A very interesting weak fielded event in Mexico, lots of rookies in it having a one time chance - here's what I found tempting:
1/5 1-5:
Cap K 400/1 SportsTAB
Downey 350/1 SportsTAB
Fankhauser 300/1 SportsTAB
Huarte S 350/1 SportsTAB
McPherson 300/1 SportsTAB
Retamoza 400/1 SportsTAB
1/4 1-5:
Kim Song Hee 200/1 WillHill
Seo Jae Lee 200/1 Paddypower
Tucker N 300/1 Gen.
A bit on the Downey pick:
Downey ready for LPGA debut
Sal Maiorana
Staff writer
There weren't many people, and that includes the most ardent of golf fans, who two months ago knew who Meaghan Francella was.
Spencerport's Danielle Downey knew exactly who the Port Chester native and fellow LPGA Tour rookie was, long before Francella won the LPGA's MasterCard Classic in Mexico in early March.
"We've played a lot of golf together, we're pretty much on the same level, so to see what she did, that's really inspiring to me and it shows me it can be done," said Downey, who will make her LPGA season debut later this week in the Corona Championship in Mexico.
Francella competed against Downey for years in New York State Golf Association events. Francella won back-to-back Girls' Amateur titles in 1997 and 1998, but she was unable to win the Women's Amateur because Downey won that in 1999, 2000 and 2001. "She used to kill me in the Amateur," Francella recalled.
Francella attended the University of North Carolina, Downey went to Auburn University, and the two New Yorkers were in the same field at numerous college tournaments.
Downey is anxious for their sparring to continue now that both have moved on to the LPGA Tour, though she has some serious work to do to make it a fair fight.
Thanks to finishing fifth on the Futures Tour money list in 2006, Francella was awarded exempt status this year on the LPGA Tour. She put that advantage to good use by stunning the golf world with her playoff victory over iconic Annika Sorenstam in Mexico in just her third start of the season.
Downey has nonexempt status and with the on-again, off-again early season LPGA schedule, she has not been able to get into a tournament until now.
Unless she can duplicate Francella's feat and earn a three-year exemption with a win, the rest of Downey's schedule will be hit or miss as well, though she's confident she will get into enough tournaments to have a chance to earn enough money to gain full playing privileges for 2008.
"I obviously know everyone will have had a head start, but when I go out there I'll be ready," said Downey, who is based in Tampa and has been working diligently on her game as she waits to make her season debut. "Every chance I have is an opportunity, so I'm not going to look at the tournaments I missed and cry about it."
In addition to practicing, Downey has played in a couple of Hooters Tour winter series events; and she placed second in the Florida Women's Open, two shots behind the winner with rounds of 74-67-71.
"I'm playing well, I'm ready to go and I want to play, but I have to be patient," said Downey, who tried to Monday-qualify at the Ginn Open in Orlando a couple weeks ago but struggled to an 81 in wet and cold conditions.
Downey had 10 top-10 finishes in 14 Futures Tour events last year, and in three LPGA starts she missed the cut each time. However, she believes that experience on the big stage will serve her well.
"The first two were horrible, which was understandable; it was a new environment and you have to get acclimated," she said of her 36-hole totals of 11-over and 15-over. "But at Corning I putted horrible and only missed the cut by two (she shot 75-71) and I really felt like I belonged out there. There's so many girls out there that I've competed with and beat, so I just want to prove that I belong."
Once the 26-year-old gets her chance, her longtime coach, Brook-Lea head pro Jon Hoecker, has no doubt she will.
"She's really good," Hoecker said.
"I watch her hit the ball, and just going out to the LPGA a few times myself, to me she's one of the better strikers of the ball. She's a beautiful swinger and has some distance; she can smoke it. Now it's getting comfortable out there, and that's hard to say, it may take a while, so we'll see."
Hoecker points out Downey has won three college tournaments and one Futures Tour event so "she's been under pressure situations with crowds following her. She'll be fine with that. From an ability standpoint, there's no question she should be out there."
Now, it's just a matter of getting out there.
Nonexempt status is a tricky thing, and the only way Downey can shed that label is to play well.
"As long as I keep working hard I'll be fine," said Downey, who was back in Rochester last week to sign a two-year sponsorship deal with Paychex, the same company that gave a young PGA Tour golfer named Jeff Sluman his first major deal more than two decades ago.
"I know if I make putts I can make money. My driver, I'm very confident with it. I hit a lot of fairways and I hit it far enough. But from 100 yards and in and my putting, if I can key in on that and get those things sharp, I don't see anything but being successful."
SMAIORAN@DemocratandChronicle.com
Danielle Downey
Age: 26.
College: Auburn University.
LPGA status: Non-exempt.
Noteworthy: Had 10 top-10 finishes in 14 Futures Tour events in 2006. ... Earned her LPGA Tour status by finishing 18th at the Qualifying School tournament. ... Won one Futures Tour event in 2004. ... In college she was a three-time winner including the 2000 Southeastern Conference championship. ... She won the New York State Women's Amateur three consecutive years (1999-2001), beating Webster native Sara Doell in the final one of the years. ... Just signed a two-year sponsorship deal with Paychex. The Paychex logo will be on her hat and her golf bag.
1/5 1-5:
Cap K 400/1 SportsTAB
Downey 350/1 SportsTAB
Fankhauser 300/1 SportsTAB
Huarte S 350/1 SportsTAB
McPherson 300/1 SportsTAB
Retamoza 400/1 SportsTAB
1/4 1-5:
Kim Song Hee 200/1 WillHill
Seo Jae Lee 200/1 Paddypower
Tucker N 300/1 Gen.
A bit on the Downey pick:
Downey ready for LPGA debut
Sal Maiorana
Staff writer
There weren't many people, and that includes the most ardent of golf fans, who two months ago knew who Meaghan Francella was.
Spencerport's Danielle Downey knew exactly who the Port Chester native and fellow LPGA Tour rookie was, long before Francella won the LPGA's MasterCard Classic in Mexico in early March.
"We've played a lot of golf together, we're pretty much on the same level, so to see what she did, that's really inspiring to me and it shows me it can be done," said Downey, who will make her LPGA season debut later this week in the Corona Championship in Mexico.
Francella competed against Downey for years in New York State Golf Association events. Francella won back-to-back Girls' Amateur titles in 1997 and 1998, but she was unable to win the Women's Amateur because Downey won that in 1999, 2000 and 2001. "She used to kill me in the Amateur," Francella recalled.
Francella attended the University of North Carolina, Downey went to Auburn University, and the two New Yorkers were in the same field at numerous college tournaments.
Downey is anxious for their sparring to continue now that both have moved on to the LPGA Tour, though she has some serious work to do to make it a fair fight.
Thanks to finishing fifth on the Futures Tour money list in 2006, Francella was awarded exempt status this year on the LPGA Tour. She put that advantage to good use by stunning the golf world with her playoff victory over iconic Annika Sorenstam in Mexico in just her third start of the season.
Downey has nonexempt status and with the on-again, off-again early season LPGA schedule, she has not been able to get into a tournament until now.
Unless she can duplicate Francella's feat and earn a three-year exemption with a win, the rest of Downey's schedule will be hit or miss as well, though she's confident she will get into enough tournaments to have a chance to earn enough money to gain full playing privileges for 2008.
"I obviously know everyone will have had a head start, but when I go out there I'll be ready," said Downey, who is based in Tampa and has been working diligently on her game as she waits to make her season debut. "Every chance I have is an opportunity, so I'm not going to look at the tournaments I missed and cry about it."
In addition to practicing, Downey has played in a couple of Hooters Tour winter series events; and she placed second in the Florida Women's Open, two shots behind the winner with rounds of 74-67-71.
"I'm playing well, I'm ready to go and I want to play, but I have to be patient," said Downey, who tried to Monday-qualify at the Ginn Open in Orlando a couple weeks ago but struggled to an 81 in wet and cold conditions.
Downey had 10 top-10 finishes in 14 Futures Tour events last year, and in three LPGA starts she missed the cut each time. However, she believes that experience on the big stage will serve her well.
"The first two were horrible, which was understandable; it was a new environment and you have to get acclimated," she said of her 36-hole totals of 11-over and 15-over. "But at Corning I putted horrible and only missed the cut by two (she shot 75-71) and I really felt like I belonged out there. There's so many girls out there that I've competed with and beat, so I just want to prove that I belong."
Once the 26-year-old gets her chance, her longtime coach, Brook-Lea head pro Jon Hoecker, has no doubt she will.
"She's really good," Hoecker said.
"I watch her hit the ball, and just going out to the LPGA a few times myself, to me she's one of the better strikers of the ball. She's a beautiful swinger and has some distance; she can smoke it. Now it's getting comfortable out there, and that's hard to say, it may take a while, so we'll see."
Hoecker points out Downey has won three college tournaments and one Futures Tour event so "she's been under pressure situations with crowds following her. She'll be fine with that. From an ability standpoint, there's no question she should be out there."
Now, it's just a matter of getting out there.
Nonexempt status is a tricky thing, and the only way Downey can shed that label is to play well.
"As long as I keep working hard I'll be fine," said Downey, who was back in Rochester last week to sign a two-year sponsorship deal with Paychex, the same company that gave a young PGA Tour golfer named Jeff Sluman his first major deal more than two decades ago.
"I know if I make putts I can make money. My driver, I'm very confident with it. I hit a lot of fairways and I hit it far enough. But from 100 yards and in and my putting, if I can key in on that and get those things sharp, I don't see anything but being successful."
SMAIORAN@DemocratandChronicle.com
Danielle Downey
Age: 26.
College: Auburn University.
LPGA status: Non-exempt.
Noteworthy: Had 10 top-10 finishes in 14 Futures Tour events in 2006. ... Earned her LPGA Tour status by finishing 18th at the Qualifying School tournament. ... Won one Futures Tour event in 2004. ... In college she was a three-time winner including the 2000 Southeastern Conference championship. ... She won the New York State Women's Amateur three consecutive years (1999-2001), beating Webster native Sara Doell in the final one of the years. ... Just signed a two-year sponsorship deal with Paychex. The Paychex logo will be on her hat and her golf bag.
