PHC Classic
Brown Deer Park Golf Course
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
July 27, 2015
Storylines

MILWAUKEE, Wisc., July 27, 2015 - The Epson Tour, Road to the LPGA, makes its first trip to the state of Wisconsin since 2007 for the inaugural PHC Classic at Brown Deer Park Golf Course from Friday, July 31 through Sunday, August 2.

The last time the Tour came to Wisconsin was for the 2007 Aurora Health Care Championship at Geneva National Golf Club.

The top 144 up-and-coming professionals from the United States and around the world will compete for a $100,000 total tournament purse in the 54-hole stroke play format. The winner of the PHC Classic will earn $15,000 and take a big step up the Volvik Race for the Card money list. The top 10 on the end-of-season money list will earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2016 season.

With eight events remaining in the chase for ten available LPGA Tour cards, the gap is narrow between No. 11 (Brianna Do) and No. 10 (Jimin Kang), who are separated by just $300. Dani Holmqvist, who won the Island Resort Championship and ranks 14th on the money list is $6,866 outside of the top 10.

The PHC Classic is the first professional golf event in Milwaukee since 2009, the last year of the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. Brown Deer Park hosted the PGA Tour from 1994 through 2009 (1994-2003 - Greater Milwaukee Open). The list of players that have won at Brown Deer Park includes Scott Hoch, Ben Crane, Corey Pavin and Bo Van Pelt.

The field is strong for the inaugural event with the entire top 10 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list set to play at Brown Deer Park including No. 1 Giulia Molinaro (Treviso, Italy) and No. 2 Daniela Iacobelli (Melbourne, Fla.).

The competition is as tough as it has ever been on Tour. There are seven players outside the top 10 that have won this season and six are in the top 25 (Maddie Sheils, Dani Holmqvist, Annie Park, Katie Kempter, Sue Kim and Breanna Elliott). There have been 14 different winners this year (one unofficial event) and 12 first-time winners.

The Epson Tour has blossomed over the last year as the PHC Classic is one of seven new events on the schedule, that includes 23 total - the most in 27 years.

THREE BADGERS AND FOUR WISCONSIN NATIVES IN THE FIELD
The Badger state will have four Wisconsinites to cheer for this week at the PHC Classic - Carly Werwie (Kenosha), Jessie Gerry (Madison), Allyssa Ferrell (Edgerton) and amatuer sponsor invite Gabby Curtis (Eau Claire).

“I’m really looking forward to playing an event in my home state,” Gerry said. “ I’m also excited to have some family and friends come out that normally don’t get to see me play. I’ve always been so honored to play for the Badgers and represent the university all over the country so it’s extra special getting to return to the Badger State and compete.”

Werwie and Gerry are UW grads while Curtis is a rising sophomore still competing for the Badgers. Ferrell competed collegiately at Michigan State.

LONGHORN CONNECTION HAS SHANNON FISH STAYING WITH BREWERS’ TAYLOR JUNGMANN
This week in Milwaukee, Epson Tour pro Shannon Fish will be staying with a familiar face from her days at the University of Texas, fellow Longhorn and current Brewer Taylor Jungmann.

“When we were in college, we were just a bunch of kids sitting around an apartment in Austin, Texas with big dreams,” Fish remembers. “We knew some of us were going to make those dreams come true and we knew for some of us, life would take us in another direction.”

Fish and Jungmann are both still out there chasing their dreams in their respective sports as Fish is in her third season on the Epson Tour, while Jungmann is in his rookie season with the Brewers.

“I’ve followed Taylor work his way through the minors up to the bigs and I couldn’t be more proud of him for his athletic accomplishments and for staying true to that same, humble kid playing baseball at Texas.”

EDGERTON CONNECTION FOR ALLYSSA FERRELL AND 12-TIME PGA TOUR WINNER STEVE STRICKER
Edgerton native Allyssa Ferrell’s grandmother used to babysit 12-time PGA Tour winner Steve Stricker and the two families have remained close over the year. In fact, the Ferrell’s used to make trips down to Brown Deer Park, site of this week’s PHC Classic, to watch Stricker compete in the Greater Milwaukee Open.

“I did a couple of times when I was young,” Ferrell said of watching the GMO. “I was so young so it’s tough to remember at that age where you are and what it means. Now you look back and think ‘Oh man, that was a big deal.”

Ferrell shares more than just a hometown with Wisconsin’s most famous golfing resident, she also shares a swing coach, Dennis Tiziani.

“I ran into Dennis after Q School when I was on the fence about what I wanted to do exactly and then I met him and he’s just really helped change my game,” Ferrell explained. “We redid my swing over the winter and it’s been really great. Talking to Steve a little bit too has been really helpful.”

The Michigan State grad feels comfort knowing that Tiziani has worked with a player like Stricker who has competed on the games highest level.

“It’s nice when I call Dennis after a round and he knows how to respond to how I’m feeling and what to say,” Ferrell said. “He’s so great at what he does and even though he’s not here he’s still able to help me. I think that has been the biggest change from August to now is meeting him and the changes he’s brought to my game.”

Ferrell entered the season with low status on the Epson Tour but thanks to a T13 finish at the Tullymore Classic she will now be able to compete in events for the remainder of the season.

“They say that one good week can change your life and getting that call and getting into Tullymore really changed my Fall and changed my mental aspect and how I look at the future going forward.”

NO. 1 MOLINARO RIDES STRONG PLAY INTO MILWAUKEE
Volvik Race for the Card money list leader, Giulia Molinaro, has posted 25 consecutive rounds at or under-par heading into the PHC Classic. Of the 25 rounds, 22 are under par. Her last over par round was on April 26 in the final round of the Guardian Retirement Championship at Sara Bay.

Molinaro has eight top 10 finishes in 11 starts and ranks second on Tour in scoring average (70.09).

PHC CLASSIC MARKS FOURTH EVENT IN POTAWATOMI CUP
The PHC Classic will mark the fourth of five events in the second annual Potawatomi Cup. The Potawatomi Cup is an incentive based point system where players have a chance to win bonus money at five events sponsored by Potawatomi nation tribes.

A total of $8,800 will be awarded at all five tournaments. The player that wins the overall Potawatomi Cup will earn a $6,000 bonus on top of the money she has earned through the course of the five events.

Through the first three events, Madeleine Sheils leads the race for the Potawatomi Cup with 612 points and $9,000 earned.

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