QUICK GLANCE AT FUTURES FIELD
The three-day long $120,000 Price Chopper Tour Championship begins Friday. The 144-player field includes Latham’s Bailey Cocca, 16, who is making her third consecutive appearance in this event after winning the sponsor’s qualifier on Saturday. Cocca tees off at 1:25PM Friday off #1.
It is the season-ender for the Futures, the Tour’s 17th event of the year and the 11th consecutive tournament held in New York’s state capital. It’s been at Capital Hills now for seven years.
“I appreciate the Golub family for understanding the importance of the tournament,” said Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings, who was out at the course Wednesday. “We couldn’t put it on without their support and they deserve a lot of credit.”
Top prize is $16,800, $12,000 for the runner-up. Ten cards for 2011 LPGA membership will be given out to the top 10 season money winners on Sunday. The top five earn full 2011 LPGA status. Defending champion Song Yi Choi of South Korea used Albany to springboard into the top-5 last year, jumping from 11th to fifth. In 2008, Choi was fifth headed into Albany and was knocked down to sixth.
Cindy LaCrosse (Tampa, FL) has a lead of $15,614 over Christine Song (Fullerton, CA). Third is Gerina Mendoza of Roswell, NM. She leads Jennifer Song (Ann Arbor, MI) by $1,246 and only $2,079 separates Jennifer Song and fifth-ranked Jenny Shin (Torrance, CA).
“I really like the golf course,” said Jennifer Song. “The greens are huge and there’s a lot of undulations and you’ve got to place your tee shots and I think it’s going to be a nice competition this week.”
At sixth, Angela Oh (Maple Shade, NJ), who as a 2010 win, leads Tiffany Joh (San Diego) by $5,282; Joh is up $2,033 over former UCLA teammate Ryann O’Toole (San Clemente, CA). She has a mere $266 pad over Pornanong Phatlum (Thailand), who leads Jane Rah (Torrance, CA) by $856.
As for the course, superintendent Scott Gallup admits this has been the toughest summer in decades, “every since I’ve been here,” he said. Gallup started in April 1990.
He and his team of 18 full and part timers are watching the course closely, arriving at 4:30AM Friday through Sunday.
“Every little area has its own microclimate,” Gallup said. “The difference between 17 green and 3 green is immense. I probably water the 17th green a tenth as much as I water three. There’s just a little bit different soil conditions.”
Also in the field is Golf Channel’s new Big Break: Sandals Resort winner, Carling Coffing, who kept her pro-am laughing and close, tying for first Wednesday at 15-under.
“It’s a great Albany event and with the popularity of golf and especially women’s golf, I think it’s a great opportunity to support some of these younger players,” said Thomas Brockley, of RBC Wealth Management, who had Coffing in his fivesome.
PAST WINNERS:
2004: Nicole Perrot of Vina Del Mar, Chile (203)
2005: Seon-Hwa Lee of Chonan, Korea (199)
2006: Ji-Min Jeong of Kyungki, South Korea (206)
2007: Onnarin Sattayabanphot of Bangkok, Thailand (210)
2008: Sarah-Jane Kenyon of Queensland, Australia (204)
2009: Song Yi Choi, Seoul of South Korea (205)


















