Tullymore Classic
Tullymore Golf Club
Canadian Lakes, Mich.
July 3, 2015
First Round News and Notes

CANADIAN LAKES, Mich., July 3, 2015 – Daniela Iacobelli, who was born in Detroit, shot an opening round 64 to take a one shot lead after the first round of the Tullymore Classic at Tullymore Golf Club.

“I just kept telling myself to keep giving myself chances,” Iacobelli said. “I made a 7-footer, a 7-footer and a 3-footer to start the day and I was like well if you keep it inside of 10-feet you’ve got a chance so I just tried to hit the greens and put myself in the right spots to give myself the best looks at it and I got on a pretty hot streak on the front, fizzled out a little on the back but it was a good day.”

Iacobelli, who sits a shot clear of Rachel Rohanna and Chie Arimua, was one of 66 players to shoot under par on the day.

“Honestly no,” Iacobelli said on if she thought the course would play this way on day one. “I thought they were going to set up the course to be where 72s and 74s win it but when I got out here today and the course was in such great shape that if you put yourself in position obviously it was feasible since I’m not the only one who went low today.”

Iacobelli is proud to be from the Great Lakes State and enjoys being back for the Epson Tour’s Midwest swing.

“I just love Michigan golf,” Iacobelli said with a smile. “It’s some of the prettiest golf courses I’ve ever played on, including Tullymore. This place is awesome. I’ve never seen so many people with such attention to details ever. It feels like an LPGA event out here. They’re doing a great job.”

Second round play will begin off the first and tenth tees starting at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday.

The 144 player field is competing for a share of a $100,000 purse with a top prize of $15,000. The top-10 on the year-end Volvik Race for the Card money list will receive their LPGA Tour cards for the 2016 season.

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES BUT STILL A 65 FOR ROHANNA: Rachel Rohanna sits a shot back of Daniela Iacobelli’s lead at the Tullymore Classic but the Ohio State grad feels that she left a few out there.

“I’m never going to be disappointed with a 65 but I could have been a little bit lower as I had a double on my last hole and missed a couple of short putts,” the Volvik Race for the Card No. 6 explained.

Prior to her double on the last, Rohanna was rolling with seven birdies and an eagle.

“I would say probably after the ninth hole,” Rohanna said on when she felt she was having a special round. “I tapped in a one footer for birdie to go to 4-under. Throughout the front nine I was hitting shots extremely close. I missed a two footer for birdie and missed a couple of eight footers for birdie so I knew the whole day that I was playing really well.”

The Pennsylvania native enjoys being in back in the Midwest and playing at Tullymore.

“For me, I realized that I really like resort courses,” Rohanna said. “I think it might be odd for people to hear that. Most of the times people prefer country clubs or Donald Ross designs but I’ve just realized that any northern resort course really tends to fit my eye well. Pretty wide fairways, everything is real green, greens are fast and undulating. Tullymore is a great course and we’re very excited to be here for the first time and just looking for another good round tomorrow.”

O'DONNELL IN THE MIX: Catherine O’Donnell finds herself two back of the lead following a solid opening round of 6-under at the Tullymore classic.

“My caddie Phil and I talked about it and we just wanted to hit greens today and I only missed two so that was good,” O’Donnell said. “I wasn’t hitting it great but just solid trying to keep it in front of me and I did that.”

The approach paid off as O’Donnell worked her way to bogey free 66.

“I think it’s just a tough layout,” O’Donnell said of Tullymore. “The greens are tough and it’s tough off the tee. I like it because it’s rewarding when you hit good shots but it’s also very penalizing when you aren’t hitting it good.”

O’Donnell’s round was highlighted by a hole-out for eagle on the par-4 17th, her eighth hole of the day.

“I hit a really good drive and the pin was up front at around 75 yards and so I hit a little sand wedge and bounced it one hop past the pin and it spun back in the hole,” O’Donnell explained.

It marks the second week in a row that the North Carolina grad has holed out for eagle after never having accomplished the feat in tournament play before.

“Last week I hit it one hop and dunked and this week I hit it past and spun it back. It’s pretty cool.”

Detroit Born Daniela Iacobelli Holds One Shot Lead after Opening Round of Tullymore Classic

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