Australian Nikki Garrett leads Futures Q-School

BY iseekgolf.com | Futures Tour | 2005 Futures Golf Tour Q-School | Round One | 09 Nov 2005

You could almost hear the simultaneous sigh of relief from 295 players at the conclusion of today’s first round of the 2006 Futures Tour Qualifying Tournament. Held on three courses, the opening round of the Tour’s annual Q-School signaled the start of pro careers for some and competition-round tune-ups for others heading to the LPGA’s Qualifying Tournament later this month.

But regardless of the intent, a tournament is a tournament, and two players emerged from the pack with four-under-par scores of 68. Nikki Garrett of New South Wales, Australia carded her 68 at Cleveland Heights Golf Course, while Futures Tour veteran Lynn Valentine of East Lyme, Conn., fired her gem at Huntington Hills Golf & Country Club.

“It’s a good start, but this is still a long week,” said Valentine, 29, who works as an assistant pro at The Golf Club of Avon in Avon, Conn. “This week is all about playing one shot at a time and pacing yourself.”

Valentine did that with 27 putts, and hit 14 greens and 12 fairways in today’s opening round. The Boston Red Sox fan even utilized what she called a “Jason Varitek baseball swing” with a choked-down 5-wood from an awkward stance in a bunker to pull off a miracle shot on the second hole. That mighty swat netted a par and put the veteran pro on track for her sub-par round.

Garrett, on the other hand, battled jittery nerves on her first few holes and worried about errant shots.

“In my practice rounds, I wasn’t hitting the ball straight or dropping as many putts, so I was a bit worried coming into today,” said Garrett, 21, who turned professional at the end of October. “It’s a relief to get that first round out of the way.”

Winner of the 2005 Queensland Stroke Play Championship, Garrett spent most of 2005 as Australia’s top-ranked amateur. Today, she looked as if her decision to turn pro was right on the money. The rookie carded three birdies and one bogey on both the front and back nine holes at Cleveland Heights, using 28 putts in her round.

“I’ve played with all of the Australian girls on the [Futures] Tour, so I knew this week was all about coming out here and trusting myself,” said Garrett, who will travel to Spain next week for the Ladies European Tour Qualifying Tournament.

Four players, including 2005 US Women’s Open Championship runner-up Brittany Lang, matched scores of three-under-par 69 in today’s opening round. Lang played at Schalamar Creek Golf Club, while Kim Augusta of Rumford, R.I., carded her 69 at Huntington Hills. Amateur Amie Cochran of Torrance, Calif., and Sukjin Lee Wuesthoff of Toms River, N.J., also posted 69s in today’s round.

“Schalamar Creek is very tricky and very tight, so you have to hit it straight,” said Lang of McKinney, Texas, who played the course for the first time today. “I grew up on bent-grass greens, so on Bermuda greens, you have to be more aggressive.”

The former Duke University All-American called her round an “up-and-down day” that included an eagle-three on the par-five fifth hole with a 40-foot eagle putt, a double bogey on the 18th hole (her ninth, which found a water hazard), five birdies, two bogeys and 27 putts.

Wuesthoff, 19, who recently moved to Lakeland, Fla., turned pro out of high school last summer and played a handful of 2005 FUTURES Tour events. The teen admitted that her experience from the summer helped in today’s opening round.

“Because I played on the Futures Tour this year, I was more comfortable out here today,” said the former U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur champion. “This year was definitely harder than I thought it would be because everybody is good. I need to practice more.”

Measuring herself against the pros was the goal of amateur In-Bee Park of Las Vegas, who carded an even-par 72 at Cleveland Heights. The former U.S. Girls Junior champion was two-under-par after 15 holes, then carded a missed-green bogey on the 16th hole and a three-putt bogey on 18.

“This is a qualifier, so first you have to make the cut, then you move your way up,” said Park, 17, a five-time Rolex Junior All-American and the nation’s second-ranked junior. “Playing the LPGA Tour is my dream, but this is the first step toward achieving my goal.”

Tied at two-under-par 70 were: Na Ri Kim of Seoul, Korea (Schalamar Creek); Cindy Lee of Sabah, Malaysia (Cleveland Heights); Becky Berzonski of Erie, Pa. (Huntington Hills); Karen Dennison of Madison, Ind. (Huntington Hills); and Eom Ji Park of Burnaby, B.C. (Schalamar Creek).

Eight players were tied at one-under-par 71.

Second-round play begins Wednesday at 8am off the first and tenth tees at all three golf courses. The field will be cut after 54 holes to the low 100 players and ties, with the final round staged Friday at Cleveland Heights.

Source – Futures Tour