DAYTONA BEACH, FL | Yu Liu saved her best for last and posted the strongest finish of her 2015 Symetra Tour Season during the Symetra Tour Championship at LPGA International's Jones Course with B.J. Pitzen on her bag. Liu's tie for 14th place bested her previous showing by four places.
Liu's consistent play and 2-under par 70 put her into a tie for twelfth place after round one of the Symetra Tour Championship. Thursday was the first round of competition Liu and Tour Caddy B.J. Pitzen teamed up together; Pitzen helped Liu finish with 28 putts after hitting 10 out of 14 fairways and 12 greens in regulation. Liu also got up and down six out of six times despite a 3-putt bogey on the 13th hole. Liu's birdies came at Nos. 3, 9 and 18 respectively after draining putts of 10, four and seven feet. The cut after round one fell at 2-over par while the leaders, Cydney Clanton, Catherine O'Donnel and Sherman Santiwiwatthanphong, each fired 6-under par 66's.
After three-putting No. 10 en route to a bogey, Liu played her remaining 17 holes 5-under and fired 68 to sit at 6-under 138 after 36 holes. Pitzen helped Liu hit 13 greens in regulation and only 26 putts with 73 feet of made putts while getting up-and-down 5-out-of-5 times. Liu sat in a tie for seventh place while the cut came at 3-over 147 with 77 players heading into weekend play. The leader, Su Oh, fired 7-under 65 on Friday to jump into the lead at 12-under 132.
Liu's hot start on moving day yielded a 3-under 33 going out and her birdie on No. 10 put her in double digits for the first time. However, Liu's untimely bogeys on Nos. 12, 16 and 18 gave her a 2-under 70 to move into solo seventh place at 8-under 208 after 54-holes. Liu's third round included 27 putts, 82 feet of made putts, 11 GIR, 7 Fairways, and 5-out-of-7 up and downs. The leader, Catherine O'Donnell, sits at 13-under while three players (Brianna Do, Su Oh and Cydney Clanton) are tied for second at 10-under.
Liu finished with a 2-over 74 in Sunday's windy conditions to give her a 6-under 282 total and her best performance of the Symetra Tour season. Sherman Santiwiwatthanphong's 14-under 274 total gave her the victory.