VERO BEACH — For her first appearance on the LPGA Tour, Jackie Stoelting stayed even par for her first four rounds, made the cut, and finished tied for 71st out of 144 golfers competing in the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic.
For her first ever LPGA event, those achievements are nothing to scoff at.
“I definitely wanted to make the cut, which I did. Then, I shot even par for four rounds on my first event, I was really proud of that,” Stoelting said.
Stoelting competed in the event after earning an exemption from her success on the Golf Channel’s competitive reality show, “Big Break Florida.”
After claiming “Big Break” victory, Stoelting went home with more than $100,000 in cash and prizes, various travel vouchers, sponsorship opportunities and much-needed exposure to change her dream of becoming a full-time, professional golfer into a reality.
Out of all of the Big Break perks, Stoelting said the chance to compete in the LPGA Classic was the most valuable, and she was fully intent on making the most of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
However, if Stoelting continues to rise in the world of Women’s Golf as she and her supporters believe she will, competing in the LPGA will shift from a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to a way of life.
“This definitely gave me even more motivation to get my card now and be full-time next year,” Stoelting said.
In some senses, Stoelting said, the pressure was on to do well and prove herself in her first LPGA event. But she had her work cut out for her as she was swinging her clubs next to some of the greatest golfers in the world.
“The girls around you just don’t make mistakes,” Stoelting said. “You just can’t make a big number out there.”
Among Stoelting’s competitors were Stacy Lewis, ranked No. 1 on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and No. 1 on the LPGA Tour Money List, and second-ranked Inbee Park, who ended up winning the tournament.
In fact, of the top-ten ranked golfers on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, eight of them competed in the event, according to information released by Manulife Financial.
As for how far her Big Break fame has followed her, Stoelting said it seemed as if at least one spectator at every hole would yell out ‘Good job on Big Break!’ or something similar. But Stoelting welcomed the encouragement.
Currently, Stoelting is traveling to compete in three consecutive tournaments in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, doing everything she can to keep on the track to becoming one of the greats.
