Symetra Tour returns to Albany Friday
ALBANY, N.Y., >> The Symetra Tour, the official qualifying Tour of the LPGA, returns to action after a two-week hiatus, with the Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY at Capital Hills from Friday, June 2 through Sunday, June 4.
The Symetra Tour — formerly the Futures Tour — has played in the Albany area since 1984, including the last 14 years at Capital Hills. The rich history of the tournament includes a win by Dottie Pepper in 1985 and a historic win by Sadena Parks in 2014 when she became just the third African-American to win in the history of the tour.
The field of 144 from the United States and 31 nations around the globe will compete for a purse of $125,000. The winner will earn $18,750 and drive away with a brand new2017 Kia Forte courtesy of Fuccillo Kia of Schenectady. This is the third year in a row that the winner of the tournament will also win a new car. This is the only stop on Tour where the champion receives a new car for winning.
For a third straight year, the coach of U-Albany women’s golf, Colleen Cashman-McSween, has received a sponsor exemption into the field. She missed the cut each of the last two years, but has been a great ambassador for the tournament.
Cashman- McSween played on the Symetra Tour from 1998 through 2004. She recently completed her fourth year as the U-Albany head coach where she led the Great Danes to the MAAC title in 2015 and a second place finish in 2017.
“It’s an honor to be invited to play in the Symetra Tour event for a 3rd year in a row,” said Cashman-McSween. “I’m very appre- ciative to Jimmy Miller for asking me to represent the capital region and the University at Albany.”
Cashman-McSween was an accomplished golfer during her playing days. She posted nine top 10 finishes on the Futures Tour including a win at the 2003 Tampa Bay’s Next Generation Futures Golf Classic.
“I has been a long time since I have competed on a daily basis, but I still think I can be a factor in an event,” said Cashman-McSween. “This week in the summer is my highlight because it takes me back to the old days when I was very competitive and I knew I could win. I want to be that player again and I honestly think I can be.”
The second exemption is Bailey Cocca, who won the New York State Amateur Championship in 2016. It was the first New York State Women’s Amateur title for a player from the Capital Region since 1989. Cocca played college golf at Coastal Carolina. She currently works at Normanside Country Club. Cocca was last a sponsor exemption into the event at Capital Hills in 2009 and 2010 as a teenager.
All three rounds will begin at 7:30 a.m. There will be a cut to the low 60 and ties following second round play on Saturday. The first two rounds will be split tee starts while the final round will be a single-tee start. Tickets are $10 for a one- day pass and $20 for a three- day pass. New in 2017, Nashville country artist Frankie Ballard, who has No. 1 singles “Helluva Life”, “Young & Crazy” and “Sunshine & Whiskey” will perform a concert on Friday, June 2 around the 18th hole starting at 7:30 p.m. General admission tickets to the concert are $20 while VIP passes, which include food and beverage, are $50.