Taya Battistella's Last Hurrah Is Now A Reality

“I thought wouldn’t it be wonderful if my last hurrah in my final full year as a pro is to be able to play in a LPGA event,” said Battistella, after recording a 36-hole total of (71-73) even par 144 at North Vancouver's Seymour Golf Club and winning the first event of the 2009 CN Canadian Women's Tour.

Battistella collected $10,000 for her wire-to-wire two-stroke victory, in addition to an automatic exemption into this year’s $2.75 million (US) CN Canadian Women’s Open at Calgary;'s Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club.

The LPGA qualification, was made possible by a dramatic 8-iron approach shot from 120 yards to within 18 inches of the hole on Seymour's 316-yard uphill par 4 17th green.

“That was key,” said the 29-year-old Battistella. “It let me relax a little bit. It definitely took a little edge off the last hole and I was able to hit a few good shots and just place my shot out of the (18th) fairway onto the green and hopefully two-putt.”

Twenty-seven-year-old Courtney Erdman of Altadena, CA trailed by one shot after the opening round and at one point on day two was tied for the lead on the front nine. However, down by one shot with two holes remaining, her long birdie attempt at 17 lipped out while Battistella birdied from 18 inches to increase her lead. Erdman, a participant on the Golf Channel’s The Big Break: Ka'anapali in 2008, took home $6,996.36 (CAD) and 450 Order of Merit points for her second place finish.

Ashli Nunch and Sara Brown of the U.S. tied for third at 3-over 147.  Top Canadian was Calgary’s Cindy Pasechnik, who tied for sixth at 5-over. Jisoo Keel of Coquitlam, B.C., the top amateur, tied for eighth place at 6-over.

Defending champion Sue Kim of Langley, B.C., the Canadian Tour's first amateur winner who won two consecutive events in last year's four-tournament series, was challenged by Seymour's well conditioned 6,214 yards and struggled to finish tied for 19th at (76-78—154) 10-over par.

British Colummbia has been good to Battistella. In 2006 while playing on Vancouver Island at Duncan's Madows Golf & country Club, she won the CN Canadian Women's Tour championship and went on to finish tied for 70th in the Canadian Women's Open at London, Ontario's London Hunt & Golf Club.

“I love it here,” she told the Vancouver Sun's Brad Zeimer. “It’s refreshing. It’s nice to be in cleaner air, such a pretty place with my family around. So it feels like home.”
 
The next stop on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour takes place June 7-9 at the Stanley Thompson designed Cutten Club in Guelph, Ont.  Similar to each stop on the hree-event 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Tour, the championship features a purse of $60,000, including $10,000 for the winner as well as an exemption into the 2009 CN Canadian Women’s Open and coveted Order of Merit points.
 
Players competing on the Tour earn points towards the CN Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit.  The player with the most points at the end of the season earns the Jocelyne Bourassa 'Player of the Year Award.'
 
More information about the CN Canadian Women’s Tour is available through the CN Canadian Women’s Tour website at www.cncanadianwomenstour.com or Royal Canadian Golf Association website at www.rcga.org.
 
2009 CN Canadian Women's Tour Championship
Seymour Golf & Country Club, North Vancouver, BC

1. Taya Battistella, Bend, OR, *71-73-144 E
2. Courtney Erdman, Arcadia, CA, *72-74-146 +2
3. Ashli Bunch, Morristown, TN, *75-72-147 +3
3. Sara Brown, Tucson, AZ, *74-73-147 +3
5. Jessi Gebhardt, Chandler, AZ, *74-74-148 +4
6. Amber Prange, Noblesville, IN, *75-74-149 +5
6. Cindy Pasechnik, Calgary, AB, *74-75-149 +5
8. Jenny Lee, La Canada, CA, *75-75-150 +6
8. Jisoo Keel (a), Coquitlam, BC, *74-76-150 +6
8. Marina Choi, Los Angeles, CA, *73-77-150 +6
8. Rebecca Kim, Tigard, OR, *74-76-150 +6
8. Ashley Sholer, Hamilton, *73-77-150 +6
13. Jennifer Kirby (a), Paris, ON, *75-76-151 +7
13. Jessica Carafiello, Coral Springs, FL, *74-77-151 +7
15. Christina Lecuyer, Edmonton, AB, *77-75-152 +8
15. Jeannine Fiorito, Yakima, WA, *76-76-152 +8
15. Jennifer Wyatt, Richmond, BC, *75-77-152 +8
15. Jessica Shepley, Winter Garden, FL, *75-77-152 +8
19. Charlotte Campbell, Heathrow, FL, *78-76-154 +10
19. Megan O'Donnell (a), Houston, TX, *78-76-154 +10
19. Adrienne Gautreaux-McDonald, Gun Barrel City, TX, *78-76-154 +10
19. SooBin Kim (a), Port Coquitlam, BC, *78-76-154 +10
19. Rebecca Sorensen (a), Conway, AR, *77-77-154 +10
19. Sue Kim (a), Langley, BC, *76-78-154 +10
25. Jennifer Greggain, Rosedale, BC, *78-77-155 +11
25. Catherine Matranga, Fort Worth, TX, *76-79-155 +11
25. Justina Yu, Las Vegas, NV, *76-79-155 +11
28. Tracy Nichols, Rocklin, CA, *80-76-156 +12
28. Katrina Leckovic, Burnaby, BC, *79-77-156 +12
28. Bridget Dwyer, Riverside, CA, *77-79-156 +12
28. Julianna  Uhrik, Chandler, AZ, *75-81-156 +12
32. Michelle Lee (a), Mississauga, ON, *81-77-158 +14
32. Pamela Burneski (a), Surrey, BC, *81-77-158 +14
32. Kirby Dreher, Fort St. John, BC, *81-77-158 +14
32. Adrienne White, Red Deer, AB, *80-78-158 +14
36. Victoria(Jisu) Choi (a), Langley, BC, *82-77-159 +15
36. Sylvie Schetagne, Delson, *81-78-159 +15
36. Katie Ferguson, Minett, ON, *79-80-159 +15
36. Jaclyn Burch, Satellite Beach, FL, *79-80-159 +15
36. Jill Hardy (a), Winnipeg, MB, *78-81-159 +15
36. Lindsey Edmunds, London, ON, *78-81-159 +15
36. Brittany Johnston, Akron, OH, *75-84-159 +15
43. Kathleen Robinson, Alexandria, VA, *79-81-160 +16
43. Karen Davies, Carefree, AZ, *79-81-160 +16
43. Shayna Miyajima, San Diego, CA, *79-81-160 +16
46. Ashley Hogg, North Vancouver, BC, *81-80-161 +17
46. Kira Meixner (a), Richmond, BC, *82-79-161 +17
46. Nicole Zhang (a), Calgary, AB, *81-80-161 +17
46. Sandra Comadina, Vancouver, BC, *78-83-161 +17
50. Rebecca Lee-Bentham (a), North York, ON, *85-77-162 +18
50. Stacey Bieber, Winnipeg, MB, *80-82-162 +18
52. Jessica Schneider, Elgin, IL, *82-81-163 +19
52. Raman  Saran, Calgary, AB, *81-82-163 +19
52. Julie Tomlinson, Phoenix, AZ, *79-84-163 +19
55. Elise Brandt, Milner, BC, *87-77-164 +20
55. Kim Carrington (a), Calgary, AB, *82-82-164 +20
55. Anne-Catherine Tanguay (a), Québec, QC, *81-83-164 +20
55. Lorna Evans-Miedema, Southern Pines, NC, *78-86-164 +20
59. Emma Calderone, Uxbridge, ON, *82-84-166 +22
59. Susan Choi, Orlando, FL, *81-85-166 +22
61. Melissa Mabanta (a), Langley, *83-84-167 +23
61. Kathryn McGarvey (a), North Vancouver, *81-86-167 +23
61. Jillian Wyne, Calgary, AB, *81-86-167 +23
64. Nicole Forshner, Banff, AB, *85-83-168 +24
64. Angel Sze (a), San Marino, CA, *85-83-168 +24
64. Kimberly Coleman, La Mesa, CA, *82-86-168 +24
64. Alison Quinlan (a), Victoria, BC, *82-86-168 +24
68. Jacklynn Miller, North Bay, ON, *85-84-169 +25
68. Tiffany Faucette, Ormond Beach, FL, *84-85-169 +25
70. Christin Thomson, Fort Frances, ON, *84-87-171 +27
70. Ahnna Kim (a), Coquitlam, BC, *84-87-171 +27
72. Alyssa Kwon (a), Richmond Hill, ON, *88-84-172 +28
73. Maggie Steciuk, London, ON, *85-88-173 +29
74. Sabina Imboden, Marbella Spain, *80-98-178 +34
75. Rhonda Carter, Calgary, AB, *89-93-182 +38
76. Erin Szekely, Bothell, WA, *86-99-185 +41
77. Jessica MacPhee (a), Langley, BC, *88-100-188 +44

--- MISSED CUT---
CUT. Shelly Stouffer, Nanoose Bay, BC, *+18
CUT. Jennifer Cornford, Vancouver, BC, *+19
CUT. Lindy Miyashiro, North Vancouver, BC, *+20
CUT. Carrie Dykstra, Phoenix, AZ, *+20
CUT. Connie Hang (a), Vancouver, BC, *+20
CUT. Claudine Foong, Aurora, ON, *+23
CUT. Christy Cheek, Eastman, GA, *+24
CUT. Stephanie Hayes, Concord, CA, *+25
CUT. Jo Anne Grove, Kelowna, BC, *+25
CUT. Kathryn McKenzie (a), Winnipeg, MB, *+33

--- DID NOT FINISH---
WD. Ashley Smith (a), Calgary, AB, *
DQ. Kristina Gargaro (a), Port Moody, BC, *