McGill-Giangiorgi Leads Qualifiers
Three-year LPGA Tour member Jill McGill-Giangiorgi carded eight birdies and two bogeys en route to a six-under-par 66 to take the first-round lead Tuesday at the 1998 LPGA final qualifying tournament at LPGA International's Champions course in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Sweden's Pernilla Sterner and Canada's A.J. Eathorne are a single stroke back heading into second-round action after carding a pair of five-under-par 67s. Sterner recorded a bogey-free round to post her 67, while Eathorne recorded six birdies and one bogey en route to her 67 score.
Patti Rizzo, a four-time Tour winner and 1982 LPGA rookie of the year, turned in a one-over-par 73 and is tied for 42nd, while 1973 LPGA Rookie of the Year Laura Baugh is tied for seventh place after posting a three-under-par 69.
In addition, Karen Stupples, winner of the LPGA sectional qualifier in Rancho Mirage, Calif., is tied for 23rd place after turning in a one-under-par 71, while Tish Certo, winner of the LPGA sectional qualifier in Venice, Fla., is tied for 16th with a two-under-par 70 score.
| Tournament field Wednesday pairings and times Florida sectional qualfiying California sectional qualfiying |
The 128-player field will be cut to the low 70 players and ties after the completion of 54 holes Thursday. At the conclusion of the 1998 final qualifying tournament, the top 24 players will receive exempt cards for the 1999 Tour season, and the following 35 players and ties will receive non-exempt cards.
Second-round play at the par-72, 6,393-yard LPGA International Champions course begins Wednesday at 7:30 a.m., EDT, with players teeing off from both the first and 10th holes.
Weather for the day: Sunny, hot and humid with temperatures in the low 90s.