
Watch: Upside down shot has to be the best across all professional golf tours on Sunday
Watch: Upside down shot has to be the best across all professional golf tours on Sunday
Laura Wearn finished off the Epson Tour's Carlisle Arizona Women's Golf Classic with an epic hole-out for eagle on Sunday. But it wasn't just that she pitched in from off the green. It's how she did it – from the left side with her club turned upside down.
Wearn's second shot landed short left up against a water hazard. Rather than stand in the hazard, Wearn got creative from the rough. The 34-year-old, who was pushing her own cart, made the impossible look quite simple. That it was actually caught on camera was also rather remarkable.
"This is the best thing I've seen all year," posted Amelia Garvey on the tour's social media post.
"I just threw my phone down and started clapping for you," added Leslie Cloots.
The closing eagle certainly helped a rough back nine that included three double-bogeys. A final-round 74 gave Wearn a T-32 finish in the Scottsdale event, won by major champion Sophia Popov. A three-time winner on the Epson Tour, Wearn first joined the developmental tour in 2014.

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USA Today
8 hours ago
- USA Today
LPGA Hall of Famer calls for more to speak out against trans athletes in girls sports
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Last week, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles made headlines when she called NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines a 'bully' and 'sore loser' for her criticism of biological boys competing in women's sports – in this particular instance, a high school state championship. Four days later, Biles apologized for her comments. 'In my mind, all I could think about is if a transgender woman started competing in what she (Biles) does, I think they could dominate,' said King, 'without a doubt.' Last December, the LPGA and U.S. Golf Association announced changes to their transgender policies that prohibit athletes who have experienced male puberty from competing in women's events. The move came as transgender golfer Hailey Davidson earned status on the LPGA's developmental Epson Tour. Sources say only a handful of LPGA players were in favor of allowing transgender athletes to compete. Even so, for King, the fight is far from over. Now she'd like to see a federal law put into place that would restrict the participation of biological males in female sports. In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that called on the government to "rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities." But that hasn't kept it from happening at high school competitions across the country. President Trump said last week that California would face large-scale fines after a transgender athlete won two medals in the state's track and field championship. 'I just feel badly for the high school girls that have to face it,' said King. 'You know, I've seen a couple of them on TV talking about it. And it really bothers me that the adults haven't stood up for these girls as much as they should.' As for the LPGA's new policy, King would like to see the tour return to a female-at-birth mandate, calling the trend of childhood transitions frightening. "I don't know that at 7 years old, if you really know what you are, who you are, or know what you want to do, to make a decision that will impact you the rest of your life," said King. "We don't listen to many 7-year-olds about a lot of things, right? That you would decide to listen to them about this is kind of frightening." A New York Times/Ipsos survey released in January 2025 found that 79 percent of Americans polled were against allowing biological males who identify as women to participate in women's sports. And yet, so few Hall of Fame-caliber female athletes have come out publicly against it. King, 69, posts frequently about the topic on social media and was especially disheartened recently when, during a floor debate on the Save Women's Sports Act, Pennsylvania state senator Lindsey Williams said, 'I want all girls to know that there are elected officials like me who believe female bodies are just as strong and fast and capable as male bodies.' King said she found Williams' comments to be ridiculous and went searching to confirm they weren't a parody. Five years ago, tennis icon Billie Jean King joined World Cup champion Megan Rapinoe, the WNBA's Candace Parker and nearly 200 athletes in supporting transgender youth participation in sports as part of a response to Idaho legislation that banned trans girls from competing in schools. 'There is no place in any sport for discrimination of any kind,' Billie Jean King said in a Women's Sports Foundation release. 'I'm proud to support all transgender athletes who simply want the access and opportunity to compete in the sport they love. The global athletic community grows stronger when we welcome and champion all athletes – including LGBTQI+ athletes.' Another tennis icon, Martina Navratilova, however, sees it differently than Billie Jean and has been vocal about the subject for years. She's one of the few decorated female athletes to do so. Growing up, Betsy King didn't have the same opportunities as her brother to play organized sports. As a three-sport athlete at Furman, King recalled going to the president's office each year with other female athletes to ask for more money. Female athletes stood up more back then, she noted, out of necessity. Some in King's circle and beyond have commented that there are more pressing issues currently facing the country. Her response: It's possible to be concerned about more than one subject. For example, in September, she'll head back to Africa for the umpteenth time (26th or 27th, she's not sure) to check in on some schools her Arizona church funds in Tanzania. After winning 34 times on the LPGA, King launched her Golf Fore Africa foundation in 2007 and raised roughly $20 million for World Vision, enough to fund 400 wells, at least 50 mechanized water systems and eight maternity wings for local hospitals. Though her work with the foundation has come to an end, she's finding more ways to use her platform. 'You know, I have nothing to lose,' said King on the divisive gender topic. 'I don't have any sponsorships at this stage. I've always been kind of outspoken and strong about values that I think even if I were playing, I would speak up.' Her mother, Helen Szymkowicz King, graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1940 and was elected into the university's Athletic Hall of Fame as a three-sport athlete. King looks at how much the landscape has changed for women's sports in recent decades and views the transgender debate as a step backward. 'Many of us fought for places to compete when none existed,' King said. 'We cannot surrender our sports or our spaces.' Put another way by one of golf's most decorated American players: It's simply not fair.


USA Today
16 hours ago
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Epson Tour heads to new territory in Michigan this week
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'Bringing the Epson Tour to The Heather Golf Course at The Highlands at Harbor Springs will have a big impact on the Petoskey area and the northern Michigan region,' said Great Lakes Sports Commission Executive Director, Eric Marvin. 'The expansion of the Tour's Michigan stretch will not only showcase the unparalleled beauty and unique charm of northern Michigan but also promises to create significant economic impact and international exposure. We are confident that adding another high-profile Epson Tour event will enhance our reputation as a premier destination for golf and we look forward to welcoming the world's top women's golfers to northern Michigan in 2025.' The inaugural field of the Great Lakes Championship will feature many of the top Epson Tour's current top points leaders, including the top five. Current No. 1 with 1,176 points, Gina Kim, will be included in the field, with two wins to her credit already this season. The field will also include second ranked Sophia Schubert and third ranked Laetitia Beck, both with over $200,000 in career earnings. Yana Wilson, an 18-year-old with four career top 10 finishes and a May victory to her credit, will also be in the field, along with No. 5 ranked Minji Kang, who currently leads the Epson Tour with five top 10 finishes in eight events. All-Americans: Golfweek's 2024-25 Women's College Golf All-Americans Michigan natives will also take part in tournament, including BOYNE Golf ambassador and East Kentwood graduate, Sarah White. With an average driving distance of 270.48 yards, White is currently the Epson Tour leader. The former Western Michigan and Texas State golfer earned a 2014 MHSAA Division 1 state championship at East Kentwood and has been with the Epson Tour since 2020. Many of the current top golfers of the LPGA Tour have made their way to the top ranks through the Epson Tour, including current LPGA No. 1, Nelly Korda. Korda has 15 career wins and over $15 million in career earnings. LPGA standouts Inbee Park and Lorena Ochoa are also former Epson Tour competitors, among others. More information on the Great Lakes Championship can be found at: Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@ Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
First-time Epson Tour winner crowned at 2025 FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship
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