Epson Tour Championship presented by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
LPGA International, Jones Course
Daytona Beach, Florida
October 18, 2015
Sunday Tournament Notes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., October 18, 2015 - Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong (Buengkan, Thailand) carded a 5-under 67 to win the Epson Tour Championship presented by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on Sunday. She posted a four-day total of 14-under, 274, one shot clear of Brianna Do.

Santiwiwatthanaphong earns her first career win on U.S. soil.

“I’m very happy to win this tournament,” said Santiwiwatthanaphong. “It means a lot to win the last event and win my first event in the United States.”

Santiwiwatthanaphong started with a birdie on hole one and made the turn at 4-under for the day and 13-under for the tournament, one shot back of Catherine O’Donnell (Ponte Vedra, Florida). Santiwiwatthanaphong took the lead with a birdie on 12 and didn’t look back locking up the win with a birdie on the 18th hole.

“I hit a great third shot from short of the green and I thought it was going to go in for eagle,” said Santiwiwatthanaphong. “That shot calmed me down and I knew I needed the birdie putt.”

The 18-year-old jumped from 40th to 20th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list and therefore will bypass Stage II of LPGA Qualifying Tournament and attempt to qualify for the LPGA Tour at Stage III from December 2-6.

Santiwiwatthanaphong, who won the 2013 Thailand Ladies Open, played in 14 events in her first season on the Epson Tour and totaled four top 10 finishes.

ANNIE PARK WINS EPSON PLAYER AND GAELLE TRUET ROOKIE OF YEAR: Annie Park (Levittown, New York) became the first player since Mina Harigae in 2009 to win Epson Player of the Year and the Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year in the same season. She closed the season with a even-par 72 to finish T14 at the Epson Tour Championship to move past Giulia Molinaro for No. 1 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.

Park finished the season with three wins and nine top 20 finishes in just 11 starts to earn a total of $68,673.

Park arrived on the scene in mid-July following her junior season at USC. She finished in a tie for 19th at her first event and then went onto win her fourth start at the Toyota Danielle Downey Classic. Two weeks later, Park topped Lee Lopez in a playoff to win the PHC Classic in Milwaukee. She won her third event in Mayetta with a final-round 65 to win the Prairie Band Casino & Resort Charity Classic by three shots.

“It’s a honor to win the Epson Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year especially considering how talented the other nine players that earned cards are,” said Park. “I’m just so excited to end the season on such a high note.”

Park, the 2013 NCAA individual national champion, led the Tour in scoring average (69.92), becoming the first player since 2010 to post a season long scoring average in the 60’s. She also finished second on Tour in greens in regulation (75.2%).

For winning the Epson Player of the Year, Park earns a $3,500 bonus and the opportunity to make a $1,000 donation to the charity of her choice.

CASEY GRICE WINS HEATHER WILBUR SPIRIT AWARD: Casey Grice (College Station, Texas) was presented with the 2015 Heather Wilbur Spirit Award on Sunday on the 18th green by her good friend and fellow Tour professional Katelyn Sepmoree. Grice also closed the year No. 9 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list to earn her full-time LPGA Tour card for 2016.

“Being a good ambassador for this game I love is important to me and I was honored that my peers choose me,” said Grice. “I was extremely dedicated this year to working hard and earning my card and this is definitely an added bonus.”

The Heather Wilbur Spirit Award was established in 2003 in honor of former Epson Tour player Heather Wilbur, who lost her battle with leukemia in 2003. Wilbur was also the first recipient of the award. The award honors the player that best exemplifies dedication, courage, perseverance and love of the game and spirit toward achieving goals as a professional golfer.

Grice is one of the most dedicated to her craft. She has worked tirelessly to earn her Tour card in just her second season as a professional. She posted nine top 10 finishes including a second place result at the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic. Even after she fell victim to a great bunker shot on the 72nd hole by eventual winner Alejandra Llaneza, Grice showed nothing but class.

The 24-year-old had a solid first year on Tour in 2014 with three top 10 finishes. She dedicated herself in the offseason to improving and the results have shown.

Late in the season, Grice also faced adversity. She played the final month of the season with an injured wrist.

Past recipients of the award include: Min Seo Kwak (2014), Melissa Eaton (2013), Nicole Jeray (2012), Izzy Beisiegel (2011), Mo Martin (2010), Malinda Johnson (2009), Katie Fraley (2008), Jenny Hansen (2007), Katie Connelly (2006), Salimah Mussani (2005), Lindsay Wright (2004) and Heather Wilbur (2003).

BENVENUTO WINS EPSON RISING STAR AWARD: Brittany Benvenuto (Langhorne, Pa.) has been named the Epson Rising Star Award recipient after making an impressive 38-spot jump up the money list from 2014 to 2015. The Epson Rising Star Award is given annually to the player that makes the biggest jump up the money list from one year to the next.

“I’m just shocked,” Benvenuto said. “I didn’t expect that, but this season has been a big jump for me mentally and physically on the golf course. I am just over the moon about this so it’s very exciting for me.”

Benvenuto has improved steadily every season she has been on the Epson Tour going from $852 (166) in 2012, $3,390 (107) in 2013, $13,240 (59) in 2014 and now $40,313 (21) this year. The Arizona grad tallied four top-10 finishes on the 2015 season including a pair of runner-up finishes at the Mission Health Wellness Classic and the W.B. Mason Championship.

“Honestly, I owe a lot of my success to my coach Susie Meyers,” Benvenuto explained. “I’ve been working with her since I started out here. It’s been a slow progression. The journey has been like the little engine that could and I just keep going. It has been a fun process with her.”

The Epson Rising Star receives $3,500 and a $1,000 donation in their name to the charity of the player’s choice. Benvenuto has chosen the Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Past recipients of the award have been Shasta Averyhardt (2012), Melissa Eaton (2013) and Alice Kim (2014).

MORITA-WANYAOLU AND WALLACE WIN PENSKE DRIVING AWARDS: Haruka Morita-WanyaoLu (Takamatsu, Japan) and Jessica Wallace (Langley, British Columbia) received the 2015 Penske awards on the 18th green at the Epson Tour Championship. Morita-WanyaoLu won the Penske Total Driving Experience Award and Wallace won the Penske Driving Accuracy Advantage Award.

Morita-WanyaoLu and Wallace will each receive $500.

19-year-old Morita-WanyaoLu finished the season 26th in driving accuracy and 49th in driving distance. She posted five top 10 finishes and narrowly missed earning her full LPGA Tour card. She finished 11th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list and will attempt to earn her card at Final Stage of LPGA Qualifying Tournament.

Meanwhile, Wallace finished 9th on Tour in driving accuracy. She posted three top ten finishes and closed the year 26th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.

Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong wins the Epson Tour Championship

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