RAIN DELAYS PLAY IN DECATUR; JILLIAN HOLLIS LEADS AT -11
The skies opened before the second round of The Forsyth Classic, as rain drenched Hickory Point Golf Club Saturday morning. Play was suspended until 1:30 p.m., six hours after the original starting time. At 8:23 p.m., play was suspended due to darkness with 71 players yet to finish. Officials hope to resume second-round play Friday at 7:30 a.m.; however, additional rain is expected overnight, so further delays are possible.With some extra rest before her round, Jillian Hollis teed off at 2:14 p.m. and is the solo leader at -11 after shooting the day’s low round, a 6-under 66. Hollis went bogey-free and made six birdies, including three consecutive over her closing holes.
“I’ve had rain delays before and this year we’ve had a couple of those situations. I kind of knew what to expect, but I did my same routine,” said Hollis. “I didn’t get too disappointed in anything and just kind of kept a level head about it all and just happy the weather is good now.”
Karolina Vlckova and Katie Yoo sit three back at -8, with five players tied for sixth at -6. First-round leader Elin Arvidsson shot a 2-over 74 on Saturday and fell into a tie for ninth.
KAROLINA VLCKOVA CALMS HER SECOND-ROUND NERVES
Karolina Vlckova was restless and nervous during the morning rain delay. Sitting tied for fourth before the day began, Vlckova said she did not know how the afternoon would play out. Not letting her nerves get in the way of her play, Vlckova shot a 4-under 68 for the second day in a row to finish tied for second with Katie Yoo at -8.
“I was just like ‘I need to calm down and be patient and take it shot by shot. That worked well for me today. I was able to do it and I didn’t get mad when I made a bogey,” said Vlckova, whose 68s are the lowest rounds of her season. “When I made a mistake, I didn’t see it as a big deal and tried to fix it.”
Vlckova said she enjoys playing in Decatur. “I played well here last year so I think the course fits me pretty well. I just like the course. I like courses like this, the park type. The conditions were different because everything was way softer,” said Vlckova. “Actually on 18, I picked a wrong lie because I forgot it was softer. But that’s part of the day.”
She said her strategy for the final round is staying consistent. “There’s a lot of birdies out there, so just be patient,” said Vlckova. “Do the best I can and we’ll see what happens at the end.”
KATIE YOO TAKES REST ADVANTAGE DURING RAIN DELAY
Katie Yoo may be 17 years old, but the 2019 Epson Tour rookie knew how to attack Hickory Point Golf Club after the six-hour rain delay. Yoo ended the day at -8, tied for second with Karolina Vlckova.
Yoo welcomed the break before play. “I think it was nice to just take a rest and then play. I was really nervous in the morning, but it got better in the afternoon,” said Yoo. “I played good yesterday and I didn’t know if I was going to play good today.”
Yoo’s only blemish on the day was a bogey at No. 14. She jokingly blamed the man on the bag – her father. She said she wanted to use her 8-iron, but her father told her to use her hybrid. “So I was like, ‘Alright. Fine.’ And I was right,” said Yoo. “I almost go in the hazard, but I was lucky.”
For tomorrow, Yoo said she wants to concentrate and have fun. She said she likes this course and has warmed up to it. “I try my best every weekend, but on this course, when I came here, I was like ‘this is the course that I think I can play really good,’” said Yoo. “It was kind of long for me, but I try my best every hole.”
NOTABLE QUOTES
Kyung Kim (-6, T4) on the strategy going into her third round:
“I want to be confident. This week I haven’t been hitting the ball well but today, actually on the back nine, I was starting to hit it really well so hopefully that momentum carries on tomorrow.”
Min Seo Kwak (-6, T4) on what it is like playing in the same grouping as her good friend, Stephanie Na:
“It’s more comfortable, and more relaxing. We can talk about some fun things sometimes when we are struggling. So yeah, good partners.”
Perrine Delacour (-5, T9) on feeding off the play of tournament leader Jillian Hollis in her group:
“I’m going to try and chase Jillian, she played really good today…She’s a really good player, a really good putter. So it was really helpful for me and for both of us.”
PLAYER NOTES
Jillian Hollis- Hollis, 22, is from Rocky River, Ohio
- Made her professional debut at the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open
- Spent three years at the University of Georgia and was a three-time All-American
- Two-time All-SEC Second Team selection before being named to the First Team in 2018
- Competed in the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, as well as the 2016 and 2018 Marathon Classic on the LPGA Tour
- Made the cut in eight of 12 starts in her rookie campaign on the Epson Tour last season
- Lost in a sudden-death playoff in her Epson Tour debut at the 2018 Forsyth Classic
- Stepped into the winner’s circle for the first time in her professional career at the 2019 IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa
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