The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

After failing to crack the main draw of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) at the Pure Silk Bahamas Open in January, birthday girl Georgette Rolle has been making her mark in the Sun Coast Ladies Series in the United States.

Playing her first tournament since the Pure Silk Classic at the Ocean Club Golf Course, Rolle is in Kissimmee Bay, Kissimmee, Florida where she’s sitting in pretty good position going into today’s third and final round of play.

As she celebrated her 29th birthday on Tuesday, Rolle shot a three-over-par 74 for a two-day total of 143 that has placed her into a three-way tie for ninth with Fumika Kawagishi and Kelli Pry.

The leaderboard is headed by Jung Min Lee with her 129 total, eight shots ahead of her nearest rivals, Kris Tamulis and Song Yi Ann, who are both tied for second with 137.

Rolle, who opened play on Monday shooting a two-under-par 69, said she’s pleased with her effort although it’s on her birthday.

“So far, so good. Yesterday (Monday) was better than today (Tuesday),” said Rolle about her performance on the par-71 course. “Yesterday (Monday) I shot two-under and today (Tuesday) I shot three-over. I just made a few mistakes late in the round today and I ran out of holes to recover.

“But other than that, things have been going good. I would have preferred to have shot better on my birthday. I turned 29 today (Tuesday). But one more day tomorrow (today) and it’s over. Hopefully tomorrow (today) will lead into a course for celebrations.”

Since the Pure Silk where she finished near the bottom of the pile in front of the home crowd, Rolle said she doesn’t have as much pressure in Kissimmee as she had on Paradise Island, so she’s coping very well with the adjustments in the rounds.

“I felt the same going into the Sun Coast,” she said. “I haven’t practiced as much for this one as I did for the Pure Silk, but the main difference is the pressure. I’m using this one to get a few rounds under my belt before I travel in March back to try to qualify for one of the LPGA events in Phoenix.

“In three weeks, I will be in Phoenix trying to qualify for that event, so this is a good tournament to play in,” she said. “This one is a mini-tour, but there are some LPGA players playing here who are on the Asian Tour, so the field is a pretty decent one. So when I get back home, I will dive right back into practice and work on my game before I head off to Phoenix.”

As the tournament in Kissimmee is scheduled to wrap up today, Rolle is preparing to take in a quiet night in her hotel room with a deep dish pepperoni pizza, which she hasn’t had in a while, and a movie.

Rolle, now a teaching professional, said she’s in the process of trying to find a swing coach to help her improve her game. And she will also spend some time trying to develop her stamina as it has been her downfall at the end of the rounds in her previous tournaments.