Canuck Female Makes History, Earns Canadian Card
Isabelle (Izzy) Beisiegel has made history
by winning her card to play on the men’s Canadian Tour. The former LPGA Tour player from St.
Hillaire, Que., tied for ninth at the developmental
circuit’s Spring Qualifying School Friday
in Parksville, B.C.
She earned conditional status and
membership on the Tour for the rest
of 2011, and should be able to get into
most, if not all, of the tournaments. The
32-year-old Beisiegel is believed to be
the first woman to qualify for a major
men’s professional golf tour.
“I am so excited,” Beisiegel said in a telephone
interview. “I just can’t wait to play my first event.
I’ve been dreaming of that day for a long time. So
it’s really neat.”
The Tour kicks off its domestic schedule this
week in Victoria, B.C. Beisiegel won’t be able to
play because she’s entered in a U.S. Women’s Open
qualifier in California but said there’s a chance she
could play the following week in Kamloops, B.C.
Beisiegel had made two previous attempts to
gain her Canadian Tour card. She has also entered
the PGA Tour’s counterpart a few times, including in
2004 in a first for a woman, and has tried qualifying
for the men’s U.S. Open. She had failed all – until
last week at the Morningstar Golf Club in Parksville.
She shot herself into contention in the third
round by posting a 4-under-par 68, playing from
the same tees as her 38 male competitors on a
Isabelle Beisiegel
7,000-yard course that was soaked by rain all
week and chilled by cold temperatures. She described the round as the best of her career.
She held her ninth position in the final round
to make history. She finished at 8-over 296, eight
shots behind medalist Andrew Kelly of Australia.
Phil Telliard of the United States was second and
South African Jason Scrivener was third. The top
Canadian was rookie pro Riley Wheeldon, who tied
for fourth place.
“It’s great for her, it’s great for the Tour,” said
Reegan Price, the circuit’s director of business
and tournament affairs. He added that the other
players have embraced her and he doesn’t expect
there to be any backlash.
to read more.
Jeff Brooke
URIBE BRASIL CUP CHAMPION
Mariajo Uribe of Columbia came from behind
with a final-round 66 to win the HSBC LPGA Brasil
Cup on Sunday at Itanhanga Golf Club in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil.
Uribe won the 36-hole invitational, which had a
field of 30 players, with a total of 135, 9-under par.
She won the title by one shot over Lindsey Wright
of Australia, who shot 4-under 68 each of the tournament rounds to post 8-under 136.
Uribe, who played collegiately at UCLA and won
the 2007 U.S. Women’s Amateur, is in her second
full year on the LPGA Tour and has not yet won an
official event. The HSBC is an unofficial event in its
third year. Uribe finished second last year.
LOVE QUALIFIES FOR BRITISH OPEN
Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III was among
eight players who qualified for the British Open
last Monday, giving him a spot in all four majors
for the first time since 2007.
England’s Brian Davis was the medalist at Gle-neagles Country Club in Plano, Tex., with a 6-under
64, while Chad Campbell finished one shot behind.
The 36-hole qualifier was reduced to 18 holes because of heavy rain that caused a six-hour delay.
Spaniard Sergio Garcia, 31, withdrew because
of an infected fingernail.
to read more.
KOKRAK COLLECTS 2ND ETOUR WIN
Jason Kokrak, the eGolf Tour’s leading money
winner in 2010, carded a final-round 67 at the
tour’s $250,000 Donald Ross Championship on
Saturday to collect his second win of the 2011
season and further cement his position as one of
developmental tour golf’s best young players.
The Donald Ross Championship was the sev-
enth event of the 2011 eGolf Professional Tour
season and was contested last week at both Pine
Needles Resort & Lodge and Southern Pines Golf
Club in Southern Pines, N.C. A full field of 216
players began the week, all competing for a share
of the $250,000 purse.
HUGO CLAIMS SUNSHINE TITLE
Jean Hugo had to ward off complacency in the
final nine holes on Saturday of the Vodacom Origins of Golf tournament at Pretoria Country Club
as he cruised to a three-stroke victory.
His opening nine all but won him the R540,000
tournament as he made two eagles and two birdies
to turn in 6-under-par 30. He took a five-stroke lead
into the incoming nine and wound up defeating Adil-son Da Silva and George Coetzee by three strokes
with his 11-under-par total of 205.
to read more.
SWEDE ROOKIE WINS SLOVAK OPEN
Swedish rookie Caroline Hedwall secured her
first Ladies European Tour title at the Allianz Ladies Slovak Open on Sunday. The 22-year-old from
Barsebäck totaled 11-under-par 205 in the event,
which was shortened to 54 holes by storms.
The former NCAA champion finished two strokes
ahead of Christel Boeljon from the Netherlands,
who shot a career-low, 8-under-par 64. English
rookie Rachel Jennings finished in third on 7-under
par.
to read more.
