Piller Comes Up Short As 54-Hole Leader
Gerina Piller had just one bogey in her first 54 holes of play, helping give her a two-shot lead at 14-under heading into Sunday at the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout Presented by JTBC. Unfortunately for Piller, she carded five bogeys on her way to a final round 73 and finished two shots back of first-time LPGA Tour winner Jenny Shin.
“I mean, the conditions are pretty tough, so it definitely wasn’t a cakewalk out there,” said Piller. “As you can see, I haven’t really looked at the leaderboard if anyone shot a real low one. The pins were really, really tough today and it’s tough to get them close, especially coming in. But I’ve taken nothing but good things away from this week. That was my first time ever holding the lead, especially for two rounds, so it’s just more confidence that I’m adding to what I already have.”
The American, who stood at No. 20 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf rankings heading into this week, will rise in the world rankings and retain her position on the United States roster for the UL International Crown after her fourth career runner-up finish on the LPGA Tour. Piller had tremendous support from her family, friends and the Texas crowd all week at Las Colinas Country Club and is looking forward to continuing her string of recent success that includes five top-10 finishes in her last six starts.
“It definitely encourages me,” Piller said. “I’ve never been in the lead before going into Sunday, so took nothing but good things from today and I still believe in myself and just looking forward to next week.”
Shootout Winners Wrap Up Impressive Week
Shootout winners Cheyenne Knight and Karah Sanford played well enough all week to participate in the final round on Sunday at the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout Presented by JTBC. Knight finished as the tournament’s low amateur at 1-under par after a final round 72 which placed her in a tie for 29th place. Sanford, who was even par after 54 holes of play, shot a 6-over 77 and finished T51.
Below is how all four shootout qualifiers fared through the final round.
| Name | RD1 Score | RD2 Score | RD3 Score | RD4 Score | Total | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karah Sanford | 73 (+2) | 69 (-2) | 71 (E) | 77 (+6) | 290 (+6) | T51 |
| Kristen Gillman | 77 (+6) | 71 (E) | NA | NA | 148 (+6) | MC |
| Cheyenne Knight | 70 (-1) | 69 (-2) | 72 (+1) | 72 (+1) | 283 (-1) | T29 |
| Maddie Szeryk | 73 (+2) | 70 (-1) | 75 (+4) | NA | 218(+5) | T79 |
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