MADISON PRESSEL POSTS BEST ROUND OF THE YEAR

Madison Pressel (Boca Raton, Florida) carded her lowest round of the 2017 season, a 5-under, 66 to stand one shot back. Pressel’s previous low round this season was a 2-under on three separate occasions.

Pressel currently ranks 79th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list, but a first-place paycheck could move her as high as 12th.

“When you have a purse that is $200,000 plus, no matter where you are on the money list, a win is going to bump you up an insane amount,” said Pressel. “You cannot let go and say there are six events left. It doesn’t matter. There is no reason why you can’t make enough money to at least skip Stage II (of LPGA Qualifying Tournament) or even get a card. There is no reason why I shouldn’t be able to do that.”

Pressel made four birdies on her front nine and one on her back. It was a bogey-free round.

“I was striking the ball really well and got some putts to drop,” said Pressel, who almost aced the par-3 fourth hole. I made birdie on all three of the par-3 holes on the front so I was hitting my irons really, really well.”

Pressel had a nagging wrist injury in 2016 and had to reshape her swing. Since November, she has been working with her new coach, Chuck Cook, on the post-wrist-injury swing.

“We revamped my entire swing, I had to change the way I was getting into the ball so I don’t re-injure my wrist,” explained Pressel. “Seeing how much better my swing was, it was frustrating to not be scoring well, but I knew it was only a matter of time.”

Pressel is one of many players in the field that has been paying close attention to Hurricane Harvey and trying to help. While she was born and bred in Florida, Pressel has a big spot in her heart for the state of Texas as she played college golf at Texas. She has also been through a few hurricanes.

“I remember having two weeks off of school to get our city back together, but it was nothing like what we are seeing in Houston,” said Pressel. “When you see the pictures, there is just so much we can do to help. So many of my classmates at Texas were in Houston. Shannon (Fish) and Portland (Rosen) are two of my really good friends and that is their city. It’s so sad what is going on and I want to do everything I can to help.”

Pressel donated 50% of the proceeds from her side skin care business to the American Red Cross this week.

SDSU SOPHOMORE TOSCANO HAS A BLAST

A fan came up to Teresa Toscano, a sophomore at South Dakota State University, after her round and asked what she shot.

“I don’t even care what I shot,” she replied. “I had a blast.”

Toscano, who is playing on a sponsors exemption, posted a 5-over, 76 and is in a tie for 122nd. She made birdies on holes two and eight. She also made a pair of double-bogeys.

“It is a really good opportunity, so much fun with the pro golfers,” said Toscano. “You can definitely learn a lot from them. I really was trying to watch their pre-shot routines.”

Tom Walsh, the CEO/Chairman of GreatLIFE, led an “S-D-S-U” chant after Toscano made par on 18. She raised her arms to acknowledge.

“I love representing SDSU, I love the university and am so happy to be here,” said Toscano, a native of Spain. “I have no words for those people (fans) and what they mean to me.”

Toscano said her goal for Friday is to make the cut.

NO. 5 ON MONEY LIST IN MIX

Hannah Green (Perth, Australia) knows exactly when she last slept on her own bed in Australia. It was March 18.

“I was over here (U.S.) for four months and that’s a long time,” said Green, after a 4-under, 68. “It was just so refreshing to go home, it felt like a dream the first night I got to sleep in my bed.”

Green took the last Epson Tour tournament (PHC Classic) off and spent a full four weeks in Australia. For the first week and a half, she didn’t touch a club.

She showed no rust on Thursday with four birdies and an eagle on the 17th hole.

“It’s a long stretch of tournaments coming up so I’m trying to take everything easy,” said Green. “It was really good having the four weeks off.”

Green also used the time to see her coach and prepare for this tournament in particular.

“I think I’m hitting it the best I have,” said Green. “You have to be on this course and you have to make putts.”

Pressel Posts Best Round of Year and More from Rd 1 of the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge

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