NEW YORKER HILL JUST ONE BACK

Nannette Hill of Pelham Manor made five birdies against just one bogey to put herself in contention heading into the weekend.

“I played really solid today,” said Hill. “I struck it well and put myself in good positions around the green. I putted the ball great today and had fun out there.”

Hill made a 50-foot putt from the fringe on hole four and a 20-footer on 17.

Hill has three career top 10 finishes on the Epson Tour and one career win.

TONG CONTINUES STRONG START TO SEASON

Elizabeth Tong ranks 40th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list and hopes to move up this week with a big finish. She started strong with a 4-under, 67.

“Everything was working today,” said Tong, who owns three top 30 finishes this season. “I was hitting shots close and making putts. There was nothing bad in my game today.”

Tong said the key to her day was the first shot of her round.

“The first hole is a really slanted hole and I just wanted to hit it down the middle and I did that,” said Tong, who was nervous about the first tee shot. “I felt confident after that shot.”

Tong feels rejuvenated after the two-week break in which she stayed home and didn’t play any tournaments.

“I worked with my coach a little and practiced a lot,” said Tong. “I really wanted to be ready for these next tournaments because we have a whole bunch in a row.”

Tong expects to play the next four tournaments before skipping the Tullymore Classic to gear up for the event in French Lick, Indiana - near where she went to college at Indiana.

“French Lick is like my home course, it is really close to where we had Big Ten’s (Big Ten Championship),” said Tong. “My college is only like an hour from there.”

GREEN HAS AUSSIE GOLFER BOYFRIEND ON BAG

Hannah Green doesn’t need help. She already ranks seventh on the Volvik Race for the Card money list and won the Sara Bay Classic earlier in the year. However, this week her boyfriend, Jarryd Felton, who plays on PGA of Australia, is in town caddying for her. He had his U.S. Open qualifier in London and decided to fly to New York before going back to Australia.

“He made a detour to come see me on the way home,” said Green. “We haven’t seen each other in a few months so it is nice for him to be here and also be on the bag. It was the first time that he was my caddy.”

Felton is hoping to get his European Tour card in the near future.

Green closed her round with back-to-back birdies including a 15-footer on her last hole, the ninth.

“I was actually going to hit an 8-iron in and I saw Julia’s (Roth) shot come up short so I didn’t feel comfortable so I hit the 7-iron,” said Green. “It was nice to finish on a high note with a good putt.”

Green already has four top 25 finishes in just six starts as a rookie.

LOCALS WITH WORK TO DO TO MAKE CUT

Colleen Cashman-McSween, the UAlbany women’s golf coach, and Bailey Cocca, the 2016 New York State Women’s Amateur Champion, both posted 5-over, 76’s on Friday in the first round.

Cashman-McSween made eight bogeys against three birdies while Cocca made six bogeys and one biride.

“I don’t know what happened on the front side,” said Cashman-McSween, who is playing in the event for the third straight year. “I didn’t hit my irons very solid and I kept missing the greens. My putting was also very tentative, which killed me.”

Cashman-McSween was realistic after her round about her chances to play Sunday.

“Obviously, I’m going to have to shoot under-par tomorrow (Saturday), but I can do it. There are a lot of birdies to be had out there. I just didn’t go after them.”

Cocca said she struggled with her chipping, which she knew coming in would have to be strong.

“It wasn’t the wind, I missed a lot of putts and my chips were bad,” said Cocca, who played high school golf at Shaker. “As I’ve said before, my short game is my problem.”

Even though she didn’t play as she would have liked, Cocca said she’s enjoying her first Epson Tour event since she was a teenager.

“It’s fun, I have my dad on the bag,” said Cocca. “You just can’t give up, I learned that in my younger years. I don’t let bad holes bother me like I used to.”

OF NOTE

Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Copenhagen, Denmark), who ranks third on the Volvik Race for the Card money list, posted a 3-under, 68 and will go for her second win of the season this weekend.
There are nine players currently tied for sixth at 2-under, 69.
Emma Talley - who finished second last year - posted a 1-under, 70 and is T15 into the weekend.

Hill One Back, Tong Continues Strong Start and More from Albany

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