Kim Grabs Big Lead at LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Dec. 2, 2006 -- Operating at the same level in which she performed last month when she won the Duramed FUTURES Tour's Qualifying Tournament, In-Kyung Kim has once again stepped up and taken the lead at Q-School -- this time at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament.

On "cut day," the amateur blistered the LPGA International Champions Course with a six-under-par 66 in the fourth round of the 90-hole event to take a six-shot lead at 14-under-par 274 into Sunday's final round. She leads Hye Jung Choi, a Duramed FUTURES Tour 2006 tournament winner, who carded a 68 (-4) and now occupies second place at eight-under-par 280.

Kim's round included 18 greens in regulation, seven birdies and one bogey that resulted from a 15-foot three-putt green. It was her lowest round of the year.

"It was really solid," said Kim, 18, who edged Paige Mackenzie by one shot in early November at the Duramed FUTURES Tour Qualifying Tournament. "I prepared for this tournament all summer and all year and I think I improved myself a lot."

The winner of the 2005 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship hit her irons stiff all day. Her longest birdie putt was 12 feet and the rest were around five feet. Kim played the FUTURES Q-School as a warm-up for this week's LPGA Final Qualifying and said she felt confident coming into the week.

"I'm really focusing on every shot, hole by hole," she said. "I know I can do this. I've been waiting to join the LPGA for two or three years."

So has Choi, who won the Duramed FUTURES Tour's event in Frisco, Texas this year and went on to record five top-10 finishes. A rookie non-exempt member of the LPGA Tour in 2006, Choi finished ninth on the FUTURES' season money list to automatically advance into this week's LPGA final stage for a chance to earn her full status for 2007.

"Last year, I didn't know how to play safely and I fired at every pin," said Choi, of Seoul, Korea, who recorded a bogey-free round today with four birdies and 27 putts. "This year, I know how to play it safe and how to hit greens and make putts. This is not about winning the tournament or making money. This is about finishing in the top 15 to get an LPGA Tour card."

A group of five players are tied at 282 (-6) after four rounds, including Duramed FUTURES Tour member Angela Park, who limped in with bogeys on her final three holes to card a two-over-par 74. Park is joined by LPGA veteran Carrie Wood (67) of Massachusetts, FUTURES alum and LPGA member Katherine Hull (69) of Australia, and two players who competed in the recent Duramed FUTURES Tour Q-School, Maru Martinez (70) of Venezuela and Mackenzie (72) of Yakima, Wash.

"It started raining and it got colder, but that's not an excuse for those three bogeys," said Park, 18, of Torrance, Calif., who joined the Tour in April, made 15 of 16 tournament cuts this season and recorded seven top-10 finishes. Like Choi, she earned a free pass into the LPGA's Final Q-School this week.

"Sure, my goal was to finish as medalist, but maybe just being in the top 15 is what my goal should be," said Park, who hit all but her last three greens in regulation today. "I don't think I have to do anything different tomorrow except maybe not think so much."

Duramed FUTURES Tour alum Clarissa Childs (73) of California, now a member of the LPGA Tour, is tied for eighth at 284 (-4), while two players from the 2006 season -- Irene Cho (73) of Fullerton, Calif., and Queenstown, Md., winner Ashley Hoagland (75) of Palmetto, Fla., a non-exempt LPGA Tour member, are tied for 10th at 285 (-3).

Other tournament winners from this season who made the cut were: Mollie Fankhauser (71) of Columbus, Ohio, at 292 (+4); Ashley Prange (75) of Noblesville, Ind., at 293 (+5); Ji Min Jeong (72) of Kyungki, Korea, at 294 (+6); and Ha-Na Chae (71) of Seoul, Korea, at 295 (+7). Allison Fouch (74) of Grand Rapids, Mich., who finished seventh on the Tour's 2006 money list, is at 292 (+4).

Of the week's starting field of 136 players, 75 players survived today's cut. A total of 37 current Duramed FUTURES Tour members made the cut of 295 (+7) and have advanced into Sunday's final round on the Legends Course at LPGA International.

Missing the cut by one shot at 296 (+8) were: Vikki Laing (68) of Musselburg, Scotland; Brandi Jackson (69) of Greenville, S.C.; Hwanhee Lee (71) of Las Vegas; Adrienne Gautreaux (73) of Mabank, Texas; Salimah Mussani (74) of Burlington, Ontario; and Samantha Head (75) of Bedford, England.

Making the cut by one shot at 295 (+7) was Duramed FUTURES Tour rookie Tina Miller of Miami, who carded a five-over-par 77 that included a timely hole-in-one on the third hole of the Legends Course. Miller hit a knock-down 7-iron on the 130-yard hole and watched it hit and spin back into the cup. It was her first ace on a par-three hole and the tournament's first hole-in-one. Miller earned her career first hole-in-one on a par-four hole as an amateur in a member-guest event when she cut a corner and rolled in a 3-wood shot from 210 yards.

"It's probably the best time for it to happen and if I ever needed a hole-in-one, this would be the week for it," said Miller. "This week, you have to be more mentally tough than anything. You're playing a lot of the same people you've played all season and you know this [LPGA Tour] is where you can play if you can just play well."

And that also is the hope of In-Kyung Kim, who says she kept her amateur status for a reason this week. Just as Paula Creamer did two years ago at this same event, Kim wants her rookie debut in 2007 to have special meaning.

"I don't want my first pro tournament to be LPGA Q-School," she said. "I want my first professional tournament to be an LPGA Tournament."

This week's five-round event has been staged on both the Champions and Legends courses at LPGA International, with players playing each course twice before Sunday's final round moves to the Legends Course.

Players advanced into the final stage from two LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournaments in Rancho Mirage, Calif., and Venice, Fla. The top-30 finishers and ties from each sectional advanced to the final stage and join 58 current LPGA Tour members who are trying to improve or retain their playing status for 2007. The field is completed by eligible players who finished sixth through 15th on the final 2006 Duramed Futures Tour money list. The top-five finishers on the Duramed Futures Tour money list automatically received their exempt card for 2007: Song-Hee Kim, Charlotte Mayorkas, In-Bee Park, Kristy McPherson and Meaghan Francella.

For more information, visit LPGA.com and www.duramedfuturestour.com.

Weather: Humid and warm with high temperatures around 75 degrees, turning cooler with temperatures in the high 60s with afternoon showers. Wind between 6-10 mph.

Contact: Lisa D. Mickey, Duramed FUTURES Tour, at lisa@duramedfuturestour.com.