Wales.

“Lakeland is my college home and my family is all in Orlando and then I work in the Lake Wales community so to have all that come out and support me is just huge,” said Motta. “It’s nice to just feel like I’m representing Polk County in general, it’s wonderful.”

34 NEWCOMERS: There are 34 players in the field this week that did not play in either of the first two events.

One of the first-timers is former Big Break Mexico winner Taylor Collins. By virtue of the win on Big Break Mexico, Collins got the opportunity to play in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational last year.

The Fort Lauderdale, Fla. native has played on the Epson Tour since 2012. Her best finish was a tie for fourth at the Riviera Nayarit Classic.

Collins will tee off at 8:10 in the first round on Friday.

WHEN THE TOP-10 TEE: Eight of the top ten on the Volvik Race for the Card money list are in the field at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic. Below is a look at their tee-times and starting locations for Friday. Sadena Parks and Becca Huffer are not in the final field.

            1. Kim Kaufman – 9:10 a.m. (1st tee)
            2. Jennie Lee – 1:20 p.m. (1st tee)
            3. Marissa Steen – 9:10 a.m. (10th tee)
            4. Demi Runas – 8:50 a.m. (10th tee)
            4. Veronica Felibert – 1:40 a.m. (1st tee)
            7. Emily Talley – 1:50 p.m. (10th tee)
            9. Kendall Dye – 8:50 a.m. (10th tee)
            10. Cindy Yueer Feng – 1:30 p.m. (10th tee)

THREE AMATEURS IN FIELD: There are three amateurs in the field this week: Rachel Liu (ANNIKA Academy exemption), Kelly Shon (Epson Tour member) and Athena Yang (Florida’s Natural sponsor exemption).

Liu, an ANNIKA Academy Elite Athlete, won the SunCoast Ladies Tour Remington GC Tournament in February. She had a three-day total of 7-under-par 209.

Last year, she played in the Epson Tour’s Volvik Championship and made the cut as a then 14-year-old. She finished T48.

Liu is the youngest player in the field this week.

Shon, who is expected to graduate from Princeton this year, was the Ivy League Player of the Year in 2013. She was also named a WGCA All-American, the first Princeton golfer in 16 years to be recognized as such.

She finished 37th at the NCAA finals as a junior, which was the highest finish by an Ivy League golfer ever.

Yang, a 16-year-old from Winter Haven High School, won her district and county titles in 2012.

SPOTLIGHT ON MARGARITA RAMOS: The former University of Arizona star and All Pac-10 second-team honoree is 17th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list after two events.

She finished in a tie for eighth at the Visit Mesa Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club.

“I’m pretty excited because I came to Florida when I was 11 and I was in the The Leadbetter Golf Academy for three years and Florida brings out great memories for me as a child,” said Ramos. “So, I hope I can play well, I’ve been practicing a lot and working hard on my game so I can play well this week.”

Ramos, who was born in Mexico, played high school golf in Phoenix, Ariz. at Xavier College Prep. She helped her high school win a 4A Arizona State Championship.

At the University of Arizona, Ramos was a two-time All-Pac-10 honoree. Following her sophomore year, she was named a second-team All-American by NGCA.

“I’m really relaxed playing in the states and this tour (Epson Tour) is great,” said Ramos. “Everyone is so friendly and nice so it’s great to be playing and trying to move up and I’m doing my best every time I go out there. I’m so happy I can be part of this tour.”

Ramos, a rookie on the Epson Tour, is setting her sights high.

“I really want to win a tournament on this tour because that’s what I’ve been working for,” said Ramos. “I also want to be in the top-10 at the end of the year to get my card for the LPGA and that’s the dream that I think every girl here has.”

The next four events on the Epson Tour schedule will take place in the state of Florida and Ramos is excited about that.

“It feels right to play in the state of Florida.”

STATS, GREENS IN REGULATION LEADER: Jane Rah leads the Epson Tour in Greens in Regulation at 85.6 percent.

Rah has 14 career top-10 finishes on the Epson Tour since 2010.

So far this year, she has two near top-10 results. She finished T21 at the Visit Mesa Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club and T11 at the Volvik Championship.

Rah played a full schedule on the LPGA Tour last year. Her best finish on the LPGA Tour was a tie for ninth at the CN Canadian Women’s Open in 2012.

Media Contact
Bret Lasky, Coordinator, Epson Tour Media, bret.lasky@lpga.com, +1 (386) 679-1292

Florida’s Natural Charity Classic Pre-Tournament News & Notes

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