USF alumna golfer 2nd @ LPGA Q-school

[Jim Johnson]

From the I Seek Golf website (found it via Google News alert):

Young takes medalist honours at Florida Q-School

The second and last LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournament is in the books, and for 30 players, the goal of LPGA Tour status in 2006 is within reach. Led by Annie Young of Highland, Utah, 30 Tour hopefuls finished tied for 27th or better in the 72-hole event and advance to the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla., Nov. 30-Dec. 4. The magic number fell at 295 (+7), keeping the dream alive for 30 and sending another 44 home to ponder their professional golf futures for another year.

Young earned medalist honours with a wire-to-wire victory, carding an 8-under-par 280 (-8) in the four-day event. Going into the final round at 10-under, Young bogeyed holes 7, 13 and 15 in the final round before birdieing 16 to finish her round at 2-over-par 74.

"It is a relief to be finished. It was a good day," said the two-time Big 12 individual champion. "I didn't hit the ball real well, but I scored OK and I'll take the win for sure."

Young, a 2005 NGCA All-American and a 2003 honourable mention All-American for the Oklahoma State women's golf program, has played two LPGA Tour events during her career. She played in the 2003 US Women's Open at Pumpkin Ridge, and most recently made the cut and tied for 47th place at the John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic in Tulsa, Okla., last month. Young, a sponsor exemption in Tulsa, went directly from that event to the first sectional in Rancho Mirage, Calif., where she missed the cut.

Kelly Lagedrost of Brooksville, Fla., held on to second place, finishing at 4-under-par 284 after shooting an even-par 72 for the day. On the front nine, Lagedrost birdied hole 6, but turned around and bogeyed hole 7 to stay at 4-under for the tournament. Lagedrost went to 5-under with a birdie on 11, but bogeyed 15 to finish the tournament at 4-under-par.

"I had a solid round," said Lagedrost. "The pins were tough, but I expected them to be tough. I did the same thing I've done all week. Mentally you have to be able to finish a solid tournament to move on to the final stage."

The 1996 Florida High School State Champion, Langedrost was a first-team All-American and a four-time Academic All-American at the University of South Florida.

With heavy rain falling Thursday and into part of Friday, players used the lift, clean and place method in the final round because of the wet course conditions.

"The course was wet," said Lagedrost. "The lift, clean and place helped us out a lot though, because a lot of times it was sitting down."

Italy's Veronica Zorzi, who began the day tied for fifth at even-par, carded a 3-under-par 69 on Friday to finish the tournament in third place at 3-under-par 285.

Vicky Uwland was the only Australian to make it through the Florida Q-School and joins Rebecca Coakley at the Final Stage at Daytona Beach. Queensland's Nicole Lowien missed making the final cut by just two shots. She missed by four shots at Stage One qualifying in California last month.

The first two days, players competed on both the Bobcat and Panther courses at Plantation Golf and Country Club, playing each of the courses once before the cut was made to the low 70 and ties after 36 holes. The final two rounds were played on the 6,401-yard Bobcat Course. The top-30 players and ties after 72 holes advance to the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla., Nov. 30-Dec. 1.

The Venice qualifier is the second of the LPGA Tour's two sectional qualifying events in 2005. The first was at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., two weeks ago. The top-30 finishers and ties from each qualifier join current LPGA Tour members attempting to improve their status and the players who finished sixth through 15 th on the final 2005 Futures Tour money list at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament.

http://www.iseekgolf.com/news/8110