Ten Duramed FUTURES Tour Players Earn 2011 LPGA Membership
ALBANY, N.Y., Sept. 5, 2010 - Ten Duramed FUTURES Tour players earned 2011LPGA membership today by finishing in the top 10 on the season money list.
This year's Duramed FUTURES Tour graduates are, in order of finish: 1. Cindy LaCrosse of Tampa, Fla.; 2. Jennifer Song of Ann Arbor, Mich.; 3. Christine Song of Fullerton, Calif.; 4. Jenny Shin of Torrance, Calif.; 5. Gerina Mendoza of Roswell, N.M.; 6. Angela Oh of Maple Shade, N.J.; 7. Ryann O'Toole of San Clemente, Calif.; 8. Tiffany Joh of San Diego; 9. Hannah Jun of San Diego; and 10. Pornanong Phatlum of Chaiyaphum, Thailand.
The 2010 season is the twelfth year in the 30-year history of the Duramed FUTURES Tour that players have been able to earn automatic exemptions onto the LPGA Tour and the eighth year that at least five LPGA memberships have been awarded. From 1999 to 2002, three exemptions were offered to top money winners. The 2010 season marks the third time 10 LPGA memberships were awarded.Also today, the next ten players on the Tour's money list, excluding current LPGA members, earned automatic entry into the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla., set for Dec. 8-12. Those players, in order of finish, are as follows: Jan Rah of Torrance, Calif.; Esther Choe of Scottsdale, Ariz.; Mo Martin of Altadena, Calif.; Dori Carter of Valdosta, Ga.; Nontaya Srisawang of Chiang Mai, Thailand; Chelsea Curtis of New Seabury, Mass.; Jennie Lee of Henderson, Nev.; Amelia Lewis of Jacksonville, Fla.; Jenny Gleason of Clearwater, Fla., and Jodi Ewart of North Yorkshire, England.
"I'm so happy with the way the year went," said LaCrosse, the Tour's 2010 Player of the Year, who finished on top of the Tour's season money list with single-season earnings of $94,578 and three wins that included this weekend's Price Chopper Tour Championship. "I reached a lot of my goals that I set at the beginning of the year. My goals for next season are to be up there in contention and have fun."
Rookie Jennifer Song won two times this season, including her pro debut in Decatur, Ill., and finished second on the Tour's money list with earnings of $63,375.
"I'm flying in the air," said Song, who also took home the Tour's Rookie of the Year honors. "I'm so happy to be a member of the 2011 LPGA Tour. It's definitely a dream come true. I feel like I've taken a huge leap towards my goal."
Christine Song ended the season in third, taking home $63,036. Song, a two-year member of the Duramed FUTURES Tour, won back-to-back tournaments earlier during this year.
"This year has been really successful for me," said Song, who is currently a rookie on the LPGA Tour. "I'm really thankful and grateful and I can't wait until next year. I just want to go out and play as hard as I can."
Shin won her first professional tournament in Concord, N.H. She finished in the No. 4 spot on the money list with earnings of $53,686.
"I'm beyond excited," said Shin. "I don't even have an expression for it. I can't wait to be on the LPGA Tour, travel around the world and compete with the best girls in the world."
Rounding out the top five with earnings of $53,408 was Mendoza. She is currently a rookie on the LPGA Tour and is looking forward to competing full-time next season.
"You never know where you'll end up at the beginning of the season," said Mendoza. "I just went out there and gave it my best shot and here I am. I'm just living the dream."
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