Ashley Bickerton's goal is a career on the LPGA Tour.
The 19-year-old from Kanata was hoping to get a taste of the big time this summer, but came up short in the fight for an exemption into the BMO Financial Group Canadian Women's Open next month in Halifax.
Bickerton was the low amateur at Tuesday's BMO Financial Group's Canadian Women's Tour event at Rivermead, her home course these days, but that wasn't enough to get her one of the six exemptions based on points earned on the tour.
"I'm getting a new putter, something more suitable," said Bickerton. "I didn't make anything. I've been using a centre-shafted putter for a few years and it's been good to me, but it's time for a change."
That's been the theme for Bickerton the last couple of years as she's been climbing the ranks. She'll enter her junior year at the University of Washington this fall where she's been in a battle for playing time, but has benefited from being able to play 12 months of the year.
This summer, she's a member of Canada's national amateur team and just returned from England where she played in the British Ladies Amateur (she failed to advance to match play).
After working with local pro Marc Peterson, she's now working with Olympia, Wash.-based Joe Thiel, named one of Golf Magazine's top regional teachers (he coached Se Ri Pak for six years).
She'll be heading back to Washington to work with him for a week or so next month as Bickerton's now set her sights on the Royale Cup, the national women's amateur championship.
She finished tied for sixth last year.
HEAR AND THERE: Pierre-Luc Caron of Kingsway Park turned in a round of 70 and Gil Fraser of Hylands and Pat Mullins of Royal Ottawa carded 71s at Tecumseh to qualify for the Alexander of Tunis, the first of Golf Quebec's big three amateur tourneys, July 10-11 at Royal Ottawa ... The qualifying round for the Cynergy/Etto Amateur Championship will be held July 4 on the Red Course at Royal Montreal ... Tuned into the Barclay's Classic Thursday (TSN was picking up the feed from the USA Network) and was pleased to see it took only 25 minutes for the first mention of Ian Leggatt. Not that a Canadian who is struggling to come back off an injury should warrant much attention, especially with Ryan Moore making his pro debut, but there was the small fact that Leggatt's name was at the top of the leaderboard ... There's an OVGA Senior Field Day on Monday at Upper Canada ... Susan Pearl of Rideau View was the top local performer with a T4 at Golf Quebec's Nevada Bob's Golf Ladies Mid-Amateur Championship at the Whitlock Golf Club in Hudson Heights. Pearl had an 80 while the winner was Mary Ann Lapointe with a 2-under-par 74. Nicole Lauzier of Buckingham was T19 with an 89 ... Manotick's Brad Fritsch slipped to 12th on the Canadian Tour's Order of Merit ($25,061) after last week's tournament in Victoria. Ottawa's Lee Curry had his best finish of the year (T29, including a third-round 65) and is currently 64th on the Order of Merit ($3,492).
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT: Kyle Tobin of Rideau View turned in a 74 to top the field at the OVGA Junior Field Day at Pembroke Shores G.C. That was two shots better than Jeff Ivall of the Carleton Golf and Yacht Club and Jordan McMahon of Brockville. Tied at 77 were Bowie Abbis-Mills of Mississippi, Alex Gibson of Ottawa Hunt, Ryan Sevigny of Rideau View and Travis Smith of Smiths Falls. Rounding out the top 10 were Ben Hunter of Ottawa Hunt, Corey Ryan of Greensmere and Patrick Sears of Ottawa Hunt, all at 78. The juniors will have another OVGA Field Day on Wednesday at Prescott ... At the CPGA Ottawa Junior Challenge Tour Junior Masters at Iroquois, Jeremiah Wood topped the field with a 72, three shots better than Steven Knapp, Brennan Smith and Mitchell Vandenhanenberg. Kate Burnett ran away with the girls' division with a 79, followed at 87 by Alison Timlin, Breanne Williams and Megan Zalewski. In the boys' 14-and-under, Steven Hass was tops with a 76 followed by Jeffrey Dagg, Jonny Parker and Elliott Riddell at 82.
TAP-INS: Rivermead would like to celebrate its centennial by hosting the 2010 Canadian Women's Open, but it's believed the LPGA has issues with the routing of the course. The specific problem is the ninth hole doesn't finish up at the clubhouse. Players tee off on both the first and 10th holes on Thursday and Friday of tournament week, so finishing their rounds away from the clubhouse is an inconvenience they don't need.
