WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Brittany Marchand was a model of consistency on Saturday, carding her second straight 70 (-2) to hold a share of 3rd place at Florida’s Natural Charity Classic.

Marchand, 25, tallied three birdies at the Country Club of Winter Haven against one bogey on the par-3 6th to sit at 4 under in the 54-hole event, one stroke off the lead. The Orangeville, Ont., native will look to collect her second career Symetra title on Sunday—she’ll tee it up at 1:10 p.m.

Not far off is fellow countrywoman Samantha Richdale, who trails Marchand by one stroke at 3 under par (70-71). The Kelowna, B.C., product is chasing her second trophy at Florida’s Natural Charity Classic—she took home the 2016 title with a thrilling come-from-behind victory.

In total, 60 individuals made the cut of 5-over par and six countries are represented in the top-10. Final round play begins at 8:30 a.m. with players going off No. 1 tee in twosomes.

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WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — The Canadian duo of Samantha Richdale and Brittany Marchand opened the Symetra Tour season on a high note, posting 2-under-par 70s on Friday to sit three strokes off the lead at Florida’s Natural Charity Classic.

Richdale, the 2016 champion at this event, will take to the Country Club of Winter Haven in Saturday’s second round at 9:32 a.m. local time. The Kelowna, B.C., product is paired with Emily Penttilä and Nicole Sakamoto.

LPGA Tour rookie Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., tees off at 1:39 p.m. in chase of her second Symetra Tour win. The Team Canada Young Pro Squad member captured the 2017 PHC Classic.

The pair are trailing leaders Louise Ridderström (Stocksund, Sweden) and Hyemin Kim (Seoul, Republic of Korea), who are tied at 5 under par.

Fellow Canadians Elizabeth Tong (Thornhill, Ont.) and Augusta James (Bath, Ont.) sit inside the cut line at even par and 2 over, respectively.

Second round action gets underway at 8:15 a.m. with players going off both No. 1 and No. 10 tees. Following the completion of round two, a cut will be made to the low 60 players and ties.

Click here for full scoring.

The Symetra Tour is set to make a tournament stop in 2018 at a member course of the TPC Network operated by the PGA TOUR, as TPC River’s Bend will host the Prasco Charity Championship from Friday, June 29 through Sunday, July 1.

Playing an event at a course owned and operated by the PGA TOUR will be a first in the history of women’s professional golf.

“Competing at a PGA TOUR venue is an important step in the growth of women’s golf and demonstrates how our relationship with the PGA TOUR continues to pay dividends for our members,” said LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan. “As our players continue to prepare for the LPGA Tour, we are thrilled that they will have the opportunity to compete at TPC River’s Bend, an outstanding championship golf course.”

Designed by Arnold Palmer, TPC River’s Bend opened in 2001 as a Golf Digest “Top 10 Best New Private Courses in the U.S.” and has been consistently recognized by the publication as one of Ohio’s “Best Courses in State” from 2005 to 2011, as well as 2015 and 2016. The course’s par-72 layout overlooks the historic Little Miami River, 25 miles northeast of Cincinnati. Complementing the golf course is an expansive TOUR-caliber, 12-acre practice facility featuring multiple chipping and putting areas.

TPC River’s Bend has been the site of several professional tournaments, including the PGA TOUR Champions Kroger Classic between 2002 and 2004, and the Chiquita Classic on the Web.com Tour from 2010 to 2012.

“The PGA TOUR is excited to welcome the LPGA’s Symetra Tour to TPC River’s Bend in 2018,” said PGA TOUR Chief Operating Officer Ron Price. “Everyone involved in this partnership is committed to helping grow the game. Having the LPGA compete at a TPC is a testament to that and the growing collaboration between our two organizations.”

In addition to hosting professional events, TPC River’s Bend was home to the 2017 Big Ten Women’s Golf Championships and will be again in 2018.

“I am super excited to hear we will be playing in southern Ohio where there is so much passion for golf, and especially women’s athletics,” said Dayton native and current Symetra Tour player Emma Jandel, also a former two-time Second-Team All-Big Ten selection for Ohio State University (2008, 2010). “The community will be extremely supportive and welcoming of the new event. Personally, I just can’t wait to play what is a sort of ‘home game’ for me.”

The event’s title sponsor—Prasco Laboratories—is also looking forward to having the Symetra Tour make a stop in southwest Ohio.

“Partnering with the Symetra Tour is a strategic fit for Prasco, as our values align closely with the Tour’s commitment to give back to local communities,” said Chris Arington, Prasco’s CEO. “We are pleased to bring women’s professional golf back to the Cincinnati area.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Three new tournaments highlight the release of the preliminary 2018 Symetra Tour schedule that will feature at least 22 tournaments and a minimum of $3 million in prize money for the third straight year. Other events are being pursued and may still be added before the start of the season.

The schedule will start with the inaugural SGIC Kickoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla., at Feather Sound Country Club from March 9-11, one of three new tournaments for 2018. May 24-26 will see the first playing of the Valley Forge Invitational at Raven’s Claw Golf Club in Montgomery County, Penn., a suburb of Philadelphia. The third new event that has been secured will be announced at a later date.

“We are very excited to once again be adding new tournaments to the Symetra Tour schedule,” said Mike Nichols, Chief Business Officer for the Symetra Tour. “It shows that the interest in women’s professional golf continues to grow, allowing us to bring the Tour to new cities.”

In addition to three new tournaments, the Insurance Office of America (IOA) will expand their title sponsor portfolio from two events to three. The IOA Championship stays in Beaumont, Calif., April 6-8. The new addition will be May 4-6 for the IOA Invitational at the Atlanta National Golf Club in Milton, Ga., a past Symetra Tour venue. The final event of the trio is the IOA Classic in Longwood, Fla., set for September 28-30.

Another unique aspect to the Symetra Tour schedule—the Potawatomi Cup—is back for a fifth straight year in 2018. The seventh annual Four Winds Invitational from June 8-10 is the first of four Symetra Tour events on the schedule sponsored by Potawatomi nation tribes. The other three are the Island Resort Championship (June 22-24) in Harris, Mich., the PHC Classic (August 10-12) in Milwaukee, Wis., and the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship (August 17-19) in Battle Creek, Mich. A $40,000 unofficial money purse is available to players based on a points system for the four events.

“Our partnerships with both IOA and the Potawatomi nation tribes are the backbone of the Symetra Tour schedule, now representing a total of seven events,” Nichols said. “Year in and year out, they continue to exceed expectations, and the players love the atmosphere each creates at their events.”

The Country Club of Winter Haven will host the 10th annual Florida’s Natural Charity Classic in week two of the season from March 16-18. Another staple to the tour schedule—the Symetra Classic—returns to the Charlotte, N.C. area with a Saturday finish (May 17-19).

Several other tournaments that return on the Symetra Tour schedule include: Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic in Greenwood, S.C. (Links at Stoney Point, May 10-13); Decatur-Forsyth Classic in Decatur, Ill. (Hickory Point Golf Course, June 15-17); a Saturday finish in Indiana at the French Lick Resort (July 12-14); Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic in Rochester, N.Y. (Brook Lea Country Club, July 19-22); Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY (Capital Hills at Albany, July 27-29); Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Willow Run Golf Club, Aug. 30-Sept. 2); Garden City Charity Classic in Garden City, Kan. (Buffalo Dunes Golf Club, Sept. 7-9); and the Guardian Championship in Prattville, Ala. (Capitol Hill Golf Club, Sept. 21-23).

“The 2018 schedule offers plenty of challenging venues, both new and familiar,” said Nichols. “Every year our goal remains the same — provide the best qualifying tour in the world for rising female stars to sharpen their skills and ready themselves for the LPGA Tour.”

The season will conclude with the Symetra Tour Championship at LPGA International in Daytona Beach from October 4-7 and features the largest purse of the year on Tour at $225,000. In total, the Symetra Tour will visit 16 different states throughout the 2018 season. Florida once again leads with four tournaments, while Michigan and Indiana each check in with two.

Every year since 2008, the top 10 players on the Symetra Tour official season money list are awarded LPGA Tour membership. In 2017, three players topped the $100,000 plateau for the first time in Symetra Tour history. Benyapa Niphatsophon was the head of the class earning $124,492 without a victory, a testament to her consistency. Hannah Green ($113,880) and Celine Boutier ($112,044) followed closely behind Niphatsophon.

In addition, the 2017 season was a great one for 2016 Symetra Tour graduates. Madelene Sagstrom, the first player in Symetra Tour history to earn greater than $100,000 when she set the standard with $167,064 earned in 2016, was selected by Team Europe captain Annika Sorenstam to compete in the 2017 Solheim Cup. Eight of the 10 rookies finished inside the top 110 on the LPGA Tour official season money list, and five of the graduates (ranked in the top 70) are competing in the CME Group Tour Championship.

Canada’s Elizabeth Tong of Thornhill, Ont., was the lone Canadian to advance from the Stage II of LPGA Qualifying School at the Plantation Golf & Country Club in Venica, Fla.

From the brink, to the wrong side, Elizabeth Tong (Thornhill, Canada) entered the final round in a tie for 85th, knowing she had to improve her standing if she wanted to finish inside the top 80 to advance to Stage III.

“I fixed something on the range, which really helped so I could hit the ball straight,” Tong said. “I was like, ‘Don’t be scared to be aggressive because once you do that, you’re going to start making bogeys.’  That was the plan.”

Tong shot a 3-under on Sunday to finish 4-over for Stage II. That was good enough to finish tied for 55th.

“It’s actually my first time at Stage III,” said Tong. “That’s exciting in itself. I’ve played both of those courses before, so it won’t be totally foreign.”

The top 80 and ties from Stage II advanced to Stage III. All in all, 82 individuals fired plus-7 or better to advance to the final stage from Nov. 27 – Dec. 3 in Daytona Beach, including Yadloczky, Sepmoree, and Tong.

Players that did not finish in the top 80 will still have Symetra Tour membership for the 2018 season, including Canadians Megan Osland (Kelowna, B.C.), Christina Foster (Toronto), Brogan McKinnon (Mississauga, Ont.) and Anna Young (Saskatoon, Sask.).

Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City has earned her LPGA Tour card for the 2018 season following the Symetra Tour Championship on Sunday at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.

The 26-year-old Oklahoma State graduate is among the top-10 Symetra Tour athletes to finish atop the season-long money list, the Volvik Race to the Card:

1. Benyapa Niphatsophon $124,492
2. Hannah Green $113,880
3. Celine Boutier $112,044
4. Nanna Koerstz Madsen $93,115
5. Yu Liu $86,110
6. Erynne Lee $80,780
7. Lindsey Weaver $76,755
8. Anne-Catherine Tanguay $76,663
9. Emma Talley $76,556
10. Katelyn Dambaugh $63,023

Tanguay is set to join the current Canadian contingent on the LPGA Tour: Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.), Alena Sharp (Hamilton, Ont.), Maude-Aimee LeBlanc (Sherbrooke, Que.), and Jennifer Ha (Calgary).

Tanguay started the year red hot with six straight top 15 finishes including a tie for second at the IOA Championship and a third-place finish at the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club. She had her breakthrough moment in September when she won the Garden City Charity Classic. She played her college golf at Oklahoma and totaled 15 top 10 finishes and 26 top 20’s. She got engaged to her now-fiancé midway through the 2017 season.

“It’s been my dream, and when you work your whole life to get there it’s such a big accomplishment. Words are hard to explain what I’m feeling, and I think it’s hitting me today. It’s just awesome, it’s such a good Tour, and the level and recognition all over the world. I’m really excited to start traveling the world next year.”

When you see mom after realizing the @LPGA dream! @ACTanguay looking safe for a spot on the big tour!! pic.twitter.com/TELkungtQk

— Symetra Tour (@ROAD2LPGA) October 9, 2017

The next 15 players on the season-ending money list will be exempt from Stage II of LPGA Qualifying School, excluding those with LPGA status already. Fellow Canadian Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont. joins those who punched their tickets directly to Stage III which will be on Nov. 27-Dec. 3 at LPGA International. Marchand came in at No. 25 after a season that was highlighted by a win at PHC Classic.

Rachel Rohanna (-10) remains the leader through two rounds of the Symetra Tour Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla. Second round play was suspended on Saturday evening at 6:47 p.m., with 21 groups left to complete play on Sunday.

Round-one leader Yu Liu, finished her second round on a high note with a birdie on 18 on Sunday to play her way into Monday’s final group at 8-under par.

When Liu completed her second round, which spanned the course of two days, she was beaming when she heard the final round wouldn’t be starting until Monday.

“It was a very hot round out there today, so I kind of lost my concentration towards the end,” Liu said. “It’s definitely great for me to have some time off and recharge to get ready for tomorrow.”

Liu is No. 8 on the Volvik Race for the Card and is looking forward to putting in a good round on Monday to secure her LPGA Tour card. “I’m very excited to be where I am right now heading into the final round of the final tournament of the season,” Liu said.

No. 1 on the Volvik Race for the Card Benyapa Niphatsophon rocketed up the leaderboard on Sunday as she turned in a bogey-free 6-under par 66. She is one of five players to have locked in their 2018 LPGA Tour cards.

Emma Talley entered the Symetra Tour Championship on the bubble at No. 10 on the Volvik Race for the Card, and has put herself in a great spot heading into the final round at 7-under par in fourth place.

“I’m playing really well right now, hitting my irons really well and giving myself a lot of birdie opportunities,” Talley said. “I had a lot of lip outs, so it feels good coming off the round feeling like I could’ve played better, but I’m still near the top of the leaderboard.”

Talley, the 2013 U.S Women’s Amateur Champion and 2015 NCAA Golf Individual Champion, won her first Symetra tournament earlier this season and is ready to lock in her LPGA card.

“I’m excited. I’m glad to have given myself this opportunity,” Talley said. “Hopefully tomorrow I can play well and get my card, but I’ve got 18 more holes, so it’s not over till the fat lady sings.”

The third and final round of the Symetra Tour Championship will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 9, with the leaders teeing off at 10:20 a.m.

The final five holes of the Symetra Tour Championship will be broadcast on Facebook Live hosted by Amy Rogers and Gail Graham with interviews by Baily Mosier on www.facebook.com/LPGA.

Volvik Race for the Card Update

The top 10 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list at the conclusion of the Symetra Tour Championship will earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2018 season. There are five players – No. 1 Benyapa Niphatsophon, No. 2 Celine Boutier, No. 3 Hannah Green, No. 4 Nanna Koerstz Madsen, No. 5 Erynne Lee – who have already secured their Tour cards. There are five spots up for grabs.

Here’s how the top 15 players in the Volvik Race for the Card sit heading into the final round of the tournament (place, score).

1. Benyapa Niphatsophon (T2, -8)
2. Celine Boutier (T8, -3)
3. Hannah Green (T17, -1)
4. Nanna Koerstz Madsen (T17, -1)
5. Erynne Lee (T17, -1)
6. Lindsey Weaver (T33, +1)
7. Anne-Catherine Tanguay (T23, E)
8. Yu Liu (T2, -8)
9. Katelyn Dambaugh (T72, +5)
10. Emma Talley (4, -7)
11. Daniele Darquea (T62, +4)
12. Sophia Popov (T23, E)
13. Kendall Dye (5, -6)
14. Paola Moreno (T8, -3)
15. Elizabeth Szokol (T72, +5)

If the tournament ended after the second round there would be no changes among the top ten players in the Volvik Race for the Card, though a few players would swap positions:

1. Benyapa Niphatsophon
2. Hannah Green
3. Celine Boutier
4. Erynne Lee
5. Nanna Koerstz Madsen
6. Yu Liu
7. Lindsey Weaver
8. Anne-Catherine Tanguay
9. Emma Talley
10. Katelyn Dambaugh

Rachel Rohanna is the clubhouse leader midway through the second round of the Symetra Tour Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla. Second round play was suspended due to darkness at 6:47 p.m. with 21 groups left on the course.

Rohanna shot a 65 in the second round to take a three-shot lead over Emma Talley and Kendall Dye, who followed up an opening-round 70 with a second-round 68. Talley only completed four holes in her second round before play was called.

Rohanna was six under on the front nine in the second round, including an eagle on the par-5 ninth. Similar to her first round, she was extremely accurate off the tee and was error-free around the greens.

“I was hitting the ball really well,” said Rohanna. “I was just trying to smile. We played 30 holes today, so you get a little bit tired out there.”

The players in the morning wave completed their first rounds and then went back out on the course to begin the second round.

“I think it’s harder whenever you’re on and off the course, kind of how the morning wave had to do it the first day,” she added. “Luckily for me I kind of was able to watch the forecast and get the updates at home, know I can stay in my pajamas or go to Starbucks for a little bit.”

Yu Liu, the first-round leader, joined three players at 5-under par.

The Symetra Tour Championship was shortened to a 54-hole event after the lingering effects of Hurricane Irma and 6-1/2 inches of additional rain rendered the course unplayable until Friday afternoon.

Second round play will resume Sunday at 10:00 a.m.

Volvik Race for the Card Update:

The top 10 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list at the conclusion of the Symetra Tour Championship will earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2018 season.

Liu (8), Talley (10), Boutier (2), and Benyapa Niphatsophon (1) each finished the opening round in the top 10 on the leaderboard for the Symetra Tour Championship. Lindsay Weaver (6) Katelyn Dambaugh (9) were the only top 10 players projected to miss the cut after the first round.

Round one of the Symetra Tour Championship resumed Friday at 2 p.m. in Daytona Beach, Fla., and was suspended at 6:46 p.m. due to darkness. The morning wave finished first-round play on Friday, with the afternoon groups still to complete the first round. No. 8 on the Volvik Race for the Card Yu Liu had a stretch of five birdies from holes 15-1 and holds the unofficial lead on Friday at 5-under par.

“Since this is our last tournament of the season, and I haven’t secured my card yet, I’m really excited and pumped to go. I think anything can happen,” Liu said on Friday evening.

The first-round of the Symetra Tour Championship will resume on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 9:00 a.m.

The Symetra Tour Championship has been shortened to a 54-hole tournament with a Monday finish due to significant rain and saturated course conditions at LPGA International.

While still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Irma, LPGA International received 2 1/2 inches of rain on Thursday, to total more than 6 1/2 inches of rain in the past week. Rain is also forecasted for the Daytona Beach area through the weekend and into early next week.

“Our staff is working tirelessly alongside the LPGA International crew to make the course playable,” said Mike Nichols, Chief Business Officer of the Symetra Tour. “We want to ensure we have a fair, competitive tournament to determine our final champion of the year, as well as the 10 players who graduate to the LPGA next season.”

The cut will be made after 36 holes with the top 60 players and ties advancing to the final round. The final two hours of play will be broadcast on Facebook Live, with specific timing to be announced.

OF NOTE:

The top 10 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list at the conclusion of the Symetra Tour Championship will earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2018 season. The top 23 on the current money list have a mathematical chance to earn their LPGA card this week. There are five players – No. 1 Benyapa Niphatsophon, No. 2 Celine Boutier, No. 3 Hannah Green, No. 4 Nanna Koerstz Madsen, No. 5 Erynne Lee – who have already secured their Tour cards. There are five spots up for grabs.

Six of the current top 10 players in the Volvik Race for the Card sit inside the top-6 on the leaderboard at the end of play on Friday, including the top three players.

The Symetra Tour Championship has been shortened to a 54-hole tournament due to significant rain and saturated course conditions at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla. The tournament, which has been suspended since one hour and 55 minutes into first-round play, is now scheduled to finish on Monday, Oct. 9.

The first round started on time at 8 a.m. on Thursday. Weather intensified around 9:30 a.m. and play was suspended at 9:55 a.m. While still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Irma, LPGA International received 2 1/2 inches of rain on Thursday, to total more than 6 1/2 inches of rain in the past week. Rain is also forecasted for the Daytona Beach area through the weekend and into early next week.

“Our staff is working tirelessly alongside the LPGA International crew to make the course playable,” said Mike Nichols, Chief Business Officer of the Symetra Tour. “We want to ensure we have a fair, competitive tournament to determine our final champion of the year, as well as the 10 players who graduate to the LPGA next season.”

Round one is currently scheduled to resume Friday at 2 p.m. local time. The starting times for the groups in the original second wave of round one will now begin no earlier than 4:45 p.m., with the last time being 6:13 p.m. Second-round starting times will be on Saturday and published later today. 

The cut will be made after 36 holes with the top 60 players and ties advancing to the final round. The final two hours of play will be broadcast on Facebook Live, with specific timing to be announced at a later time.