OCALA, Florida – Austin Ernst won her first tournament on the LPGA seven years ago in a playoff. For her second title, she carded a final-round 63 to come from behind at last year’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. At the LPGA Drive On, the 29-year-old went wire-to-wire to win by five strokes over Jennifer Kupcho.
“I think it’s just really cool to be in the heat of it all week and to be able to perform the way I did,” said Ernst, who closed with a 70 to finish at 15-under 273.
“To hit the shots I hit, and to shoot the scores I shot, I think it’s just kind of a testament to me, that I can do this week in and week out and just if I have a little belief myself kind of what I can do.”
Ernst’s older brother Drew had a front-row seat every week as Austin’s caddie and her performance in Ocala only confirmed what he’s already known. Just last week, Drew told his sister that she was a top-10 player in the world.
“She’s really starting to believe in herself,” said Drew. “You can tell just talking to her, she’s almost a different person.”
Austin Ernst putts on the 11th green during the final round of the LPGA Drive On Championship at Golden Ocala Golf Club on March 07, 2021, in Ocala, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Americans have now won the first three events of the season for the first time since 2007. Jessica and Nelly Korda, two of Ernst’s good friends, won the first two events in Florida. Jessica will be Austin’s maid of honor later this year.
“I practice a good bit with Jess, play a good bit with Jess, play a bit with Nelly out here,” said Austin. “We always want to beat each other, so I think it’s kind of one of those things that it just kind of pushes you. When you see your friends win, you want to win. So you kind of want it one-up them as much as you can.”
The friendly competition will continue all year as Americans jockey for position in the Rolex Rankings for a berth in the Summer Olympics and Solheim Cup team.
A maximum of four U.S. players could qualify for Tokyo and all four must be ranked in the top 15. Ernst was ranked 33rd coming into the week and Kupcho was 21st.
The two NCAA champions came into Sunday’s final round separated by a single stroke. The next group of players sat six strokes back.
Four consecutive birdies on the front nine built Ernst’s lead to six as she made the turn.
There are three Augusta National replica holes at Golden Ocala and the final round featured Sunday Masters hole locations. It looked like Kupcho might summon some of her Amen Corner magic when she pulled hybrid out on the 12th hole (a replica of the 13th).
Kupcho, of course, stuffed a 3-hybrid to 6 feet at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur two years ago and poured in a pivotal eagle putt en route to victory. On Sunday at Drive On, her 4-hybrid from about 200 yards settled to the right of the hole this time.
“I thought the putt was falling the whole way,” said Kupcho of her eagle putt, “and just wrapped right around the hole. Really tough hole location to make a putt on for sure where I was at.”
Kupcho settled for birdie and cut Ernst’s lead to three strokes with six holes to play. Kupcho’s momentum ended there, however, as a bogey on No. 13 from and a watery tee shot on the 15th essentially sealed the victory for Ernst.
“I didn’t really think it was over until I hit the tee shot on 15,” said Kupcho. “Everyone hits bad shots. It’s just unfortunate that’s when mine came for the week.”
Professional golf has long been a family affair for the Ernsts. Their father Mark, general manager and director of golf at Cross Creek Plantation in Seneca, South Carolina, is her swing coach. That’s where she’ll marry Jason Dods in October, the week of the ShopRite LPGA.
Austin has stayed with Dods’ family for host housing in Atlantic City since her rookie year in 2013. The Dods have five children and Austin didn’t meet Jason, who was already out of the house, until 2016. When Jason came back in 2018, they hit it off over nightly family dinners. Austin was already in love with his mom’s cooking.
Now she’s in love with Jason’s cooking too.
“I think I’m so happy off the golf course,” said Austin, “that’s it has kind of translated on the golf course.”
from Golfweek https://ift.tt/3ejX538