Young Leads 17 From FUTURES Tour To LPGA Final

LAKELAND, Fla., October 7, 2005 -- Annie Thurman Young, a rookie from the 2005 FUTURES Golf Tour season, led the field in this week's LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournament as 17 FUTURES Tour players advanced into the final stage of LPGA Qualifying. Thurman finished at eight-under-par 280 to finish on top of the LPGA's second sectional qualifier and was the low-scoring FUTURES Tour member among the 30 players who advanced.

"My goal was to qualify, but I also wanted to win this tournament," said Young, 23, of Highland, Utah. "I've been playing well and this week, it all came together."

The 2005 Big 12 Player of the Year from Oklahoma State University cruised into today's final round with a six-shot lead. She carded rounds of 68-67-71 to post a 10-under-par 54-hole total of 206 -- a full six shots clear of FUTURES Tour member Kelly Lagedrost, who held second place alone at four-under 212. With early-morning rain today on an already saturated Bobcat Course at Plantation Golf & Country Club in Venice, Fla., players slogged around until the rain lifted for sunny skies. By day's end, Young had posted a two-over-par finish of 74, while left-handed Lagedrost carded an even-par 72 to close within four shots of the tournament's medalist.

"The difference for me today was that I only hit 10 greens and none of them were close," said Young, who played in the No. 1 position last spring on OSU's women's golf team. "I wasn't thinking about having a big lead. I was just trying to stick to my goals and hit fairways and greens and keep things simple."

Young credited improved putting for giving her game a boost in this week's 72-hole qualifier. She rolled in 24 putts in the first round, 28 in the second, 27 in the third and finally struggled a little more with 31 putts in today's final round.

"My short game has come a long way and right now, I'd have to call it my strength," she said.

Lagedrost, 26, a native of Brooksville, Fla., felt comfortable on this week's Bermuda grass greens. The former member of the LPGA Tour (2004) missed qualifying for the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament by one stroke at the California sectional tournament last month in Palm Springs.

"This week was solid and I played the way I want to play all the time," said Lagedrost, who tied as the medalist in the Florida LPGA sectional event two years ago. "I feel good on those two courses we play in Venice and I hope to take that with me to LPGA Q.School next month. At least I've done this before and I know what to expect and how to prepare."

Playing in her first season as a professional on the FUTURES Tour this summer, Young said she was able to draw on that experience during this week's qualifying event. In only two FUTURES Tour events, she learned quickly what was required to be competitive as a professional.

"Every shot matters out there," said Young, who tied for 15th in her best FUTURES Tour tournament in West Virginia this summer. "There are just so many good players out on the FUTURES Tour."

Young plans to play in the FUTURES Tour's 2006 Qualifying Tournament Nov. 8-11, in Lakeland, Fla., before moving on to the LPGA Final qualifier in Daytona Beach, Fla. If this year's medalist at the FUTURES Tour event has the same result as last year's co-medalist Paula Creamer, the 72-hole tuneup for LPGA qualifying could prove as a worthy exercise.

"It's always good to play tournament golf," said Young. "This week really didn't seem like a mental grind. I tried to stay patient and relaxed and take the attitude that if you move on, you move on."

And Young moved on among the top 30 players and ties who will advance into the LPGA Final Qualifying tournament in Daytona Beach, Nov. 30 through Dec. 4. The top 30 players from both the California and Florida LPGA Sectionals will move into the final stage of qualifying along with current LPGA Tour members attempting to improve their status. In addition, those players will be joined by the next 10 eligible players from the FUTURES Tour's 2005 Money List who didn't finish in the top five for an exempt LPGA Tour card.

Alongside Young, members of the FUTURES Golf Tour who advanced from the Florida sectional into the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament are as follows:

Second, Kelly Lagedrost, of Brooksville, Fla., 284 (-4); tie for fourth, Russamee Gulyanamitta of Rayong, Thailand and Libby Smith of Essex Junction, Vt., 286 (-2); sixth, Ji Min Jeong of Kyungki, Korea, 287 (-1); seventh, Kim Brozer of Red Deer, Alberta, 288 (even); ninth, Kristina Tucker of Stockholm, Sweden, 290 (+2); tie for 11th, Ashley Hoagland of Palmetto, Fla., Perry Swenson of Charlotte, N.C., Moah Chang of Los Angeles, Christi Cano of San Antonio, Texas, and Mollie Fankhauser of Columbus, Ohio, 291 (+3); tie for 19th, Fame More of Chesterfield, England and Meredith Duncan of Shreveport, La., 293 (+5); tie for 25th, Kim Augusta of Rumford, R.I., and Allison Fouch of Grand Rapids, Mich., 294 (+6); and tie for 27th, Jeanne Cho of Orlando, Fla., 295 (+7)

Contact: Lisa D. Mickey, FUTURES Golf Tour, 863-709-9100, Ext. 2 or lisa@futurestour.com.