The heat died down, and the wind picked up during the second round of the Dream First Bank Charity Classic, but the scores did not reflect the tougher conditions on day two. Low scores were turned in left and right, resulting in a stacked leaderboard with two former Epson Tour champions in the mix, one of which is tied for the lead. Daniela Iacobelli and Michelle Zhang are both at the top of the leaderboard at 8-under for the week, with a group of three players just one shot behind. With the potential for one of the most exciting final rounds of the season, the tournament is set for a thrilling conclusion.
Iacobelli, a seasoned player with a history of strong performances, was the first player in the clubhouse at 8-under, cruising her way into the final group on Sunday. The game was on autopilot for the Epson Tour veteran, making only birdies and pars before her first major hiccup of the week on her 17th hole of the day. Iacobelli entered the hole 5-under on the day, but an unfortunate break caused her to take an unplayable, and a missed bogey putt dropped her two shots with just one hole to play. She responded to this as any good veteran player does by splitting the fairway and hitting her approach shot to three feet for birdie. Iacobelli knocked in the short birdie putt to grab the solo lead in the clubhouse. There is still work to be done for the 36-year-old to take home her fifth Epson Tour victory, but her past performances prove she still belongs among the best players in the world.
"It was one of those days that you dream of. The driver of the car is just on autopilot and you're just cruising right along," explained Iacobelli. "I think I enjoy being in contention a little more than most, knowing that I got probably 14 years on some of these girls. So, it's reassuring to know that we're not done, no matter the outcome tomorrow. You know, we ain't done."
Zhang made a statement early in her second round, making five birdies in her first seven holes without putting a bogey on the card during her front nine. She made the turn with a 5-under 31 and sat at 7-under for the tournament with nine holes to play. The 19-year-old took advantage of the par 5's on the back nine, rolling in birdies on both, but a bogey on No. 14 kept her in a tie for the lead with Iacobelli. Despite only being in her second year on Tour, Zhang has been in contention numerous times and is using her experience in the past to help her get that elusive first Epson Tour win she has been working towards.
"I had a pretty solid start. I hit a lot of fairways, gave myself a decent amount of good looks, and then just made a few putts out there," said Zhang. "This is like my third time in the final pairing, so hopefully that goes well. But just kind of keeping a good mindset. I am just going to try and make as many birdies as I can. I just kind of go for it tomorrow and then just keep in a good mindset."
Britney Yada, Yurika Tanida, and Kathleen Scavo are all at 7-under and one-shot heading into Sunday, with Kaleigh Telfer and Minori Nagano following closely behind at 6-under. These players have shown consistent performance throughout the tournament and are strong contenders for the title. The final round has all the makings to be an exciting finish and could crown another first-time champion for the 2024 season.
ABOUT THE LEADERS
Daniela Iacobelli and Michelle Zhang lead the way at 8-under with one round to play at the Dream First Bank Charity Classic
Iacobelli
- Iacobelli posted her second straight 4-under 68 to grab a share of the lead
- She has made 9 birdies and one bogey through two rounds
- She has 33 top-10 finishes on the Epson Tour including four wins since her rookie year in 2010
- Her last victory came at the 2022 Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic
- Iacobelli has played in 37 LPGA Tour events in her career
- The 36-year-old is searching for her first top-10 and first win of the season
- While attending the Florida Institute of Technology, Iacobelli recorded eight wins and 29 top-10 finishes
Zhang
- Zhang matched the low round of the day with a 6-under 66 in round two
- Her second round included 7 birdies and one bogey
- She has made 12 birdies through 36 holes
- The 19-year-old has back-to-back top-10 finishes on the Epson Tour and three total for the season
- Her best career finish came at the 2023 Guardian Championship where she finished T3
- A win is projected to move Zhang to No. 4 in the Race for the Card
- Zhang has one professional win at the CGA Women’s Championship on the CLPGA
THINGS TO KNOW
Kathleen Scavo, Yurika Tanida, and Britney Yada all sit at 7-under and in a tied for second
Scavo
- Scavo has eight birdies and one bogey through 36-holes
- She played 26 holes before she made her first bogey
- She has now made four cuts in 11starts on the Epson Tour this season
- Her best finish came at the Casino Del Sol Golf Classic where she finished T28 for the week
- The 26-year-old has three top-10 finishes on the Epson Tour
- Her best career finish was at the 2023 Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic where she was the runner-up
Tanida
- Tanida closed her second round with a 4-under 32 that included two birdies and an eagle
- This is her rookie on the Epson Tour
- She would be the fourth rookie to win this year if she takes home the Dream First Bank Charity Classic title
- Her best career finish was a T7 finish at the Atlantic Beach Classic
- Tanida is currently No. 63 in the Race for the Card
- She was a two-time All-Big Ten selection while attending Michigan State University
Yada
- Yada shot a 6-under 66 in her second round to get to 7-under total
- The round included 7 birdies and bogey
- It is her lowest round of the 2024 season
- She has 6 top-10 finishes on the Epson Tour including a win
- Her win came at the 2022 Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout
- Her best career finish in the Race for the Card came in her 2022 season where she finished No. 22
- She is currently ranked No. 168
QUICK QUOTES
Minori Nagano (-6, T6) on what she focused on coming into the Dream First Bank Charity Classic:
“I was just focusing on course management. So, like, in this wind, I feel like I normally use driver on the tee, but like, I just try to hit low shot with three or five wood, then it's kind of like same distance if you use driver, if you can keep it lower. I was just trying to be in good position from the tee and just tryied to be like in front of the green or like on the green.”
Amari Avery (-5, T8) on another strong start to a tournament early in her career:
“I mean it's been really fun. I mean, looking back these last four weeks has been really cool to, you know, just be a pro and live this life. Honestly, it's not been fun playing in the Midwest with all this wind, but I think it's a great start to professional career. I'm really happy I got a week off last week, so I'm just kind of recharged for this one. I feel like I'm playing pretty well.”
Kate Smith-Stroh (-4, T12) on her 4-under round and playing in the wind:
“I think you got to keep a really open mind in Kansas with the conditions. Yesterday was a little bit unusual how calm it was, and I felt like I didn't take advantage of it. I love playing in the wind because it means there's a lot of movement on a leaderboard. I had a really bad attitude yesterday, so I was like, ‘let's just have a good attitude, see what happens today’ and it ended up being a solid round.”
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