Three Aussies win US Duramed Tour Cards

BY Liz White | Futures Tour | 2009 Futures Golf Tour Q-School | Round Five | 07 Nov 2009

Three Australian amateurs have won cards for the US Duramed Futures Tour in 2010 but it was tempered excitement all round.

Leanne Bowditch played fantastic golf throughout the five-round shootout at Lakeland in Florida and finished in 11th position on even par 360.

While the Queensland amateur is delighted to now have a tour card on the LPGA secondary tour her eyes are on a much bigger prize next month – winning a position in the main game, the USLPGA.

The 22-year-old made it through to the USLPGA final qualifying last month and is hoping she will be one of the lucky ones at the December LPGA Q-School.

“The ultimate goal for any golfer is to make it to the LPGA and that’s what I want to do,” she said.

“But getting through today is more of a stress reliever.

“I am excited because I have a big weight off my back because I didn’t have a visa so I was playing here as a tourist so to be able to know that I will have a players visa no matter what and to have a job takes a lot of stress off me.

“Today was one step but now I have to refocus and get to the end really.”

Fellow amateur, 20-year-old Rebecca Flood also played superb golf at the demanding Q-School, where competitors play on four different courses over five days, not to mention a practice round on each of those courses, making it nine days of golf in a row.

She finished on 4 over 364 and in a tie for 15th. Like Bowditch she is thrilled to have a place to play next year but is hoping to earn a card on the 2010 Ladies European Tour.

“It takes a bit of pressure off me for European Tour because I know I have a tour somewhere,” she said.

“I didn’t go to USLPGA Q-School but I can now go to Europe and relax knowing that I have Futures to fall back on.”

Flood hasn’t committed to turning pro but is “99% certain.”

“If I get through Europe and the States I will probably take both cards. Futures is only about 19 weeks of the year so if I have both cards I can jump on a plane and play a couple of weeks on either tour.”

Flood’s game has improved dramatically over the past six months. She was a dominant junior in the Jack Newton Junior Golf events but her first year as a senior amateur was a steep learning curve.

She later joined forces with the Edwin camp in Queensland and has since posted some great amateur results including qualifying for the British Open in late July.

“The last six months have been awesome,” she said.

“I have played great golf. I picked up the amount of practice I was doing and just worked really hard and I think that has shown through my golf and my results in the last six months.

“It has given me enough belief that I can go out and mix it with these girls week in and week out.”

Belief is also the key word for Bree Arthur.

The 21-year-old is still a little shocked that she has qualified and is now unsure what path she will take next year.

“I just went to the Q-School to see what it was like and to compare myself with the others,” she said.

“I don’t know if I am going to go because I don’t know how ready I am to cope with the travel on my own.”

The Queenslander will now head home and sit down with her coach Ian Triggs and consider the potential new career ahead.

“Some parts of me are ready to take the next step but some parts are not,” she said.

“But once I get out there I am sure it will happen automatically.”

Bree had a solid week except for her Thursday round blowout of 78.

“I just went to Florida putting no pressure on myself and then yesterday I started to think maybe I am actually good enough,” she said.

“I started to get ahead of myself so I am really pleased how I came back today.”

Arthur had one of the rounds of the day played in howling Florida winds.

Her final round of 72 leapt her up the leader board to finish in a tie for 28th on seven over 267. Not so lucky was Helen Oh, who is on a comeback from cancer surgery performed late last year. The 21-year-old failed to make the 90 player cut after the four rounds.

But for the three qualifiers they are looking forward to their golfing futures. In Leanne Bowditch’s case she can look back with some satisfaction after her decision to quit competitive golf for 12 months. After years of college golf with Pepperdine University, the sister of PGA Player Steven, was sick of swinging the clubs. She was also broke.

“I went and got a job and tried to save up some money and then I decided I don’t want to sit behind a desk for the rest of my life so I went to practice,” she said.

“I really missed competitive golf and I think a year away from it really helped.

“You know everyone does it different and this was just the way for me.”

Few could argue with that.