University of Tennessee Athletics
Smith Joins LPGA Ranks
September 30, 2012 | Women's Golf
Sept. 30, 2012
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Former Tennessee golfer Nicole Smith became the fifth player in Lady Vol history to earn her LPGA card, as she finished ninth on the Symetra Tour's money list at the conclusion of the Daytona Beach Invitational Sunday.
Smith finished in a tie for fourth after shooting 1-under par 71 to card a three-round total of 8-under par (208), claiming her fifth top-10 finish this season and raising her final earnings to $32,536.
The Riverside, Calif., native was joined by her father Marc, who caddied for her, as well as her mother, Michelle, and 92-year-old grandmother, Arlus Barnes, at the end of the tournament.
The top-10 money winners from the Symetra Tour were awarded with equal, exempt status on the LPGA Tour for the 2013 season. Joining Smith as in the winner's circle is Esther Choe ($50,293), Paolo Moreno ($45,547), Victoria Elizabeth ($43,416), Thidapa Suwannapura ($41,905), Mi Hyang Lee ($38,786), Julia Boland ($37,142), Jenny Gleason ($35,592), Jenny Suh ($33,467) and Sara Maude-Juneau ($32,164).
In her third Symetra Tour, Smith was the only player in the top 10 on the money list to make the cut in all 15 tournaments. Throughout the season, Smith led all players in the Symetra Tour in birdies and greens in regulation.
Smith, who graduated from Tennessee in 2009, joins the ranks of Angela Oh, Jessica Shepley, Young-A Yang and Violeta Retamoza as the only Lady Vols to play in the LPGA.
The 10 players will take part in a ceremony that will be webcast at 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 1, at ustream.tv/lpga.
