MESA, ARIZONA, March 29, 2017 - The Epson Tour, the official qualifying Tour for the LPGA, begins the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club on Thursday, March 30 with the first tee times at 7:00 a.m. Tickets and parking are complimentary all three days of the tournament.

The final round on Saturday, April 1 will begin at 7:00 a.m. and conclude at approximately 2:00 p.m.

The field of 144 from the United States and 30 countries around the globe will compete for a $100,000 purse. The winner will earn $15,000.

SCOTTSDALE RESIDENT AND FORMER ASU STAR
Giulia Molinaro (Treviso, Italy) is a two-time Epson Tour graduate and now playing predominantly on the LPGA Tour. Since she didn’t qualify for the ANA Inspiration, she is playing in the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club this week. She went to Arizona State and still lives in Scottsdale.

“Playing at home in Arizona definitely means a little more,” said Molinaro, who was the 2012 Pac-12 Golfer of the Year at Arizona State. “You have to try to not make it a bigger deal than it is in your head. Same thing when I play the LPGA in Phoenix, which is just five minutes from my house. I just try to simplify everything.”

Molinaro was raised in Kenya and came over to the IMG Academy in Florida and was recruited to play at ASU. She was a three-time First Team All-Pac 12 performer and loved every second of her time in Tempe.

“I had the best time ever, if I could go back I would,” said Molinaro. “I love ASU. I still live here and I still practice down there as much as I can and I drive through campus often. It is a great school and I love it.”

Molinaro spent the offseason back home in Kenya and then returned to the states to start preparing for the LPGA season. She has made three starts so far and has made two cuts.

She is now working with Jorge Parada, who also coaches recent LPGA winner Anna Nordqvist amongst other Tour players.

“He’s really young, he’s really knowledgeable and has helped me tremendously with my swing and my putting,” said Molinaro, who represented Italy in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. “He’s very knowledgeable in the different areas a professional golfer needs assistance in.”

Molinaro made the cut at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup this year and finished third at the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club in 2015.

“Definitely would be nice to have a great result here and a win would be fantastic,” said Molinaro, who expects to play the rest of the season on the LPGA. “I’ll just try to do the best I can and hopefully it is enough on Saturday.”

OSLAND WON TWO WAC CHAMPIONSHIPS AT LONGBOW
There are several players in the field this week that are familiar with Longbow Golf Club including Megan Osland, who won two team Western Athletic Conference (WAC) championships at Longbow Golf Club while in college at San Jose State.

“It was exciting because I was part of a winning team as a freshman,” said Osland. “I really like desert golf, I played the Cactus Tour event in February at Wildfire and I just like desert courses.”

Osland posted 11 top 10 finishes during her four-year career with a pair of individual victories. She is in her second season on the Epson Tour.

San Jose State switched to the Mountain West conference during her final two years of college and the conference championships were held at the Dinah Shore course, home of this week’s ANA Inspiration.

OF NOTE

Emma Talley (Princeton, Ky.) and Bronte Law (Manchester, England) are paired together on Thursday. They played match play against each other in the 2014 Curtis Cup with Talley represented the U.S. and Law representing Great Britain & Ireland. Talley won 4 and 3.
The lowest round at Longbow Golf Club during the three years of the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club is a 65 - Hannah O’Sullivan (2015), Haley Italia (2015), Mindy Kim (2015), Lacey Agnew (2015) and Emily Talley (2014). Kim and Agnew are both in the field this week.
There are three players in the field that competed on the LPGA Tour last week at the Kia Classic in Carlsbad - Savannah Vilaubi, Celine Herbin and Perrine Delacour.

Molinaro, Scottsdale Resident and ASU Star in Field This Week and More from Mesa

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