Tied for 3rd

I just finished up a tournament in Decatur, Illinois where I finished tied for 3rd and only one shot off of a playoff to win. I played really solid all weekend and shot rounds of 69-66-72. I went into the final round with a 2 stroke lead and tried to hang on but a few costly swings found me 3 back with 4 holes to play. The winner shot a final round of 9 under to finish at 10 under total. Once I saw that I was 3 back I knew I had to start hitting aggressive shots. I birdied 2 of my final 4 holes to fall one shot short. It was a great learning experience yet somewhat heartbreaking. However, it is my second best finish out here and I feel so much closer to winning. I want to thank my caddie for the week, Kent who did an awesome job of keeping me calm, laughing, and helped me choose solid targets and clubs to hit. He really kept me in the moment and I couldn't have done it without him!

So far this year we have played in 6 tournaments and I have had 3 top 10s. I moved up to 12th on the money list where the top 10 get their LPGA card at the end of the year. Still lots of golf to be played but I feel confident that this is my year! I am currently in South Bend, Indiana playing in the tournament that has the biggest purse of the season. A solid finish here will give me lots of confidence going into the Open next week. I fly on Monday to Long Island where I finally get to see my husband! Not too many people get married and then have to part for weeks right after :) I can't wait to have Travis up there to caddie for me. He knows my game the best and I really feel like I can shine when he is on the bag.

A huge thank you to those who have donated to help my expenses at the Open! Look in your mailbox a few weeks after the Open for a package. There is still time to donate if you haven't already! Please know that I greatly appreciate your support and encouraging words! I have the best fans out there: Jacko's Wackos!!

US Women's Open

I have had quite a month in May! On May 4th, I married my best friend, caddie, instructor, and love of my life Travis Stoetling! We had such an awesome day and couldn't have asked for anything more. The week before, I played in Sarasota where I finished 10th place. Then 2 days after our wedding, I drove to Charlotte, NC to play in a tournament. I played ok there and made the cut but was exhausted from the wedding week and it all caught up to me on the last day. From there, I played in beautiful Asheville, NC where Travis flew up to caddie. We had another 10th place finish and then preceded to Myrtle Beach for a honeymoon. Three days after coming home I played in the US Women's Open qualifier in West Palm where we played through wind and off and on pouring rain. At 8:15 we called it a night and I had to wake up the next morning to play 4 holes. It was worse conditions in the morning and I boggied my last 2 holes to shoot 72-74. I was extremely frustrated because I played so solid and seemed to give it away. I had to sit an hour and a half and wait for girls to finish before finally finding out I got one of four spots to the US Open! I am so estatic to play my first Open of hopefully many to come! It is the last week of June in South Hampton, NY at Sebonack Golf Club. I am staying with a good friend from college but traveling up there isn't cheap! I am looking for any sponsors or any extra money to help cover my expenses for the week. If you donate $100 or more, I will gladly mail you a 2013 US Women's Open autographed hat. There is a link at the top right of my blog page to donate. Thank you for your continuous support and don't forget to watch live scoring!! By the way, I am now playing under my married name, Jackie Stoelting :)