Story by Derry Trujillo, Inland Sports Senior Writer
Allie White had an outstanding 2021 campaign on the Epson Tour with five top-15 finishes, including a pair of top 10s. She ended the year at No. 36 on the Race For the Card money list to secure a place in the LPGA Q-Series. But during the eight-round marathon, and despite finishing ninth on Tour in putts per green in regulation (1.79), her confidence in the flatstick waned.
Earlier this week, White pulled into the parking lot of Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon on the heels of consecutive missed cuts to open the 2022 season. She was determined to get back to her roots with the putter and thanks to fellow Epson Tour members Fernanda Lira and Alejandra Llaneza, White is right on her way.
Lira invited her putter manufacturer rep Sacks Parente to Beaumont and after some testing, White put a new putter in the bag on Thursday. Five birdies and an opening-round 68 later, it’s safe to say White is hooked.
“I got a little closer to where I need to go. I did a lot of prep and got a lot of help. I’m moving in the right direction. I’m trending. There were two shining lights, both good friends from Mexico,” White said with a smile. “After my first round last year [of 80], this definitely feels like redemption because I played my worst round [of the 2021 season] here.”
A 30-minute lesson with Llaneza during Florida’s Natural Charity Classic week also helped White round into form. They focused on tempo and worked to eliminate “shifty” tendencies.
“I still haven’t mastered what she was saying, but it was not complex,” White said laughingly. “It is really hard to putt well if you’re shifty. I took advantage of missing the cut last week and spent a lot of time putting during my practice round on Monday. It’s paying off and I’m on the way back to where I need to go with that club.”
White will head off No. 1 tee at 1:05 p.m. PT on Saturday for the second round.
)
)
)
)
