10-SHOT IMPROVEMENT LAUNCHES DELACOUR UP LEADERBOARD
Just as it did after the first round, the mark of 4-under par sets the pace through 36 holes in the Four Winds Invitational with three individuals tied for the lead.
Perrine Delacour (Paris, France) fired the round of the day at Blackthorn Golf Club, carding a bogey-free, 7-under par 65 to vault from tied for 71st to the top of the leaderboard. The 10-shot improvement puts Delacour in position to capture her fourth straight top-five finish on the “Road to the LPGA,” while also providing aspirations of finally stepping into the winner’s circle.
“Yesterday was hard because of the wind, I think I missed like three shots and that caused me a lot of problems,” said Delacour, who hit 16 greens in regulations out of a morning wave that featured calmer conditions. “I started with two birdies and just kept going, was patient. You need to be really good off the tee to have a nice angle to the pins. Was just enjoying the ride today.”
PURDUE ALUMNA KIM PLAYING WITH LOTS OF SUPPORT
When August Kim (St. Augustine, Florida) turned pro in 2017 following a strong career at Purdue University, the Four Winds Invitational was the first stop of her rookie season. She finished tied for 15th.
Fast forward two years and Kim is set to play in the final grouping of the eighth annual event in South Bend. The two-time All-Big Ten First Team performer will head off No. 1 tee tomorrow at 9:50 a.m. ET with plenty of support and a familiar face strolling the fairways with her.
“You can see from the scores it is tough out there, just tried to stay really patient and hit good shots,” Kim said after a 3-under par 69. “My caddy Steve was actually my first volunteer caddy after I turned pro. He’s been on the bag a handful of times since and his family is out here. Also, my two scholarship donors from Purdue are in town. The feel is very special, especially being so close to my Purdue home.”
HOLLIS DRAWING ON IOA CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE
Finding her way into the mix behind back-to-back rounds of 2-under par 70 is Jillian Hollis (Rocky River, Ohio), a first-time Epson Tour champion at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in March.
The University of Georgia graduate has noticed some similarities between her victory and how things are unfolding this week, but remains focused on the present. A forecast of rain and more wind for Sunday hasn’t affected her mindset at all, as she looks to become the second two-time winner on the Epson Tour this season.
“It was windy this afternoon and I don’t mind playing when it’s windy, or if there’s elements,” Hollis said. “I don’t get upset if you accidentally airmail a green, or don’t have enough club because that’s just how it is and everyone is having those issues. You can try to minimize that and make putts, then you’ll be okay. No round is the same as another, but similar conditions [to Beaumont] definitely. I was feeling good coming into this week and been hitting the ball well.”
NOTABLE QUOTES
Jenny Coleman (-3, T4) on staying in the hunt after a 1-over par second round:
“It was playing very tough, 20-30 mph winds and the greens got firm quick. Just tried to maintain and was not going to be shooting lights out this afternoon. It was great to just stay in it, one back and I’m fine with that. Within striking distance.”
Kyung Kim (-3, T4) on the conditions today and what it will take to stay close tomorrow:
“The wind started to die down on the back nine, which was nice because with the wind it is so hard to get it close to the pin. I putted really well today, made a lot of up and downs. Hopefully hit the ball better tomorrow. Anything in the 60s, I think that would be a good score on this golf course tomorrow.”
Alexa Pano (-2, T9) on being in contention and what she hopes to accomplish for the final round:
“There was a lot of birdie opportunities that I missed today, hope to take advantage of those tomorrow and that could lead to a low round. I know that’s what it will take to potentially be in the mix for it and that’s definitely the goal. It’s always fun to come out here and see my name on the leaderboard. Getting to compete against a better level of play is always super fun for me.”
PLAYER NOTES
Perrine Delacour
- Delacour, 25, is a native of Laon, France
- Rookie on both the Epson Tour and LPGA Tour in 2013
- Started playing golf at the age of nine and is a member of the French National Team
- Epson Tour graduate in 2013 thanks to four top-10 finishes to end the year at No. 8 in the Volvik Race for the Card
- Total of 68 starts on the LPGA Tour entering the 2019 season with career-best finish of solo fourth at the 2015 Kingsmill Championship
- Total of 16 starts on the Epson Tour entering the 2019 season with career-best solo second result in the 2013 Epson Tour Championship
- Fired a career-low score of 10-under par 62 in the second round of the 2017 Manulife LPGA Classic
August Kim
- Kim, 23, is from St. Augustine, Florida and graduated from Purdue University
- Won the 2016 Big Ten Championship individual title and set the tournament 54-hole scoring record
- First four-time Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholar in Boilermakers history
- Two-time All-Big Ten First Team performer, also named a WGCA First Team All-American and recipient of Purdue’s Big Ten Medal of Honor as a senior in 2017
- Made the cut in 22-of-41 starts since her rookie year on the Epson Tour in 2017 with five top-10 finishes and a career-best solo second result at the 2017 Donald Ross Classic
- Concluded each of her two seasons in the top-30 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list
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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