EBS STAFF
On May 14, after carding a 1-under-par 70 in her first LPGA qualifying tournament on the River Course at the Kingsmill Resort, Dorsey Addicks tied for first in a field of 36 golfers, clinching a spot in the LPGA tour’s Kingsmill Championship.
While she missed the cut during a rain-soaked tournament, Addicks’ spirits were still high when Explore Big Sky caught up with the 23-year-old athlete on May 22. Addicks discussed her swing, her recent success, and her ambition to make it onto the LPGA tour.
Explore Big Sky: Last year, you qualified for the Symetra Tour, the official developmental tour of the LPGA. What are your goals for this season on the Symetra tour?
Dorsey Addicks: Well, the big goal is to finish top 10 on the Symetra Tour’s money list and receive a full status LPGA card. But my main focus is on finishing top 80 on the money list so that I have full Symetra status next year. I believe that the Symetra Tour will provide me with the competition and experience to continue to refine my game and prepare me for the LPGA. I would love to receive my LPGA card tomorrow, but I think spending a year or so on the Symetra Tour is also valuable to my development.
EBS: Where are you living when you’re not competing?
D.A.: Currently, I am living in St. Simons, Georgia, near my instructor Gale Peterson at the Sea Island Performance Center. It’s been a great location to play and practice during the Montana winter. Since this is my first year on tour I am not sure how this summer and fall will look. Ideally, my weeks off would be spent at home in Big Sky practicing at the local courses.
EBS: How did it feel to qualify for your first LPGA event so early in your career?
D.A.: It was quite the experience. When I qualified on Monday, I could not stop smiling. So far, this was probably one of the best days of my golf career. My goal is to compete on the LPGA tour and to be able to qualify to play this early in my career is awesome. I have been putting in a lot of work on my game this past year and this was just confirmation that I am headed in the right direction.
EBS: What was it like to compete against the best female golfers in the world?
D.A.: Honestly, it felt like just another golf tournament but with more ropes and spectators. The only time I was nervous was on the first tee both days. I did not grow up idolizing these women so I did not have that “aah” factor while inside the ropes. It was a great venue and the hospitality was world class.
EBS: What parts of your game are you trying to improve?
D.A.: I am always working on my swing and just trying to make it more consistent. I recently put the new TaylorMade M3 driver in my bag, which has been a tremendous improvement over my old driver. I have mostly been focusing on my accuracy and ball control.
EBS: What events are you competing in next?
D.A.: I am currently in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, for the Valley Forge Invitational on the Symetra Tour. This will be my first Symetra event. After that I may play in a few more LPGA Monday qualifiers and hopefully I’ll start to get into more Symetra events. It is tough this year to plan my schedule out in advance because I do not have the best Symetra status.
