By Jackie Cannizzo
Women’s Editor
PGA Professional
Country Club of Roswell
When Jean Reynolds qualified for the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open, little did she know that after three rounds of the championship, the all eyes in the world of golf would be on her. With one round to go, she was competing against the best players in the world with a realistic chance of winning the biggest prize in women’s golf.
“Incredible” was the word Reynolds used when we recently spoke about her experience at the famed Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa. “I had the time of my life that week. I loved the course, the crowd, the members and the opportunity to have a chance to win the U.S. Open.
“I will never forget it and I knew coming into the Open I wanted to contend.” And contend she did for most of the 72 holes of the 57th Open, the most prestigious championship in all of women’s golf.
Reynolds turned professional two years ago after finishing college at the University of Georgia. Unlike her contemporaries, she didn’t play golf at UGA. She chose to have a true college experience by focusing on her studies and participating in a sorority.
In her second year as a professional on the Duramed Futures Tour, she won the season-opening event in Winter Haven, Fla.
“I worked really hard in the off season on my mental approach to the game and what I needed to do to win,” Reynolds said. Her teacher Charlie King, the Director of Instruction at Reynolds Plantation, recalls when he first met Jean.
“She came to me to work on her short game and I really liked her style and her swing: plain, simple, loved to hit a draw and hated the fade. We worked really hard on her mental and emotional approach to the game, I got her to buy into the steps necessary to win, to embrace the feeling of winning.”
When Reynolds arrived at the U.S. Women’s Open, she was riding high as the leading money winner on the Futures Tour, scoring her second win of the season several weeks before the Open. She easily qualified for the Open for the second time in as many years, and has a history of success in USGA events. She was a quarterfinalist in the U.S. Junior Girls when she was 17, losing in 22 holes to eventual winner In Bee Park.
Reynolds also felt comfortable on demanding Saucon Valley layout. “I fell in love with the course after my first practice round on Tuesday, although I was not hitting the ball very well.”
She was able to spend some time with King, who was on site at the event. “Charlie and I worked a good bit prior to the first round and he calmed me down. I was very excited to be playing, as I have been playing well all season.”
The opening round Reynolds fired a 2-under 69 and was one shot out of the lead held by Na Yeon Choi and tied for second with world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa. On Friday, Reynolds said she really hit it good and was hitting it close a good bit of the day, which gave her many opportunity to go low. After finishing with a one over 72, she was still very much in the hunt and she was one of only three players under par.
“I knew I left a few shots out there on Friday. I felt good about my chances to win when I got to the course on Saturday.”
Reynolds became a fan favorite with the record crowd in eastern Pennsylvania. The USGA granted free admission to all kids under the age of 17, which enhanced the event. The crowd greeted Reynolds at every green and tee with a warm applause.
“I loved the crowd, they were so good to me. I was thriving on the excitement of it.” It seemed that Reynolds had a smile on her face most of the day as she hung in there with the world’s best, including former champion Cristie Kerr, who held the lead most of the day. Reynolds shared that lead heading to the 15th.
“I hit what I thought was a perfect shot and as I watched the shot, I could see the wind take it away from the pin.” Reynolds was a little disappointed and 3-putted from the fringe. She parred the 16th and then finished bogey-bogey to fall three strokes back of Kerr, who was the only player under par after Saturday’s round.
Reynolds started the final round still only three shots back of Kerr. She kept telling herself to stay calm and even her caddy Paul Maggiore had to tell her to “chill out”. But it was not to be.
“The nerves got the best of me,” Reynolds admitted. “I missed a couple of short putts and made a couple of stupid bogeys.” She tried to make things happen by firing at pins. “I knew better than to fire at certain pins in a USGA event in the final round.”
When she approached the final green on Sunday, her hopes of winning had faded, but her smile did not and the crowd reciprocated with a standing ovation. “I know I will have many more chances to win.” Reynolds finished tied for 17th and cashed the biggest check of her professional career.
Reynolds has the game and the confidence to make that statement and as the best professional player in the state of Georgia; the future looks bright for a Georgian to return to the LPGA tour.
If Reynolds holds a spot among the top five money winners on the Futures Tour, she will gain full exemption to the LPGA Tour in 2010. She knows how to win now and believes she will be a force to be reckoned with on the big stage. All of Georgia will be watching.
Durham captures
GSGA Top 60 event
The GSGA Women’s Top 60 was held recently at Reynolds Landings on Lake Oconee, with Rebecca Durham winning the 36-hole tournament by seven strokes.
Durham, a rising junior at Stanford from St Simons Island, competed in 10 events for the Cardinal with a seventh place finish her best. She opened the Top 60 tournament with a 72 before pulling away with a 71, the low score of the second round, for a 1-under 143 total.
“I played really well the first round, so I knew if I could start out well in the second round, I would have a chance,” Durham said. She did just that with a birdie-birdie start in the second round to overtake first round leader Tess Fordam a UGA freshman from Metter.
Recent Ole Miss graduate Dori Carter of Valdosta fired a final round 72 to take second place at 150. Fordham finished third at 152, followed by 12-year-old Rinko Mitsunaga of Roswell, held her own against the college crowd to finish fourth at 153. Veteran amateur Laura Coble of Augusta was fifth at 154.
Upcoming Women’s Events
GSGA Senior Championship Sept. 1-2 Arrowhead Point
GSGA Team Championship Oct. 1-2 Sea Palms
Georgia Sr. Fall Team Championship Oct. 6-7 Athens
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