Tubert finishes even in second round

ROGERS, Ark. – University of Arkansas junior-to-be Emily Tubert fired a second round even par 71 at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Ark., Saturday.

The Burbank, Calif., native is playing on a sponsor’s exemption for the second consecutive year and is in the clubhouse with a 144.  She awaits a possible cut to Sunday’s play at the conclusion of today’s second flight.

Tubert opened play in the morning flight from the 10th hole and made seven consecutive pars to start her day.

In several cases throughout the round, Tubert hit the ball well off the tee but her putter just wasn’t as sharp as the Razorback would like.

“Today shooting even was hard,” Tubert said.  “I hit the ball so well today but I could not make a putt.  The first three holes, I missed three putts inside eight feet.  You can’t do that and play against the world’s best players.  It’s interesting; this is really just another tournament.  This experience tells me that I belong and that I can do this.”

“This is just such an awesome opportunity for Emily,” head coach Shauna Estes-Taylor said. “To gain this experience is so valuable and to test her game at this level of competition is amazing.  She burned a lot of edges today and just couldn’t get a putt to fall.  It’s just awesome to watch my girls play this week.”

On her fifth hole of the day (No. 14), Tubert launched a shot over the fountain and it hit within a foot of the pin.  The ball spun back leaving her with a six-footer.  She two-putted for a par.

Tubert moved across the street to the island green on the 16th hole and placed a perfect tee shot within two feet of the pin but her birdie putt lipped out and she again saved par.

As the gallery moved to 17, Razorback fans Called the Hogs and the spirit boosted Tubert who picked up her first birdie of the day.  She put her tee shot close to the pin and got the birdie putt to fall as the large crowd cheered her on.

Tubert turned one-under and stayed that way until a bit of trouble on the second nine.  She would bogey three of the next four holes with a birdie mixed in moving to one-over with four holes to play.

She posted back-to-back bogeys on the second and third holes (her 11th and 12th) of the round.  Tubert’s tee shot was fine but she pulled her second shot left of the fairway and had to punch out to get out of trouble.  She rallied with a good fourth shot close to the pin but her par putt rolled over the cup and wouldn’t fall.

Tubert moved on to her 12th hole and  struck her tee shot thick as it sailed right of the pin on the par three.  She had to jump a bunker and didn’t get the roll she was hoping for as she moved to one-over.

The wind and heat became factors in the second nine but Tubert made the most of it on the par four No. 4 hole.  She was the longest in her group off the tee and right in the middle of the fairway.  Her second shot lifted over the pin but the back spin carried it back and it almost dropped for the eagle.  Instead, she made the short putt for birdie.

But Tubert gave it right back on the 14th hole of the round with a bogey on No. 5.  She mishit a wedge and couldn’t get the par putt to fall.

Her score would hold until the 16th hole when she pushed her tee shot left into a large, long and narrow bunker.  She was on the front edge of the hazard and hit her second shot out into the fairway.  Tubert was on the green in three but hand a long 15 foot putt to make birdie.  She hit the ball and it looked like it might run out of steam but it was struck well and fell in for the birdie moving her back to even where she would finish.