LIRA TAKES HOME TITLE IN BATTLE CREEK
Standing on No. 18 green, Fernanda Lira (Mexico City, Mexico) had not seen the leaderboard. She turned to her fiancé and caddy, Ryan Shuttleworth, and he said, “If you have a tap in, just mark it.” To which she replied, “Ryan, we’re not going for that tap in,” and she was right. She birdied the final hole of the day to go -10 today and -19 overall and secure her first professional victory at Battle Creek Country Club in the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship.
“I came out yesterday with the goal of taking it shot by shot and keep focus on my process. That was my big goal; to not focus on the I can't control but focusing what I can control, and I, I did it pretty good,” said Lira. “I kept rolling them, tried not to look at the scorecard, and I did not look at the leaderboard until after I made my final putt. I felt really good and proud of myself out there.”
Lira not only had her fiancé by her side this week, but also her team and fellow Tour members from Impulsando al Golf Profesional Mexicano (IGPM) rooting for her near and far.
“I mean it means the world to me; they are like a separate family. Not my direct family but we're out here week by week and like I said it can get lonely and just having all the girls from Mexico, knowing you have somebody to go have dinner with or talk to, is like bringing a little back home with you all the time,” said Lira. “I talked with Gabby (Lopez) a little bit yesterday and with my coach, it's nice to know that there always like one phone call away whoever you want to talk to.”
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