The Epson Tour, Road to the LPGA, begins the second half of its season this week at the Tullymore Classic. The three-round event will begin on Friday, July 1, and run through Sunday, July 3, at Tullymore Golf Club.

The 144 player field will be competing for a share of a $100,000 purse with a top prize of $15,000. The top-10 on the year-end Volvik Race for the Card money list will receive their LPGA Tour cards for the 2017 season.

First round play begins on Friday at 7:30 a.m. off of the first and 10th tees. There will be a cut to the top 60 and ties following second round play on Saturday, July 4. The final round will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday and is expected to conclude at approximately 4:30 p.m. with a trophy ceremony on the 18th green.

DEFENDING CHAMPION DANIELA IACOBELLI HAS FOND MEMORIES OF TULLYMORE
Defending Tullymore Classic champion Daniela Iacobelli shared some of her memories from her victory last year with media out at the LPGA’s Cambia Portland Classic.

“I love that course,” Iacobelli said of Tullymore. “That had to be one of the best courses we played on the Epson tour all year. It was fairly close to home so it kind of meant a little more to me. It’s such a fun course so pure. Really fun track and enjoyable course.”

Iacobelli, who was born in Detroit and lived in Michigan until she was a teenager, birdied three of her final four holes and drained the clutch birdie putt on the 18th to win by a stroke at the inaugural Tullymore Classic. The win helped propel Iacobelli to the LPGA Tour.

“I think the biggest thing I remember was the putt at 18,” Iacobelli said. “The putt I made I had actually practiced a couple of times in the practice rounds so I knew exactly how it broke. The only problem was getting the speed and the line exactly right which I did and I think I was stunned at that than the realization of the potential win resulting from it.”

Counting Iacobelli, five of the top-10 and 10 of the top-18 players from last year’s Tullymore Classic are playing full time on the LPGA this season.

SPONSOR INVITE GABRIELLE SHIPLEY CONFIDENT HEADING INTO TULLYMORE CLASSIC
Sponsor invite Gabrielle Shipley enters this week’s Tullymore Classic with high expectations for herself.

“I have a goal of finishing top-10,” Shipley said. “I guess that is a big goal but I always set high expectations for myself because then it gives me something to always strive to and not just settle with making the cut because I know I can do that and I know if I want to be the type of golf that I can be that a top-10 finish should be there this weekend.”

The Grand Valley State grad gained some extra confidence as she closed out her collegiate career in dramatic fashion with a seven-foot birdie putt on the No. 18 hole to give her a one-shot win at the NCAA Division II Championship.

“I knew I had it in me,” Shipley said of her win at Common Ground Golf Club in Denver. ”That was something I wanted to do heading into my freshman year. Before I ended my four years I wanted to be a National Champion at some point and just to do that in my last year was amazing. I couldn’t have done it any better. I definitely showed myself that I can be the best and I was the best that day and throughout the year and that just proved it to myself.”

Shipley, who also has a sponsor invite to the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship in Battle Creek, is hoping that the two events on the Epson Tour will help her game and also give her some exposure as she heads into LPGA Qualifying School in August.

“I think it will help me get awareness for myself,” Shipley explained. “People know me in the Grand Rapids area as a Grand Valley golfer and they know that I was a successful one and I just want to prove that I can be a really good professional golfer. I want to that I can do this and maybe that will help bring awareness and hopefully sponsors along the way to Q-School and after that.”

For Shipley, that journey starts this week at Tullymore.

“I’m really excited and glad that I was given the opportunity to play here,” Shipley said. “This is definitely going to help me along my journey to the next level of my game. I think this was a good stepping stone to prove myself to myself and enforcing that I do belong on the LPGA Tour and that I can play with these people so I’m really excited. I’m looking forward to playing well and doing what I know I can do and just letting the hard work take over and not stressing out and just playing the game I know I can play.”

LOCAL TIES OPENING ROUND TEE TIMES

Allyson Geer – 1:08 (10th tee)

Gabrielle Shipley – 8:30 (10th tee)

Laura Kueny – 9:20 (1st tee)

Samantha Troyanovich – 12:35 (10th tee)

Caroline Powers – 2:36 (10th tee)

Christine Meier – 8:25 (1st tee)

Alyssa Ferrell – 8:14 (1st tee)

FROM THE LAKE TO THE LINKS

A pair of Epson Tour pros – Jayde Panos and Emily Tubert - spent Tuesday morning exploring Lake Michigan on their way from the Island Resort Championship in Harris to Tullymore.

“Jayde loves to fish and I think it was through someone she played a pro-am with last year she asked them about some sort of fishing trip when we were out here and he recommended this awesome guy who charters his boat on Lake Michigan,” Tubert explained. “We went out this morning, the waves were still too rough, so we just stayed in the harbor and we caught five fish – two pike, two steelhead and a king salmon.”

The duo were able to spend nearly five hours on the lake thanks to an early wake up call.

“The alarm went off at 4 a.m. which is earlier than any tee time you’ll have,” Tubert joked. “It was still dark when we went out on the water. We had nine poles out at the same time and we all caught fish. The biggest was that steelhead and when we got in they fillet them for us so I actually have all of the fish in my refrigerator and we’re going to cook them tomorrow.”

Following the fishing trip, Tubert and Panos headed to the course for a little bit of afternoon practice.

“I think it’s a really great golf course,” Tubert said. “It’ll be interesting to see how they set it up for us this year. I love my family here and everyone at the golf course here does a really good job of making us feel welcome. They really have done a great job of catering to our needs and it’s a great golf course that looks like it’s in great shape and I’m looking forward to being out there.”

Tullymore Classic Thursday Pre-Tournament Notes

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