GREENWOOD, S.C., May 3, 2016 - The Epson Tour, Road to the LPGA, begins a five-week stretch of events with the most anticipated event on the schedule, the 3rd annual Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic at The Links at Stoney Point. The fifth event of the season offers the largest purse ($250,000) and winner’s payout ($37,500) in the 36-year history of the Tour. There is a new twist this year as the Legends Tour will compete on Sunday and there will be two winners on the 18th green.

The top 144 professionals from the U.S. and 25 different countries around the globe will compete for the potentially life-changing winner’s check. Based on the current Volvik Race for the Card money list, the winner of this event will likely move into the top three. The top 10 on the final money list after the Epson Tour Championship (October 13-16) will earn LPGA membership for the 2017 season.

First-round play for the Epson Tour begins on Thursday, May 5 and the 72-hole event will conclude on Sunday, May 8. Play will begin at 7:30 a.m. all four days of the tournament. The Legends Tour will play an 18-hole tournament on Sunday. The Epson Tour field will be cut to the top 60 and ties after second-round play on Friday, April 6.

NEARLY 200 LOCAL MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS ATTEND JUNIOR CLINIC: Epson Tour professionals hosted two separate junior clinics on Tuesday at nearby Deer Creek Driving Range. Approximately 60 students from Wareshoals Middle School were at the first clinic and over 100 students from Brewer, Westview and Northside middle schools attended the second clinic.

The kids were split into stations around the putting green, chipping area and driving range. There was also an obstacle course station where kids had to run and hit certain targets in a relay style race.

“The kids loved it,” said Tour professional Kaitlyn Price. “They loved the chipping, we had little games set up for them and they had a lot of fun with it. A couple of the kids came up to me and said they can’t wait to come back out to the golf course so I think this is a cool thing that we do. It will definitely help grow the game of golf in Greenwood.”

PRICE CAUGHT THE TOUR BUG CADDYING AT AN EVENT: Two years ago, while Tour rookie Kaitlyn Price was in college at the University of Central Florida, she had the chance to qualify for a Epson Tour event in Longwood, Florida - the IOA Golf Classic. One UCF golfer was going to get the exemption. Price didn’t score best as the team went through qualifying, but she agreed to caddie for her friend, Fanny Cnops.

“I kind of had the idea that I wanted to play professional golf, but with the IOA Golf Classic in Orlando and caddying for Fanny I saw what the Tour was like and I was like ‘this is what I want to do’ and it is just cool to now be playing.”

Three weeks ago in Fort Myers, Price was an alternate and found out she got into the event ten minutes before her tee time.

“Just getting into the event and being part of the Tour is great, it is so different than the little mini tours,” said Price. “At this level, it is a true event and that is awesome.”

Price is excited to get her first taste of Greenwood and The Links at Stoney Point.

“When you talk to girls that have played the Tour in the past, this is the event they talk about,” said Price, a Jacksonville, Florida native who was named to the American Athletic
All-Conference team in 2013-14. “I’ve heard all about hole 13 and can’t wait to get out there during tournament week when it is all hyped up.”

This week is Price’s third Epson Tour start and the first time she is not sweating it out as an alternate.

“I want to play well here so I can get a little better status and then hopefully the reshuffle will help me out.”

Price’s host family is also a good story.

“Last year, they came to the event as spectators and they loved it so much that they came back to volunteer,” said Price. “It is cool to hear stories from them about how much the community loves us here and that makes you feel good to come and play here.”

ROOKIE HAS SPARTANBURG CONNECTION: Lindsay McGetrick is playing in her first Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic and called this a home event of sorts. Although she grew up in Highland Ranch, Colorado, her mom’s family lives in Spartanburg and she expects to have some family come watch this weekend.

“I spent the summer after my freshman year of college in Spartanburg and still spend time there around Christmas,” said McGetrick, who was playing a practice round with Brittany Marchand and Emily Gimpel. “My grandmother lives there so I would go there for a week or two every summer growing up.”

McGetrick, an All-ACC performer at North Carolina State, is excited for an opportunity for her first big finish of the season.

“It’s really nice to be playing so close to my family and have all of their support,” said McGetrick. “This is the closest tournament to my family this year and I’m looking forward to having them come and watch me play.”

QUICK NOTES
• Conway native Kristy McPherson had plans on playing this week in Greenwood, but she got into the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic and has decided to withdraw. She tweeted today “Excited I just got into @YokohamaLPGA, but sad I’ll be missing @Road2LPGA this week in my home state of SC! #SCProud”
• Madelene Sagstrom is the only player on Tour that has finished inside the top 10 in all four events.
• There are four former UNC Tar Heels golfers in the field this week - Katherine Perry, Allie White, Catherine O’Donnell and Heather Angell.

Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic Tuesday News & Notes

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