For the first time since adding the televote for Upper Midwest Connection of the Week on my YouTube channel, we have a tie in the results. Of the votes that were submitted, half went to Erik van Rooyen based on his T42 performance at the RBC Canadian Open and half to Kim Kaufman for her T58 at the U.S. Women's Open, the second major of the women's golf year. In the end, the jury (me) has decided to break the tie, and the winner by decision is...
Kim Kaufman.
She won't get Upper Midwest Connection of the Month honours, but she had her best finish in a women's major in seven years to earn weekly plaudits. As I mentioned in my weekly recap Tuesday, her payout of over $23 000 was about half of what she's earned on the Epson Tour, which is the women's equivalent of the Korn Ferry Tour. She also cracked the top 500 of the Rolex Rankings, the women's version of the OWGR. Making the cut at the Tartarus that was Lancaster Country Club will give Kaufman confidence as she seeks a return to the LPGA Tour in 2025, either via the Epson Tour Race for the Card or LPGA Q-Series. (Too bad that U.S. Women's Open performance doesn't count toward the Race for the Card, as far as I know, unlike the men's version counting toward KFT graduation progress.)
This week is the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, AKA Jack's Place. Only one Umcee, Tom Hoge, made the event, and he has an opportunity to seal a trip to the Open via the Open Qualifying Series. In contrast to previous years, when multiple tickets were punched at the event, the signature status of this year's edition means a reduced field (73 at last count) and, with it, a reduction of exemptions to one.
On the developmental tours, the Korn Ferry Tour holds its BMW Charity Pro-Am in Greer, South Carolina. Although Frankie Capan III is taking the week off, the field still includes two Umcees in Van Holmgren and Andre Metzger. Lastly, the Epson Tour holds an event for the first time since Memorial Day weekend, as the Firekeepers Hotel-Casino Championship takes over Battle Creek, Michigan. Unlike most early-season events on that tour, the field size is sufficient such that Emily Lauterbach of Hartfield, Wisconsin is able to join the fray, which also Kate Smith-Stroh. Smith-Stroh has struggled this year generally, so a good result here could kickstart her season. However, Kaufman is taking a well-deserved break after making the cut as mentioned above.
One more note: The Clutch Pro Tour, which feeds into the Challenge Tour--the DP World Tour's developmental arm--is underway in its second season but first with OWGR points. One of its regulars is former Wisconsin Badger O.J. Farrell, who made European Q-School finals last year but missed the 72-hole cut. So far, he ranks 33rd on the Clutch Order of Merit.
Edward the Scop
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