Amateur Champ Prepares For Pros

Toronto’s Rebecca Lee-Bentham is off to Australia to launch her full-time LPGA Tour career and looks ahead to some of the adjustments she’ll need to make. Read more

Sherlock Pays A Price For Her Honesty

Doing the right thing in golf is rarely about taking the easy way out as Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont., and others before her can attest.

Sherlock tied for 20th at LPGA Tour qualifying school, which concluded in Sunday in Daytona Beach, Fla., but since the top 20 receive full status for 2012, a nine-woman playoff was required to determine who of that group would get the final spot.

Sherlock might have avoided that playoff altogether had it not been for an unfortunate incident on the 14th hole of the final round where the ball moved slightly on the green and she called a one-shot penalty on herself.

“It was just the typical you address the ball and the ball just kind of moves back into an indentation,” said Sherlock.

“It wasn’t even the wind or anything. It just wasn’t quite set right. I went to tap it in and I set my putter behind the ball and it just kind of wiggled on me,” she said.

Sherlock assessed herself a one-stroke penalty and informed a rules official. She wound up taking a double bogey five on the par three 14th.

The sad part for Sherlock is that the penalty would not exist if Q-school had taken place in just a few weeks when an amendment to the Rules of Golf would have eliminated the need for her to call the penalty on herself.

That amendment, which comes into effect at the beginning of 2012, will no longer see a penalty assessed if the golfer has taken a stance and grounded the club when it’s known that that person did not cause the ball to move.

Just a few weeks before that comes into effect, Sherlock would have tied for 15th had it not been for the penalty,

“That 14 kind of set me back and then, I was trying to make a birdie coming in,” said Sherlock, who played the final four holes at even par.

Despite Sherlock going par-par-birdie in the three-hole cumulative playoff, it was Lizette Salas who gained full status.

Sherlock, who had full status, played in 12 events in 2011 and went to Q-school looking to upgrade her status, expects she will still get in about 10 LPGA events next season despite having partial status.

She will fill out her schedule on the Futures Tour, perhaps play some Ladies European Tour events and, if the schedule allows, play some CN Canadian Women’s Tour events.

“It was a little bit frustrating because everything kind of backfired, so I guess it just wasn’t my week,” she said.

“I’m sure the golf gods will pay me back,” added Sherlock.

Two Canucks Earn LPGA Cards, Another Just Misses

The rewards that have come in the young career of Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., are plentiful, but her past successes don’t guarantee anything over the long grind of LPGA Tour qualifying school, which concluded Sunday in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc

“I didn’t expect to finish top-10. With school and everything, I knew I wasn’t as ready as the first two stages,” said LeBlanc, 22, a member of the 2010 NCAA champion Purdue Boilermakers.

The 2006 Canadian junior champion, who graduates later this month, surprised herself by playing remarkably consistent golf over four of the five rounds at LPGA International to tie for seventh and earn exempt status on tour for 2012.

“I came here about 10 days before the tournament, so I could practice and get used to the conditions and that really helped,” she said. “My goal was to get my LPGA card for sure, but it turned out better than I thought it would.”

In her first-ever trip to final stage in her first-ever shot at Q-school, LeBlanc did what many first-timers do by opening with a disappointing three-over 75.

“After the first round, I went to the range and my coach (Denise Lavigne) was there, helping me with my swing and we figured something out with my swing to make me feel a lot more comfortable on the course and that really helped,” said LeBlanc.

It was merely a minor adjustment to keep the clubface square in her backswing, but it made a world of difference for LeBlanc, who could feel the pressure mounting.

“I couldn’t afford to make too many mistakes. It was really nerve-wracking from the beginning to the end, It was the same thing with the first two stages, so I was starting to get used to that kind of pressure,” she said.

LeBlanc reeled off three consecutive one-under 71 scores before going into Sunday’s final round in a tie for fifth.

“I had a very good start and then, all of a sudden, things changed quickly. I lost confidence in my swing totally and things went downhill for like four holes,” said LeBlanc, who posted birdies on two of her first three holes and then had two bogeys and a double on six through eight.

She came back with a birdie on 10 and got her confidence back simply by loosening up her right arm. LeBlanc posted another birdie on 17 to finish the round and the final stage of Q-school at even par, 10 off the lead.

Toronto’s Rebecca Lee-Bentham needed a serious charge on Sunday. After posting 73-76-75-72 scores, the 2010 Canadian amateur champ was tied for 38th going into the final round, where she shot a five under 67 on the day to tie for ninth and earn her card.

“I knew I still had a chance if I didn’t give up. If I fought for it, I could make it,” said Bentham after completing her first Q-school..

“(Q-school) hasn’t been that great for me besides (the final round). I guess today was the turnaround day, where everything just came back. I actually expected to play better and I didn’t, so today made up for it,” she said.

Putting was Bentham’s main concern earlier in the week, when she posted scores of 76-75 in the second and third rounds, respectively.

“It was really my putting. I’ve been hitting it fine all week. Just at the beginning of the week, I lost confidence in my putting, I felt really uncomfortable over the ball and nothing was dropping, which just got me more frustrated and more frustrated,” said Bentham.

A concentrated effort on building confidence in her putting stroke, resulted in four birdies against just one bogey on her front nine, followed by two birdies on the back nine and a whole new respect for Q-school from Bentham.

“It was a lot tougher than I thought it would be. I just told myself, `It’s just five rounds. Play like you always do,’ but it’s hard to actually do. You have to be here to actually know what it’s like,” she said.

The top 20 in the final stage earned full status and despite making the top 20, Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont., didn’t get the ultimate prize.

After shooting a two-over 74 on Sunday, Sherlock’s five-over score for the tournament was good enough for a tie for 20th, but she lost in a three-hole cumulative playoff for the final spot and will have partial status in 2012.

Izzy Beisiegel of St. Hilaire, Que., and Kirby Dreher of Fort. St. John, B.C., each tied for 34th and will also have partial status.

2011 LPGA Q-School — Final Results

Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto have received exempt status after finishing in the top 20 at LPGA Tour qualifying school at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.

The top 20 earn full status for 2012, with placings 21 through 40 receiving partial status. Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont., tied for 20th, but lost in a cumulative playoff for the final full exemption.

For a complete leaderboard, click here.

Leader at -10

T7 Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, Sherbrooke, Que. E*

T9 Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Toronto +3*

T20   Stephanie Sherlock, Barrie, Ont. +5**

T34  Izzy Beisiegel, St. Hilaire, Que. +8**

T34  Kirby Dreher, Fort St. John, B.C. +8**

T51 Lisa Meldrum, Montreal +11

T64  Sue Kim, Langley, B.C. +13

T69 Samantha Richdale, Kelowna, B.C. +15

*Receive full status for 2012

**Receive partial status for 2012

Buz Bummed By Bug, But Begins Bouncing Back

Anybody who has been through the grind of Q-school is aware going in of the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune that can, and probably will, strike in the quest for career upward mobility.

That’s the game, but you don’t expect Q-school misfortune to strike before you even tee it up. Such was the case for Angela Buzminski of Oshawa, Ont., as she prepared for LPGA Tour Q-school last week.

The LPGA/Futures Tour veteran started to feel the effects of what she thought was a cold as she drove up to Daytona Beach from her residence in West Palm Beach, Fla. The symptoms got stronger in the days leading up to Q-school at LPGA International.

“I was in bed all day in Tuesday. I played a practice round on Monday and I played one on Sunday. I’ve played those golf courses a bunch of times,” said Buzminski, who was actually suffering from the flu. “I just figured I’d stay in bed all day and try to get some energy back.”

“On Wednesday morning (the first day of Q-school), from the time the alarm went off to the time I took my shower, got dressed, went to the golf course and tried to warm up, it’s all a blur,” she said.

“I thought there’s no way I’m going to make it through three holes, let alone 18, plus another four rounds after that,” said Buzminski, adding that “it broke my heart” to not even start at Q-school.

“On the Futures Tour, we mostly play three rounds, plus we have one tournament that’s four rounds and, not to diminish the meaning of a tournament, but as much as you try to make Q-school just like any other tournament, it’s not, no matter how you slice it,” she said.

“I knew I wasn’t going to even be 60 per cent of what I needed to be to make it through that week. Was I hitting it well enough? Was I confident in my game? Absolutely,” said Buzminski, adding that it’s out of character for her to not even start.

“I’ve played sick before. I’ve played hurt before, but it hurt having to do that,” said Buzminski, who is uncertain about 2012, which at this point looks to consist mostly of Futures Tour events.

She says she’s like to get to Canada to play some CN Canadian Women’s Open events, but it will depend on finances and whether she can land additional sponsors.

“I miss playing at home. Every Canadian that I’ve ever met at tournaments down here, they were just gung-ho and fanatical about us professionals. It’s cool,” she says, before pointing out the economic reality of extended travel next year.

“Last year was just brutal. Life has its ups and downs and it’s been down the past couple of years,” she said of her expenses vs income.

“Obviously, that’s gone through my head, especially as stressful as last year was. It was like, `Oh my God, I can’t do this to myself,’ and the stress alone, besides playing golf, was incredible,” she said, adding that she isn’t giving up.

“I have sent so many e-mails out (to potential sponsors) and I’m not even a quarter of the way through my list,” she said.

“The more I think about it, I still thing I’ve got a few good years of golf left and honestly, I don’t think I’ve played to the level that I’m capable of playing,” said Buzminski.

Round 4 — 2011 LPGA Q-School

Heading into Sunday’s final round of LPGA Tour qualifying school, Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., is in the top five on the leaderboard after shooting a one-under 71 for the third straight day in Saturday’s third round.

LeBlanc is at even par over the four rounds at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla., Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont., is tied for 11th at three over for the event.

The number of 2012 cards available through Q-school has yet to be determined. Here’s a look at how Canadians are faring after four rounds at Q-school. For a complete leader board, click here.

Leader at -10

T5  Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, Sherbrooke, Que. E

T11   Stephanie Sherlock, Barrie, Ont. +3

T34  Kirby Dreher, Fort St. John, B.C. +7

T38  Izzy Beisiegel, St. Hilaire, Que. +8

T38 Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Toronto +8

T53 Samantha Richdale, Kelowna, B.C. +9

T53 Lisa Meldrum, Montreal +9

T57  Sue Kim, Langley, B.C. +10

Failed to make 72-hole cut

T109 Ashley Sholer, Hamilton, Ont. +18

T109 Susan Nam, Edmonton +18

T129 Adrienne White, Red Deer, Alta. +24

Round 3 — 2011 LPGA Q-School

A couple of Canadians have jumped into the top 10 at LPGA qualifying school at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont., shot an even par 72 in Friday’s third rounds to jump from a tie for 15th into a tie for ninth, where Maude-Aimee Leblanc also sits after shooting a one-under 71 on Friday.

That left them 11 shots behind overall leader Christine Song.

Here’s a look at how the Canadians are faring after three days at Q-school. For a complete leaderboard, click here.

Leader at -10

T9   Stephanie Sherlock, Barrie, Ont. +1

T9   Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, Sherbrooke, Que. +1

T16  Izzy Beisiegel, St. Hilaire, Que. -2

T36  Samantha Richdale, Kelowna, B.C. +5

T41  Kirby Dreher, Fort St. John, B.C. +6

T54  Sue Kim, Langley, B.C. +8

T54  Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Toronto +8

T62  Lisa Meldrum, Montreal +9

T118 Ashley Sholer, Hamilton, Ont. +17

T123 Susan Nam, Edmonton +18

T132 Adrienne White, Red Deer, Alta. +20

Round 2 — LPGA Q-School

Three Canadians were tied for 15th heading into Friday’s third round at LPGA  qualifying school at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Kirby Dreher of Fort St. John, B.C., Sue Kim of Langley, B.C. and Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont., lead the Canadian contingent at Q-school, all at one over two after days of the five-round event.

That left them nine shots behind overall leader Christine Song.

Here’s a look at how the Canadians are faring after two days at Q-school. For a complete leaderboard, click here.’

Leader at -8

T15 Kirby Dreher, Fort St. John, B.C. + 1

T15 Sue Kim, Langley, B.C. +1

T15 Stephanie Sherlock, Barrie, Ont. +1

T25 Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, Sherbrooke, Que. +2

T30 Izzy Beisiegel, St. Hilaire, Que. -3

T47 Samantha Richdale, Kelowna, B.C. +5

T47 Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Toronto +5

T47 Lisa Meldrum, Montreal +5

T83 Ashley Sholer, Hamilton, Ont. +8

T124 Adrienne White, Red Deer, Alta. +12

T132 Susan Nam, Edmonton +15

DeLaet Recalls Highs/Lows Of Q-School

Qualifying school, which got underway Wednesday for both the PGA and LPGA Tours, is more likely an extended learning process over several years than the instant step into success that the naive might expect, although that is a possibility.

It took Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., four shots before getting it right in 2009.

“I came out of college. I had quite a bit of confidence. I really thought that I was going to get through,” said DeLaet of his first try back in 2006.

“To be honest, the first time is probably the easiest. You don’t really know what to expect. You don’t know what the failure of it is like, so you just kind of go in free-wheeling and it’s probably the easiest, at least mentally, of all that I went into,” he said. Read more

Round 1 — 2011 LPGA Q-School

Izzy Beisiegel of St. Hilaire, Que., leads 11 Canadians at LPGA Tour qualifying school being played at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Beisiegel is five shots off the lead in a field that was reduced by one Canadian after Angela Buzminski of Oshawa, Ont., couldn’t start due to the flu.

Here’s a look at how the Canadians fared on the first day of Q-School. For a complete leaderboard, click here.

Leader at -6

T13 Izzy Beisiegel, St. Hilaire, Que. -1

T37 Sue Kim, Langley, B.C. +1

T37 Stephanie Sherlock, Barrie, Ont. +1

T37 Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Toronto +1

T58 Lisa Meldrum, Montreal +2

T58 Kirby Dreher, Fort St. John, B.C. +2

T74 Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, Sherbrooke, Que. +3

T88 Samantha Richdale, Kelowna, B.C. +4

T104 Susan Nam, Edmonton +5

T104 Adrienne White, Red Deer, Alta. +5

T116 Ashley Sholer, Hamilton, Ont. +6

Amateur Champ Ready For Her First Q-School

Toronto’s Rebecca Lee-Bentham heads into familiar territory even if is the dawn of her professional career as she prepares for her first LPGA Tour qualifying school, beginning Wednesday at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.

The 2011 Canadian women’s amateur champion sees a lot of familiar faces, many of which she’s played with on the national team, players such as Stephanie Sherlock of Barrie, Ont., Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., Sue Kim of Langley, B.C., and Kirby Dreher of Fort St. John, B.C.

A dozen Canadians will tee it up at Q-school, which will be Lee-Bentham’s first since turning pro recently.

“There are actually a lot of good Canadians, which is really a good thing to see,” said Lee-Bentham, 19, who won her first event as a professional a week ago when she posted scores of 68-66-70 on the Champions course at LPGA International.

Not only was that Suncoast Series result good news for her, but that event also gave Lee-Bentham an opportunity to check out one of the courses she will be playing this week. She’s also tried the Legends course at LPGA International.

“I tend to play better on Champions,” said Lee-Bentham. “I feel like the Legends is just more challenging.”

So practice rounds leading up to the start of Q-school became important as the 2010 Canadian Junior champ came in with some momentum after her victory.

“I feel really confident in my game. I hit it really well that tournament. I could have made more putts, but overall, (her game) was just solid all week,” she said.

“I’ve been working on (putting) for the past few days. I’m getting a better feel for the greens, so we’ll have to see how that goes,” said Lee-Bentham.

Your Canadian Lineup — 2011 LPGA Tour Q-School

A dozen Canadians will be teeing it up in the final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying school, which gets underway on Wednesday at the LPGA International Champions and Legends Courses. Here’s a quick look at the participating Canadians. The number of LPGA cards available is yet to be determined:

Izzy Beisiegel, St. Hilaire, Que.

Angela Buzminski, Oshawa, Ont.

Kirby Dreher, Fort St. John, B.C.

Sue Kim, Langley, B.C.

Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, Sherbrooke, Que.

Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Toronto

Lisa Meldrum, Montreal

Susan Nam, Edmonton

Samantha Richdale, Kelowna, B.C.

Stephanie Sherlock, Barrie, Ont.

Ashley Sholer, Hamilton, Ont.

Adrienne White, Red Deer, Alta.

A.J.’s Career Goes In New Direction

Former LPGA Tour player A.J. Eathorne of Penticton, B.C., has begun a new chapter in her career.

The former Canadian women’s amateur champ caddied on the PGA Tour for Kris Blanks before going on the bag of eventual CN Canadian Women’s Open champ Brittany Lincicome on the LPGA Tour in 2011.

“Brittany really rocked it out there and I thank her for doing so while I was on the bag,” said Eathorne in an e-mail. “With all the travels though, I have found that I have the desire to slow down a bit and try my hand at staying put.

“I have enjoyed the adventures, but find myself wanting more of a long term plan, or rather, something to work hard at for more than a year at a time,” she continued.

Eathorne will stay in the Phoenix area, where she owns a house, until next March and teach mostly short game clinics at courses in the Scottsdale area. She has joined a teaching business called Expert Golf AZ. For more information, click here.

She will then head to Predator Ridge near Kelowna, B.C., where she will be an instructor at the academy there, developing women’s and junior programs with a focus on clinics, group lessons and outings.

“It is a new area of focus for me and one that I am very excited about. It will test my skills of helping others enjoy the great game of golf, while being able to be back in B.C. and closer to family,” she wrote.

Eathorne plans to keep her house in Phoenix and return there next October.

These Two Are Skipping School

Nicole Vandermade of Brantford, Ont., did everything she needed to do to attend the final stage of LPGA Tour qualifying school, but has chosen not to be at LPGA International when the final stage gets underway on Wednesday.

Playing as an amateur, the former Ontario Amateur champion finished seven under in the second stage, including a final round six-under 66, to tie for fourth, which qualified her to compete this week.

Vandermade, a senior at the University of Texas, chose to maintain her amateur status by not taking part in the final stage.

“My education is really important to me and since I am so close to finishing, I really want to get my degree,” said Vandermade, who will have status next year on the Futures Tour, in an e-mail.

“I am just going to plan to turn pro after I graduate and play Futures Tour this summer,” she added.

Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ont., will also not be participating at the final stage this week, saying in an e-mail that her current status will get her into several LPGA tournaments in 2012.

Post Says Let Lexi Play

I touched base with eight-time LPGA Tour winner Sandra Post on the weekend to discuss various issues involving the tour, including the petition by 16-year-old Lexi Thompson to become a tour regular and whether an event similar to the just-concluded Solheim Cup should involve players from other parts of the world, including Asia. Read more

New Tournament Chief Jumps Right In

Only a week into his new gig as tournament director of the new Manulife LPGA Classic, which will be played next June in Waterloo, Ont., Rich Kuypers hit the ground running with a visit to this week’s Navistar LPGA Classic in Alabama.

The Alabama event is being played not far from Birmingham, where the home office of the Bruno Event Team, which will also manage the Waterloo event, is located.

“They’ve got a good template (for Waterloo),” said Kuypers, who served as manager of professional championships for Golf Canada and was assistant tournament director for the CN Canadian Women’s Open, this country’s other LPGA Tour event. Read more

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