BY TIM IRVING
Five players share the lead after the first round of the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic at Brook Lea Country Club in Gates.
Carley Cox, Riley Rennell and Stephanie Na from the morning wave and Allison Emery and Katelyn Dambaugh from the afternoon all posted four-under par rounds of 66 to share a one-shot lead on eight golfers heading to the second round Friday.
Carley Cox (Friday tee time 12:42)
A second year pro from North Carolina, Cox is trying to make her first Symetra Tour cut. Four straight birdies on 18, 1, 2, and 3 highlighted her first career start at Brook Lea. Cox has her mom caddying for her as she finds her way out on the tour. “We often laugh because she’s like, caddying’s a lot like being a mom, you know, someone to take care of you, be there for you, someone to talk to. She’s great, we have the best time traveling together, she’s my rock.”
Riley Rennell (12:53)
The Colombia, Tennessee native played mostly on the Women’s All-Pro tour until making the Symetra Tour through Q-school in 2019. She had five birdies and just one bogey, coming on her final hole, during her first round and is aiming for second paycheck of the season.
Stephanie Na (2:21)
Australian posted a bogey-free first round to open the tournament. The 32-year old has played in all 12 events, with a season-best tie for 25th in Michigan in June. She has made the cut at every DDCUC that she’s played in, including a tie for eighth in 2017.
Allison Emery (8:14)
Won the IOA Golf Classic in Florida in May, the first of back-to-back Top 5 finishes. Currently ranked 11th in the Race to the Card money list, the Wake Forest grad had seven birdies in the first round. “I thought I had a good mental game but it definitely needed some improvement so, I’ve been working on that and it’s nice to see it show.”
Katelyn Dambaugh (8:36)
The University of South Carolina’s all-time leader in scoring average, Dambaugh birdied two of her final three holes to post her 66. Spent 2018 and 2019 on the LPGA Tour, the southpaw has missed only one cut in nine starts the past two Symetra Tour seasons. “I’ve been struggling a lot with my putting so to see quite a few putts go in, whether for birdie or for par gives me a good bit of confidence going into tomorrow.”
All five golfer started on the 10th tee in the first round and will all start on the first Friday.
Click here for the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic 2nd Round
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