Palm Springs/ Colorado

Palm Springs

Location: Rancho Mirage, Ca  

Course: Mission Hills 

LPGA Q School- Stage 1 Tournament Recap 

Palm Springs isn't a typical summer destination-- its scorching hot 110 degree desert temperatures tend to keep people away. But for anyone trying to play on the LPGA, Palm Springs is a must. In order to get an LPGA tour card one must play in a series of three tournaments, commonly referred to as "Q-school." The first stage of Q-school is held at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, and the top 90 if the field advance to stage two. After four rounds, I shot a total of -4 finishing tied for 25th. 

It was a solid week and I was pleased with my process. I got off to a bit of a tough start, as I wasn't hitting the ball great and missed a lot of greens. But with a couple clutch up and downs, I managed to hang in there with a 1 over par 73. I followed that up with two bogey free rounds of 68 and 70, and at -5 for the tournament, I was in a great spot going into the final round. I ended up shooting one over for my final round, and at then end of the day that got the job done.

As you may or may not know, last year I did not make it through stage one, which was devastating. I put in a lot of work over the past year and it feels really great to see it pay off. I will be headed to Venice, Florida for stage two in October to continue the journey of getting my tour card! 

During the practice round I got to play with my fellow European Tour mate, Maha, from Morocco and her coach Patrica. Patrica was a former player on the LPGA and LET and won the ANA at Mission Hills in 2003! She now works for the French Golf Federation and helped coach the Sohliem Cup. It was really fun to spend the day with such an accomplished player and major winner. 

Me and my travel buddy Sky who also advanced to stage 2!

Thanks to my dad for being on the bag all week! 

Colorado

Location:  Denver, CO

Course: Green Valley Ranch Golf Club

Colorado Open Tournament Recap  

This was my second trip of the year to Colorado, and it was another great one, filled with nice weather, beautiful scenery, and some good golf. This was my first time playing in the Colorado Open at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club and it was a wonderful event! I opened with a 6-under 66, followed by a 68, which put me in a tie for the lead going into the final round. I got off to a good start for my final round and was 2 under through 7, but a couple bad breaks and poor swings compounded together in the middle of my round, leading to a closing round of 4 over. It was unfortunate that I didn't get the win, but it was great to have the experience of going into the final day with the lead. I know I will be in the position again and am more prepared now for future opportunities. For the full tournament results click here. 

 

Farm and Friends 

Not only did I have a good tournament, but I got to to stay and spend time with my great friends, the Nygrens! They have a beautiful home and farm and I had the best time hanging with their chickens, their sweet pup birdie, picking fresh fruits and veggies from their garden, and running through their fields of trees and flowers. 

This tournament is extra memorable because a couple of my friends from Davis came to watch me play! They are road tripping across the country and happened to be in Denver, so they stopped by the course. It was so fun having them there and catching up with them about their travels across the states. I love getting to see friends all around the country during my travels and am so grateful for friends that support me. 

Me and my caddy Brenden. 

Lots of Love, 

Dre 

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