Current, Future, Former Hogs Qualify for Walmart Northwest Arkansas Championship

Featured, Golf | June 18, 2013 by Sporting Life Arkansas | 0 Comments

Conway High School’s Summar Roachell qualifies for the Walmart Northwest Arkansas Championship

Conway High School graduate and future Razorback Summar Roachell and University of Arkansas golfer Emma Lavy both qualified as amateurs for the Walmart Northwest Arkansas Championship this week.

Breanna Elliott, an Australian native, won a spot in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G by shooting a 70 in Monday’s Qualifier. Elliott, a member of the Australian National Team, won several events in her native Australia and won the 2012 Trans National Amateur Championship in South Carolina. She missed out on full LPGA Tour status after being bounced in the seven-player playoff at the Final Stage of Q School.

Stacey Keating and Sophia Sheridan participated in a playoff after both shooting a 71. Keating won the playoff on the 15 hole to earn the second qualifying spot. Seventeen players competed in the 18-hole qualifier, including Conway High School graduate and future Razorback Summar Roachell and University of Arkansas golfer Emma Lavy. Former Razorback Alex Schulte also qualified.

Emma Lavy, a senior-to-be for the Razorbacks, fired a 73 in the rain-soaked event while freshman-to-be Roachell counted a 77 in her first ever professional qualifier. Schulte posted a 74. Lavy was just three strokes off the lead and two from the qualifying spot. She finished tied for fifth overall. Schulte’s 74 tied her for eighth while Roachell was 13th.

“This was a great experience and opportunity for our players one to compete in this environment and to to test their games against the best players in the world,” Arkansas head coach Shauna Estes-Taylor said. “I always tell them there is nothing more valuable that competition and to see Emma get so much better each and every day is fantastic. She birded her last hole to shoot 73 and she is getting closer and closer and its really fun to see her progress. She has grown so much over the last four years and is more comfortable in this experience.

“For Summar, it is just the beginning of stuff she is going to be able to do and it was some really good stuff,” said Estes-Taylor.

Sophomore-to-be Gabriela Lopez was granted a sponsor’s exemption and will play Friday in the event. She joins former Razorback Stacy Lewis trying to make the 17th hole “The Loudest in Women’s Golf” as fans are encouraged to Call the Hogs when players approach.

The Walmart Northwest Arkansas Championships takes place in Rogers, Ark. at Pinnacle Country Club. Daily tickets are available for $15, valid any one day Friday, June 21 – Sunday, June 23. Weekly ground passes, valid all week, can be purchased for $30. Tickets are on-sale now at www.nwachampionship.com or (479) 715-6100 ext. 7. Admission is free to the public Monday, June 17 – Thursday, June 20. Children 17 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult.

Breanna Elliott, 70 Q

Stacey Keating, 71 Q*

Sophia Sheridan, 71

Meredith Duncan, 72

Paula Reto, 73

Emma Lavy (a), 73

Hanna Kang, 73

Alex Schulte, 74

Shang-Fan Huang, 74

Courtney Harter, 75

Kimberly Kim, 75

Ai-Chen Kuo, 75