DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Auburn University alum Kaleigh Telfer went on a tear on day two of the Epson Tour Championship at LPGA International, firing a 6-under 66 that saw her make one bogey and seven birdies, four of which came consecutively on holes 9 through 12. Telfer started the day at 4-under after carding a 68 in round one and made three pars before grabbing a pair of birdies on the par-4 4th and par-5 5th holes to move to 6-under overall.
The 25-year-old parred the next three holes, catching fire mid-round and rattling off four straight birdies on Nos. 9, 10, 11 and 12 to get to 10-under. Telfer parred 13, 14 and 15 before tripping up with a bogey on 16, but she recovered with a birdie on the last to post a 6-under 66 and sit just a few back of the lead with 36 holes to go.
The 66 ties Telfer’s career- and season-low round on the Epson Tour which she last shot on day one of the Twin Bridges Championship in July. This week marks her 17th start of the 2023 season, and now squarely in the mix with the weekend in Daytona Beach, Fla. on tap, the South African hopes to keep riding the momentum she found on Thursday and Friday as she works to pick up her first professional victory.
“Wasn't hitting the ball too great, but I made two very long putts on the first nine and that just kept me in it. Then I started to hit a lot better shots and making the putts out there today,” said the Johannesburg native. “I played on the Sunshine Tour at the beginning of the year and managed to get a few top fives there, so it was just getting back on the leaderboard again (lately) and I think that boosted my confidence. Now I'm working with a coach, Doug Wood, Ashleigh Buhai's coach, and everything is just starting to click. Getting a little bit of confidence really helps that, too.”
Telfer has only found the top 10 three times this year, tying for fifth at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship, tying for sixth at the Four Winds Invitational and tying for ninth at the Guardian Championship. Knowing that she’d likely still have to play in LPGA and Epson Qualifying School during the latter half of the season, Telfer started a GoFundMe account to cover the cost of competing in the three-stage event, and so far, her page has raised $1,750.
But Telfer could take care of a large portion of those funds herself this week at the Epson Tour Championship. She currently ranks 42nd in the Race for the Card, seven spots out of the 11 through 35 range that would earn her an automatic spot in LPGA Q-Series and – maybe more importantly – see her Q-Series entry fee paid for by Seiko Epson Corporation.
While the money generated by her GoFundMe page has helped her substantially, moving inside the top 35 over the weekend would be life-changing for Telfer, especially if she goes on to earn LPGA Tour status for the 2024 season in Lower Alabama.
“I just said to my parents, I was like, I've got nothing to lose. Even if I get $500, every little bit helps. I decided to shoot my shot and it's worked out well,” said Telfer of the decision to start crowdfunding. “Q-School costs $3,500, and I think I'm up to just under $2000. Every little bit helps. First of all, just getting into the top 35 to be exempt from Stage II would be my first priority, and then getting it paid for is just an amazing thing that (Epson) has done this year.”
And no matter what happens over the next 36 holes, Telfer is tenacious, and like everyone in this week’s field, she has a burning desire to make her lifelong dream come true. South Africa has seen plenty of success on the LPGA Tour throughout the past couple of seasons, with Ashleigh Buhai capturing both the 2022 AIG Women’s Open and 2023 ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer and Paula Reto finally breaking through at the 2022 CPKC Women’s Open.
Watching her fellow countrywomen achieve their goals on the biggest stage in women’s golf has been invigorating for Telfer, motivating her to do whatever it might take to have an opportunity to qualify for the LPGA Tour.
“I started when I was about ten playing in school. Ashleigh Buhai, she was my role model,” said Telfer of the major champion. “I looked up to her, and I'm actually going to visit her after this. She's someone I always looked up to. I think her winning the Open last year kind of got me kick-started in my career just to see some South Africans up there on the leaderboard. It's just nice to see where she's come from.
“(Playing on the LPGA Tour has) been my dream since I was a little kid, so it would just mean a whole lot. I've been working hard for this, and it would mean so much to me to see the hard work pay off.”
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