Kenyon makes great start in New York
IN: News | Futures | ILOVENY Championship (2008) | Round Two | by Bruce Young | 07 Sep 2008
Queensland’s Sarah Jane Kenyon leads the final full field event of the Duramed Futures Tour in Albany, New York and has gone a long way to assuring herself of graduation to the LPGA Tour in 2009.
Kenyon is on the verge of making the top ten players now eligible to graduate from the Futures Tour after that number was recently increased from five. Kenyon occupied the 8th place on the 2008 Money List leading into this week’s event and after an opening round of 64, had opened up a two shot lead at the ILOVENY (I Love New York) Championship.
Round two play was suspended mid-afternoon on Saturday and although Kenyon’s lead had been reduced to just one, she was still in front after a birdie at the 7th hole.
Players will return to the course on Sunday morning to complete round two and, weather permitting, play the final round immediately following.
The ten 2009 LPGA Tour cards will be handed out at the completion of this event.
Kenyon’s performance continues a great run for golfers from the Sunshine Coast of Queensland with Katherine Hull, whose Australian home is only 40 minutes form Kenyon’s, winning the LPGA Tour’s Canadian Open recently.
Kenyon turned professional in late 2004 after representing Australia at the Espirito Santo Championship in Puerto Rico but has as yet been unable to claim full status on the LPGA Tour. She has played several events on the LPGA Tour in 2008 after gaining non-exempt status at last year’s Tour School, but this presents her greatest opportunity to earn full status on the greatest stage of all in women’s golf, the LPGA Tour.
Another golfer with Australian connections, Haeji Kang, is also well placed to graduate. Korean born, the 17-year-old Kang attended school on the Gold Coast of Australia prior to turning professional earlier this year.
Kang won an event on the Futures Tour three weeks ago and is currently in a precarious 10th place on the money list but importantly she too has made a good start to this final event. As play was suspended on day two Kang was in a share of 5th position.
