EL DORADO - Emily Tubert (Burbank, Ca.), a three-time All-American at Arkansas, posted a 4-under, 68 on Friday at the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout to grab the 18-hole lead at Mystic Creek Golf Club. Tubert birdied five of her final six holes to post the low number of the day.
Volvik Race for the Card money list No. 1, Madelene Sagstrom (Enkoping, Sweden), and Kathleen Ekey (Sharon Township, Ohio) share second at 3-under, 69. A total of 15 players finished under-par on Friday.
Tubert, 24, started on the back nine and made bogey on her first hole. She made two birdies and two bogeys over the final four holes on her front to turn in 1-over.
Tubert said the turning point came on the third hole, her 12th of the day.
“I missed the green long right and had a tricky chip shot and I didn’t hit it well, but thankfully it trickled onto the green and I made a 16-footer for par,” explained Tubert. “I put a good stroke on it and then I had the stretch of four birdies in a row.”
Tubert had her ball striking and putting dialed in over the final six holes.
“I finished with a good birdie on nine after a 315-yard drive,” said Tubert. “I finally got a peak at the leaderboard and I knew I had a putt to move to the top and was happy to make it.”
Tubert has three top 10 finishes this year, but has finished outside the top 40 in each of the last three events. She used the off week before El Dorado to find her form.
“I worked with my coach (Brady Riggs) harder than I have all year on my game during the off week,” explained Tubert. “I felt really uncomfortable in Garden City.”
Tubert began working with her new coach just a week before the season started so she has dealt with changes on the fly.
“I’ve been learning a new swing and technique while competing and I’ve had a much better year this year than last,” said Tubert, who finished 50th on the money list as a rookie. “I feel like I have been playing better than my finishes so to have a good start in the state where I went to college and with a lot on the line is great. I’d love to finish strong the last few events and go straight to Stage III of Q-School.”
“I just felt very relaxed and comfortable today, like the old me coming out of high school and into my freshman year of college,” continued Tubert. “I know I’m capable so I’m happy, but there is a lot of golf left this week.”
Tubert, who finished T37 at Mystic Creek last year, loves being around so many Arkansas fans.
“On the first tee on Thursday for the pro-am, the starter started singing the Arkansas fight song so I sang along to the entire fight song,” said Tubert. “Nobody has called the hogs since I’ve been out here, but I’ve gotten quite a bit of ‘go hogs’ and ‘woo pig’ and all that good stuff.”