Volvik Championship at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon
Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon - Champions Course
Beaumont, California
Second-Round News & Notes

BEAUMONT, Calif., February 28, 2015 - Maude-Aimee Leblanc (Sherbrooke, Canada) carded a 6-under 66 on Saturday to move into the lead at 8-under 136 at the Volvik Championship at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon. Leblanc has a three shot lead over former UCLA All-American Lee Lopez (Whittier, Calif.) and Brittany Benvenuto (Langhorne, Pennsylvania).

Leblanc found an early groove with a birdie on the third hole. She made eagle on the fourth to move to 5-under. The 26-year-old posted two more birdies on the front nine to take a two stroke lead at the turn.

“Today, the weather was better than I expected, we didn’t get much rain so we were lucky there,” said Leblanc. “My game was pretty good too. I started well on the front nine and I took advantage of the par-5 holes with two eagles so I hope to do that tomorrow.”

Leblanc eagled the par-5 4th and the par-5 16th hole. She is 8-under through two days on the par-5 holes.

“The par-5 holes are not very long for me,” said Leblanc. “I was able to get in with a 4-iron and a 7-iron and I was able to reach them all in two. Last year, I wasn’t able to take advantage of the par-5 holes well, but this year so far so good.

Leblanc was a three-time First-Team All-Big Ten performer at Purdue. She qualified for the LPGA Tour out of college and played on the LPGA in 2012 and 2013.

In 2014, she posted four top 10 results and finished 19th on the Epson Tour’s Volvik Race for the Card money list.

Leblanc is off to a great start in 2015. She finished in a tie for fourth last week at the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club.

“Obviously, it is everyone’s goal to win each week,” said Leblanc. “I will try to have fun tomorrow and that is what I wasn’t able to do last year. I just put too much pressure on myself and too many expectations.”

Leblanc will go for her first career professional win on Sunday. She does have experience playing in the final group.

“I am going to try to do my best, but whatever happens will happen,” said Leblanc.

Benvenuto fired a 4-under 68 to move from T12 to a tie for second with UCLA graduate Lee Lopez.

“I’m really excited, tomorrow is going to be fun,” said the 26-year-old Benvenuto. “It will be comfortable playing with Maude again like we did the last two days. I haven’t really thought about too much, I did a really good job of

staying in the present today.”

KATIE KEMPTER READY TO WIN: Katie Kempter (Albuquerque, New Mexico) knows what it’s like to win, just not a professional golf tournament. She won three times at the University of Denver and countless other junior golf events.

This week is her 70th career Epson Tour event. On Saturday, she carded a 3-under 69 to get to 4-under 140. She has seven career top 10 finishes on the Epson Tour, but no wins.

“It’s good to get off to a strong start and a win would be great,” said the 27-year-old Kempter. “I would love to feel what it is like to win as I have never won on the professional level and this is a great opportunity to put myself in position to win. The more I do that, the more I learn and the better I get.”

The highlight of the day for Kempter came on her final hole, the ninth. “I hit a good shot in and didn’t realize the green falls off to the right by the pin so I said to my dad that I guess I should just pitch it in,” said Kempter.

“I’m chipping well, that is the best part of my game. Anytime you end with a birdie whether it is a tap-in, 30-footer or a chip in it is a good feeling.”

GONZALEZ-ESCALLON RECOVERS: Laura Gonzalez-Escallon (La Hulpe, Belgium) posted a 75 on day one so she knew a good day was needed to stay on the right side of the cut line. She carded a 3-under 69 to give herself a chance at a strong finish on Sunday.

“My goal today was to try and go as low as possible because yesterday I had a bad round,” said Gonzalez-Escallon. “My goal was to make the cut and I think I’m good there. I’m excited with my round today.”

She is in a tie for 21st an even-par 144 after two days.

The 24-year-old finished in a tie for 16th last week at the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club. She says this week’s course is a little tougher.

“I’d say this is a tough course, especially from the tee,” said the four-time All-Big Ten performer at Purdue. “The rough is thick and when it gets wet it is even thicker so then you have to place the ball.”

Before the 2014 season, Gonzalez-Escallon spent the offseason in Columbia. This past offseason, she lived in Belgium, which is where her golf coach lives.

“I changed to make sure my swing was ready for the season,” said Gonzalez-Escallon. “Last year was a long season and I didn’t see him (coach) at all so I wanted to spend a lot of time with him. It was a really good offseason with my parents and my mom cooked all the time.”

BECCA HUFFER MAKES AN ACE: Becca Huffer made a hole-in-one on the par-3 17th hole on Saturday. It was the second hole-in-one of the season on Tour.

DUNCAN AND TALLEY GO LOW: Lindy Duncan (Jupiter, Florida) and Emily Talley (Napa, California) had great rounds on Saturday. Duncan carded a 6-under 66 while Talley posted a 5-under 67.

Both made impressive jumps up the leaderboard. Duncan went from T52 to a tie for fourth, while Talley went from T52 to a tie for sixth.

“I think I only missed two fairways today and they were both only by five feet so I was playing good golf,” said Talley. “I started off solid today, which was better than yesterday when I started with a double. I was a par machine and then I was able to make some birdies later in the day.”

Talley posted six top 10 finishes in 2014 and was 18th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. The only thing she is missing is a win.

“When I have the mentalitity of I have to win on the first hole, that is not good,” said Talley. “I’m really working hard at one shot at a time and not getting ahead of myself.”

Duncan finished 14th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list last year. She is also looking for her first win.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc Has Three Shot Lead

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