Four B.C. Golfers Among 10 Canadians Teeing Up In Symetra Tour Opener
Kelowna's Megan Osland Is One Of Ten Canadians Including Four From British Columbia Teeing It Up In The Symetra Tour's Season Opener In California - Image Courtesy KelownaNow
Tyler Costigan/ Golf Canada
BEAUMONT, Calif. – Ten Canadians are set to kick-off the Symetra Tour’s 2016 season this Friday with the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa.
Headlining the Canucks is Young Pro Squad member Augusta James of Bath, Ont., who was the top-ranked Canadian on last year’s Volvik Race to the Card money list at No. 12 ($53,077). Fellow Young Pro Squad member Sue Kim of Langley, B.C. will be chasing her third Symetra Tour title—she won last year’s Florida’s Natural Charity Classic by three strokes.
The 54-hole event consists of 106 professionals and two amateurs competing for a purse of $100,000. At the end of the 23-event season, the Top-10 athletes on the final money list will earn LPGA Tour membership for 2017.
Many Team Canada graduates will look to make their mark on the new season, including: Sara-Maude Juneau (Fossambault, Que.), Jennifer Kirby (Paris, Ont.), Rebecca Lee-Bentham (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.), Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Québec, Que.) and Jessica Wallace (Langley, B.C.). Also in the field are two players from Kelowna, B.C., Megan Osland and Samantha Richdale.
The action will begin at 7:15 a.m. (PST) on Friday and will return to the Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon. In the 2015 event, American Katie Kempter rallied with birdies on her final three holes to capture her first professional victory.
Friday’s tee-times of all Canadians in the field are listed below (B.C. Players in Bold):
7:48 a.m (Tee #1). – Anne-Catherine Tanguay
7:59 a.m. (Tee #10) – Sue Kim
8:10 a.m. (Tee #10) – Sara-Maude Juneau
8:32 a.m. (Tee #1) – Jennifer Kirby
11:30 a.m. (Tee #10) – Megan Osland
11:52 a.m. (Tee #10) – Rebecca Lee-Bentham
12:14 p.m. (Tee #10) – Augusta James
12:36 p.m. (Tee #1) – Samantha Richdale
12:36 p.m. (Tee #10) – Jessica Wallace
12:58 p.m. (Tee #10) – Brittany Marchand
Click here for live scoring.