Low scores have been out in full force to start the Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic, and they are expected to continue heading into the weekend in Scottsdale, Ariz. Every player in the top five after the second round at the TPC Scottsdale – Champions Course has posted at least one round of 66 or better heading into the weekend. Outside posting a low score, a winning pedigree has been the key early in the week, with Epson Tour champions Dana Fall and Siyun Liu holding the two top spots with two rounds to play.
Fall posted a 5-under 66 to take the lead at 13-under after 36 holes. She sat in a share of second place after the opening 18 holes but solidified the lead after carding seven birdies and two bogeys.
"The course played a little more challenging today just because they moved a couple tee boxes further back versus yesterday when it was pretty gettable," said Fall. "But I still hit a lot of good wedge shots, I'm putting really good, and then me and my husband, we just had a good game plan, and we stuck to it."
The 31-year-old is one of a few players this week that has a home-field advantage. Hailing from Chandler, Ariz., Fall is just 30 miles from her hometown. She also has her husband on the bag, which unlike the proximity to home, isn't a rare occurrence. The duo has been together for almost four and a half years, riding the rollercoaster that is professional golf.
"It just feels comfortable," Fall said about having her husband as a caddie. "When things aren't going well or they are going well, it's just easy."
Liu is in the final pairing with Fall heading into Moving Day, just two shots behind the 36-hole leaders. The 24-year-old signed for an 8-under 63, tying the lowest round of the day. A bogey on No. 10, her first hole of the day, was the only mistake Liu made. The next 17 holes were bogey free for the Wake Forest University alum, adding six birdies and an eagle on her way to the lowest Epson Tour score she has ever posted.
“I was hitting my good shots like very good today,” said Liu of her second-round performance. “I left a lot of makeable birdie putts short yesterday. Today, I made sure that they all reached the hole. A lot of them dropped but most of them were like within five feet so they were not tough putts. I'm just trying to play one shot at a time and focus on the present now.”
Fans around the world will be able to follow the tournament closer than usual via live streaming thanks to GKLive.TV. The broadcast will feature Nos. 16-18 on Saturday from 5-8 p.m. ET and Sunday from 5 p.m. ET until the conclusion of the tournament.
The tournament can be viewed on https://www.gklive.tv/event/2024-epson-tour-carlisle-arizona-womens-golf-classic, with a replay airing on https://www.youtube.com/@ROAD2LPGA the following week.
ABOUT THE LEADER
Dana Fall carded a 5-under 66 in the second round of the Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic to lead the tournament by two shots at 13-under total
- Fall made seven birdies and two bogeys in her second round
- In the first two rounds she has made 17 birdies total
- She shot a 6-under 29 on the back nine in round one
- The 31-year-old has made 110 LPGA Tour starts and 35 Epson Tour starts in her eight-year career
- Her T11 finish at the 2019 ShopRite LPGA Classic is her best career finish on the LPGA Tour
- She won the 2016 Dream First Bank Charity Classic on the Epson Tour
- Fall also has an additional 12 top-10 finishes on the Epson Tour
- The Arizona native is making her first appearance at the Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic this year
THINGS TO KNOW
Siyun Liu carded an 8-under 63 after opening her day with a bogey
- Liu rolled in seven birdies and an eagle after her opening bogey
- The 8-under 63 is the lowest round in her Epson Tour career
- The People’s Republic of China native has two top-10 finishes including a win since joining the Epson Tour in 2022
- Liu won the 2023 FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship
- She was an intern for Epson America after graduating from Wake Forest University
Emilee Hoffman moves up 70+ spots after a second-round 7-under 64
- Hoffman made nine birdies and a double-bogey in round two
- The 7-under 64 is the lowest round in her Epson Tour career
- The Scottsdale native has made one cut in five starts during her 2024 campaign
- Her best finish this season is T3 at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, matching her best career finish set at the 2022 Island Resort Championship
- She was a Golfweek All-American in 2018 while attending the University of Texas
QUICK QUOTES
Pauline Del Rosario (-9, T4) on what has been the key in her game through 36 holes:
“I had 24 putts today. So, I would say my putting. I kept it on the fairway, kept it out of the sand and the pebbles and I just think I was hitting it straight today. So that gave me a lot of chances for a birdie. I'm always grateful to play any weekend golf but it doesn't mean that just because we have a bigger purse this week that you do something special. I think we just stick to our game plan and just play the best we can out here.”
Hannah Levi-Armour (-6, T14) on making the cut at the Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic:
“It's huge. I mean, we can't thank the sponsors enough and Carlisle Companies for running this event. The amount of work that the Epson Tour has put in to grow the purses for us and let us compete at a higher level for higher money, that just is amazing. I'm looking forward to the weekend and hopefully continue to improve and just have fun.”
Emilee Hoffman (-3, T34) on her 7-under round to make it to the weekend in her home city:
“I feel great. I'm relieved. Honestly, it is so nice to have a home game this week. I knew I had to play well today because I really struggled yesterday. I didn't have my best ball striking day. But after my round, I went to the range and worked on it. I knew that my game was still close, even though I had a hard day yesterday and I never gave up all day today. And I just really executed well.”
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