Tag: Garden City Charity Classic

Gabriela Ruffels sets new 36-hole Epson Tour scoring record at Garden City Charity Classic

Ruffels’ mark of 18 under is three shots better than any other golfer in Epson Tour history after the first two rounds.

No golfer in Epson Tour history has started a tournament better through 36 holes than Gabriela Ruffels.

The 23-year-old Australian sits at 18-under 126 after the second round of the Garden City Charity Classic at Buffalo Dunes in Garden City, Kansas. Ruffels’ mark of 18 under is three shots better than any other golfer in Epson Tour history after the first two rounds, and it’s the lowest gross score by one shot.

Five golfers in Epson Tour history have shot 15 under after 36 holes, the latest being Daniela Iacobelli in the 2021 Symetra Tour Championship at LPGA International. Sue Ginter-Brooker in 2002 shot 127 after two rounds at the 2002 Hewlett Packard Garden State Futures Summer Classic at Knob Hill Golf Club in Manalapan, New Jersey.

With the final round coming Sunday, Ruffels has a chance to top the 54-hole scoring record of 19 under, which Fernanda Lira accomplished at the 2021 FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship at Battle Creek Country Club in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Ruffels shot 10-under 62 in the opening round, and she followed that up with an 8-under 64 on Saturday. Her second round even included a bogey, but she also had seven birdies and an eagle.

This is Ruffels’ sixth Epson Tour start this season, which includes a victory at the Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic.

After the early wave in Kansas, Ruffels held a 10-shot lead over a bevy of chasers sitting at 8 under.

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Former USGA champ Gabriella Then breaks through on Epson Tour as new pro Alexa Pano places second

Gabriella Then is the third straight first-time winner of the 2022 Epson Tour season.

It wasn’t all that long ago that Gabriella Then, a former USGA champion, quit golf and took a job in marketing and sales at Le Mieux skin care. That decision came after she missed out on advanging to Stage II of LPGA Qualifying School by a single stroke in 2019.

But Then couldn’t stay away, and in 2021 she won three times in four months on the Cactus and Women’s All Pro Tours and then won Ladies European Tour Q-School.

On Sunday, the 26-year-old Then added another first when she broke through on the Epson Tour, winning the Garden City Charity Classic in Garden City, Kansas, with a 5-under 67 in the final round. A 27-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th hole ultimately wrapped up the two-stroke victory for Then over 17-year-old Alexa Pano.

“I can’t believe it happened. After doing this since 2017, I’ve been through so much and never imagined I would win an Epson Tour event one day,” said Then. “The feeling is amazing.”

Then finished at 12-under for the tournament, becoming the third straight first-time winner of the 2022 Epson Tour season.

Birdies on Nos. 12, 13 and 16 from Pano cut Then’s lead to one. That is, until Then drained that eagle bomb.

“I’m pretty satisfied with how I played. Wish I could have got it done, but it’s OK,” said Pano. “I felt comfortable with the course and had a really good feeling waking up this morning. This is good momentum. If I have a lot more events like this, it’ll be a good season.”

Pano made her pro debut last week on the Epson Tour and shot 79-73-73. She finished tied for 10th earlier this year on the tour as an amateur.

The top 10 players on the money list at season’s end earn LPGA cards for 2022. With her victory, Then moved up to No. 7 on the list. Pano sits at 15th.

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