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White earns first paycheque in LPGA

While the printed numbers aren’t gaudy, Adrienne White could be excused if she framed the cheque she earned Sunday.
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Adrienne White tied for 65th in the ShopRite Classic in Galloway

While the printed numbers aren’t gaudy, Adrienne White could be excused if she framed the cheque she earned Sunday.

The Red Deer golfer tied for 65th in the ShopRite Classic in Galloway, N.J., marking her first-ever payday on the Ladies Professional Golfers Association tour. White opened the 54-hole event with a dazzling 67, slipped to a 76 Saturday as she struggled with her nerves, and closed out with an even-par 71 to earn $3,215.

“Making the (36-hole) cut and getting a cheque was big. It will really help me out for the rest of the year,” she said Monday after arriving in Louisville, Ky., where she’ll reside with friends and hopefully earn her way into a handful of LPGA tournaments to be played on the east side of the country over the next two to three months.

“I will always remember this. It feels pretty good . . . it’s definitely an addictive feeling for sure. Hopefully I can get back out there and do it again in a week or two.”

White will be idle this weekend, but hopes to compete in the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Toledo, Ohio, July 1-4.

“I’m not in any field yet (with the exception of the CN Canadian Women’s Open Aug. 26-29 in Winnipeg) and I’m hoping to get into the Jamie Farr through my conditional LPGA status,” said White. “I’ll probaby have to Monday qualify for other tournaments unless I make one more cut, then I’ll probably get in to them for the rest of the year.”

White gained entry into the ShopRite during a qualifying round June 14, one week after falling a single stroke short of qualifying for the State Farm tournament in Springfield, Ill., while shooting a 69.

“I’ve been playing well recently. I had a rough stretch on the Futures Tour and I just decided that I wanted to play on the LPGA Tour,” she said. “I decided that’s where I wanted to be and what my heart was set on. I played well in the State Farm qualifying and I kust kind of kept it rolling into the ShopRite and it paid off.”

White, who attended the University of Louisville before turning pro and moving to Phoenix, knows full well that consistent — and not necessarily outstanding — play is the key to making a living on the LPGA circuit.

“Playing good solid golf day in and day out is going to pay off at the end of the week,” she said. “I thnk there’s something big I learned during the weekend — you have to go low to win but you don’t have to go low to get paid.

“For me especially, to improve my status I just need to go out and play solid.”

White will return to Phoenix in the fall but for now she’s planning on earning more money while playing at the highest level.

“I’m riding a little high right now,” she said.

“If I can get into the Jamie Farr and play well there, I should be pretty well set for the rest of the season and secure my status for next year.”

gmeachem@www.reddeeradvocate.com