University of North Carolina Athletics
Former Tar Heel Grice Leads At Stage III LPGA Qualifying
December 3, 2014 | Women's Golf
DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. – Former University of North Carolina golfer Casey Grice grabbed the first-round lead at the LPGA Qualifying Tournament – Stage III. This is the final step in qualifying for LPGA status. Another former Tar Heel, Katherine Perry, is also participating and is tied for 105th place.
"It was a very exciting day on the golf course at the Final Stage of LPGA Q School today,” says Grice. “I have good memories of this course from earlier in the season at the Symetra Tour Championship finishing 4th so I had some confidence going in to the round. It was just really a solid day all around and my first bogey-free round in competition! This week is just exciting in itself to experience with LPGA status on the line. It is a marathon of golf being five rounds long, but I am taking each round as it comes. It is also fun to have two former Tar Heels represented this week and I am excited to see what the rest of the tournament holds. Hopefully more Tar Heels out on the LPGA!"
The five-day, 90-hole event is being played at LPGA International's Jones and Hill Courses. Grice, playing the Jones Course on Wednesday, jumped off to a fast start with six birdies in the first round, two on the front and four on the back. She recorded birdies on holes 1, 9, 11, 12, 16 and 17 for her 6-under-par 66 total. Perry, also playing the Jones Course, carded a 3-over 75 and stands tied for 107th. She birdied holes #1 and #9, had bogeys on holes #3, #13 and #16 and a double bogey on #17.
Grice holds a slim 1-stroke lead over three golfers who fired a 5-under 67 and are tied for 2nd place – Ryann O'Toole, Ju Young Park and Maria Hernandez. Elizabeth Nagel and Cheyenne Woods are deadlocked in 5th place at 4-under 68.
Play continues through Sunday as 154 players are vying to win status on the LPGA Tour. The top 20 finishers earn category 12 status on the LPGA priority list, with those finishing 21st to 45th picking up category 17 status. Status on the Symetra Tour's priority list is also up for grabs for those who don't earn category 12 or 17 status. The field will be cut to the low 70 players, including ties, after 72 holes, with the final 18 holes on Sunday determining who gets the treasured spots on Tour for the upcoming season.
Grice just concluded a strong rookie season on the Symetra Tour with three top-10 finishes and 15 cuts made in 20 events played. She ranks 24th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. In the final event of the year, Grice tied for fourth place at the Symetra Tour Championship by firing a 9-under-par 279 total. Earlier this year she was presented the ANNIKA Academy Elite Athlete Award.
Grice, from College Station, Texas, was a three-year golf standout at North Carolina, 2010-12 – 2012-13. She was selected Honorable Mention Golfweek All-America in 2012 and 2013 and Honorable Mention NGCA All-America in 2013. Grice was also selected to the All-ACC team in 2012 and 2013.
Perry, a volunteer assistant coach for the Tar Heels from Cary, N.C., tied for 10th place at the Stage II LPGA Qualifying to advance to Stage III, the Final Stage. She finished with a 3-under 285 total at the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla. A starter for the Tar Heels for the last four years, Perry was selected to the 2012 All-ACC team and was named NGCA All-America Honorable Mention that same year. She was a three-time selection to the All-ACC Academic Women's Golf Team (2012-2014) and chosen to the ACC Honor Roll four times (2011-2014).
During her Tar Heel career, Perry carded seven top-10 and 18 top-25 finishes. Perry had an impressive amateur career as well. She was the 2011 North Carolina Women's Amateur Champion and was the runner-up in 2012. She competed in the 2012 U.S. Women's Open and advanced to the round of 16 at the 2013 North and South Women's Amateur after advancing to the third round in 2011.
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Players Mentioned
