LPGA CLASSIC Casi qualifies for drive contest

The East Palestine native and YSU student will defend her title Tuesday.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
VIENNA -- Alexandra Casi, an East Palestine native, earned the right to defend her title in the Schwebel's Amateur Long Drive Contest next week during the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic at Squaw Creek Country Club.
Saturday, Casi, who is attending Youngstown State University, led the field of eight qualifiers with a drive of 230 yards on a soft, wet driving range at Squaw Creek.
Casi's drive, the only one of four that she kept in bounds at the competition, bested runner-up Pat Milton of Munroe Falls by 10 yards.
Because of the wet conditions that produced very little roll, only Casi and Milton, whose best drive was 220 yards, passed the 200-yard mark.
The top four finishers in Saturday's qualifier will compete in the Schwebel's Long Drive Contest Tuesday at 2 p.m. from the No. 1 tee at Squaw Creek.
The four amateurs will compete against each other, while in the professional division, six LPGA members will battle for $6,000 in prizes.
Those competing in the professional event are Sherri Turner, Wendy Doolan, Jean Bartholomew, Annette DeLuca, Candie Kung and Caroline Blaylock.
The other two amateur qualifiers included Katie Dick of New Middletown, who qualified with a drive of 198 yards, while the fourth spot went to Kristen DiGaetano of Gibsonia, Pa., who had a best drive of 193 yards.
Casi's top qualifying drive was no where near the 282-yard drive that she had to win last year's event.
"I was trying to draw the ball today to get more roll, but I just wasn't doing it," Casi said. "The one drive I did keep in play, I hit straight, and if I had drawn it I would have had a lot more distance."
Last year, Casi also tried to qualify to play in the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic, but shot an 8-over-par 80 in the Monday event and didn't make it.
Moving around
Casi accepted a full golf scholarship to the University of Maryland last fall, but after a couple of weeks didn't like where she was and transferred to YSU.
She doesn't think that YSU is the place for her either and expects to be transferring again shortly.
"It's [YSU] just not what I want," Casi said. "I don't know where I'm going yet, but it will definitely be for golf."
When she came to YSU, she took a track scholarship and competed with the Penguins this past winter and spring.
She said she's been playing a lot of golf and just recently competed in her first tournament, the Kenny Novak junior event.
The other four qualifiers are Marilyn Woods of Hubbard, who finished fifth; Sue Parker of Youngstown, sixth; Mary Kane of Hubbard, seventh;; and Elrin Odell of Hudson, eighth.
Alyson Winich of the Schwebel's Baking Company was on hand to direct the qualifier along with Giant Eagle Tournament Manager Tim Wicinski.