Congratulations Jessi!
It may only have been a mini-tour victory, but rounds of 70, 69 and 69 gave the 25-year-old Bellingham High School alum a three-stroke cushion over Canada's Alena Sharp, who won last week's tournament (Event #18!) and made 16 starts on this year's LPGA Tour. Dina Ammaccapane was third on 216, while Beth Bader shared fourth with Kimberly Kim on 219. (Ammaccapane, Bader and Kim made 25 LPGA Tour appearances between them in 2011).
Prior to the Price Chopper LPGA Futures Tour Championship in the second week of September, Gebhardt had earned just $6,538 from 14 starts in 2011, but with a three-round total of seven-under 203 that included a final round 65, she finished runner-up that week and took her season's total to $18,538 with a check for $12,000. She rose from 79th to 26th on the final money list.
A week later on the Cactus Tour, she finished tied for third in Event #17, and at Seville GCC in Gilbert last week she finished fourth behind Sharp, Bader and Ammaccapane.
Gebhardt puts the turnaround down to a shift in attitude. "I have been approaching the game with a different mindset recently," she says. "I was getting tired of trying to make cuts and trying to make things happen out on the course. I felt like I was forcing everything and my expectations were too high. I came to realize that I need to have more fun and accept every shot."
Gebhardt says that while she hit the ball poorly at Legacy this week, she scored well because she wasn't dwelling on bad shots. "I made it work by being positive and looking at golf as a challenge," she says. "Every shot has a new challenge and is the only challenge that matters at that time. I worked hard on staying in the present and not getting ahead of myself by thinking about score and outcomes. It comes back to sticking with the process and enjoying what I am doing. I have found my love for golf, and now understand why I play, and also how I play great golf."
Gebhardt says she will play three or four more Cactus Tour events before heading to LPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament Stage III (final qualifying) at LPGA International in Daytona Beach FL, from November 30th - December 4th. "I am really excited about taking my new attitude into Final Stage," she says.
Bellinghamgolfer congratulates Jessi on her Cactus Tour victory and wishes her all the best for the rest of the season, especially in Florida.
