Canadian Leah John wasted no time at the Epson Tour’s Four Winds Championship in South Bend, shooting a sizzling front-nine 30 on her way to tying the single-round tournament scoring record.
John started the day with three-consecutive birdies, then did it again on holes 5-7. She finished up with one final birdie on the ninth hole to shoot a -7 30 for her first nine. While she slowed down relatively on the back, with birdies only on holes 12 and 18, it was still a dominant day for the 25-year-old second-year player from Nevada.
John combined great approach play with good putting. She hit 16 greens in regulation and had just 29 putts. She didn’t drop any strokes on the round.
In second, but four strokes behind John, is a fellow Canadian Monet Chun. Chun hit 13/14 fairways and had only 26 putts, but her ball striking from the fairway just wasn’t at the level of John’s.
The record of 63 was previously shot by Jessi White in 2013. With a win here, John could join an elite group of players to win this championship, which includes major champions Brooke Henderson and Lilia Vu.
John ranks No. 99 in the Race for the Card standings but has been in improving form as of late, finishing top 30 in each of her last two starts after missing cuts in four out of her first five events. A good finish here would go a long way into getting her in position to make a late charge for her card.
