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Cheyenne Woods watches her tee shot on the 12th hole during a practice round for the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament in Pinehurst, N.C., Wednesday, June 18, 2014.
( AP Photo/Bob Leverone)
Syracuse, NY -- When the Symetra Tour rolls into Syracuse next week, the niece of the most famous golfer on the planet will be among the women competing for a Credit Union Classic championship.
Cheyenne Woods, 23, has played in 10 Symetra Tour events this year, her best finish a tie for fifth at the Decatur-Forsyth Classic. She has six top-30 finishes and made the cut in nine of 10 events she's played on Tour.
Woods made her professional debut two years ago at the Wegmans LPGA Championship, where she played on a sponsor's exemption. A graduate of Wake Forest University, she won the 2011 ACC Tournament by seven strokes. Her Wake scoring average of 73.31 was the lowest in school history. Her college coach, Dianne Dailey said two summers ago that Woods' strength lies in her determination and her irons and wedge play.
"She's a very good player," Dailey said. "She should be known for being a good player, not for who her family is."
Two years ago, Woods was ushered into a room full of Rochester reporters to discuss her debut. She was 21 and had just announced her intention to turn pro. Her dad, Earl Woods, Jr., is Tiger's brother.
"The most difficult thing, I would say, is dealing with the expectations and the pressure," Woods said then. "But I have been dealing with it for a long time. And so far I've been able to play my own game. That's mainly what I try to think about -- playing my own game and trying to do my own thing."
The Symetra Tour, the developmental tour of the LPGA, features 144 professional players who will compete for a $100,000 total purse. The Credit Union Classic presented by Wegmans will be held Aug. 1 to 3 at Drumlins Country Club.