Toyota Danielle Downey Classic

Brook-Lea Country Club

Rochester, NY

July 17, 2015

Second-Round News & Notes

ROCHESTER, N.Y., July 17, 2015 - Annie Park of Levittown, New York was playing in the NCAA Women’s Golf Championships a month and a half ago. Now, she has the 36-hole lead at her fourth event ever as a professional golfer. She posted a 5-under 67, tied for the low round of the day, to vault to 9-under 135. Emily Talley (Napa, Calif.) and Giulia Molinaro (Treviso, Italy) are in a tie for second at 6-under 138.

“I just turned professional a month ago so this is all happening so fast,” said Park, who was surrounded by her first media scrum as a professional. “The transition was really quick, after Nationals I had the Open qualifier and then a week later I had my first professional event so I didn’t really have time to breathe.”

Her 11th round as a professional turned out to be her best so far.

“I was hitting it better than yesterday so that was an improvement,” said soft-spoken Park. “My putting wasn’t as hot as it was yesterday, but just being able to hit fairways and greens was nice.”

Park hit 13 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation.

The 2013 NCAA individual champion at the University of Southern California made the turn at 1-under for the day. She kicked it into high gear with four birdies on the back nine including a 20-footer on 16.

“I was struggling with some shorter putts and that putt made me feel a lot better about myself,” said the 20-year-old Park. “My putting got better as the round went along and I’m happy that I was bogey-free.”

Since turning professional, Park has two top 20 finishes in three events including a tie for 13th two weeks ago at the Tullymore Classic.

In addition to pursing an LPGA Tour card this year, she is also going to continue her communications degree at USC starting this fall when she’ll take classes between Epson Tour events.

“I’ll be headed into my senior year and I’ll have a year and a half left and I’d rather finish now than later,” said Park. “I’m planning on taking less classes each semester and I’ll talk to my professors and see how that works out.”

Park’s mom, who got her into golf, has been her travel companion and caddie in her rookie season on Tour.

“My mom has been my caddie basically my entire career so she knows me well on the course and I know her well,” said Park. “We work pretty well together. She got me started as a kid on the driving range when she said ‘I think you should play golf’ and I just said ‘OK’.”

Park earned Epson Tour status by getting through stage one and two at 2014 LPGA Qualifying Tournament.

She is 93rd on the Volvik Race for the Card money list since she has only played in three events. A first place pay check of $22,500 would do wonders for her position on the money list.

BIG BREAKER TALLEY POSTS 70: Emily Talley posted seven top 10 finishes in 2014 and finished 18th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. The first half of the 2015 season didn’t go as she would have liked. She is still aiming for her first top 10 finish of the season. On Friday, she put herself in position to chase a top 10 finish and her first win with a 2-under 70 to get to 6-under 138.

Talley has the putter working this week. She has attempted under 30 putts in both rounds.

“The greens are magnificent at Brook-Lea Country Club so when you hit the right line the ball is going to go in,” said Talley. “When the greens are fast and true, I’m a happy camper.”

Talley has never won on the Epson Tour and likes the position she’s in heading into the weekend.

“I’m happy, I like to be in the chase position so I’m excited for the weekend,” said 24-year-old Talley. “I’ve got my boyfriend on the bag and he is always good at keeping me calm and grounded. He doesn’t let me get too far ahead of myself. I’m just going to have fun this weekend.

Talley also raved about the first year event.

“I think this event has been absolutely top notch,” said Talley. “Mike Vadala has done a great job. I was never fortunate to meet Danielle, but I’ve heard great things. I’m so happy to be up here in Rochester, we as players love it so much.”

LOCAL FAVORITE TEACHMAN WILL PLAY WEEKEND: Tessa Teachman, who lived in Rochester the first 15 years of her life, carded a 5-under 67 to move to 1-under 143. She went from T93, outside the cut line, to a tie for 35th.

“Everything started going right, that is the beauty of having another day to play golf,” said Teachman. “I made the turn at even par and I knew I had a chance on my back nine with some birdie holes and I took advantage of them, which was awesome.”

Teachman made all five of her birdies on her back nine. In the first round, she didn’t make a single birdie.

“It is really great to finally post an under par round, I’ve been playing really well in practice, but to do it in tournament conditions with iffy weather gets me into tomorrow first of all,” said Teachman, who had 25 people following her group all day. “This gives me confidence into the weekend.”

The on-and-off rain that may have bothered some was old hat for Teachman.

“It was typical Rochester weather, you get six seasons in one day.”

LIV CHENG HITS ‘RESET BUTTON’ AND FINDS GROOVE: Liv Cheng (Auckland, New Zealand) was starting to feel the weight of missed cut after missed cut. She needed a change so she took the Tullymore Classic off and went to London to play in a Ladies European Tour event. The change of scenery for a week seems to be working for Cheng, who carded a 3-under 69 on Friday to move to a tie for fourth.

“This is the best I have played all year,” said Cheng. “I took off to play in Europe (Ladies European Masters) and I just felt like I got excited to play golf again and I was refreshed.”

“I wasn’t playing well this season and it is really all mental,” continued Cheng. “I kind of got my game

together and my putting has been much better this week.”

Cheng missed the cut in the last five Epson Tour events she played.

“I just felt like I was getting very repetitive and going through the motions,” said Cheng. “I had much more focus these last two rounds.”

Cheng was All-WCC all four years at Pepperdine.

New Yorker Annie Park Takes Lead at Toyota Danielle Downey Classic

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