Maude-Aimee Leblanc graduates to LPGA

[sjmcampbell]

The Symetra Tour season is over and Maude-Aimee Leblanc has finished 6th on the money list, earning her an LPGA card for next year.

Here is a link to details about all 10 of the Symetra Tour graduates:

https://www.symetratour.com/news/2021/meet-the-2021-symetra-tour-graduates

No. 6 Maude-Aimee Leblanc (Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada) - $94,188

Two years ago, Maude-Aimee Leblanc announced her retirement from professional golf on social media, saying, “I decided to retire from professional golf forever. Over time, I realized it wasn’t my dream.” It is safe to say the coronavirus pandemic rekindled that competitive itch for Leblanc and established a new set of dreams, some of which she chased down as a Symetra Tour graduate.

Leblanc played the weekend 15 times in 18 starts this season with 14 top-25 finishes including nine top 10s. She recorded a season-best result of runner-up on three occasions. The 32-year-old Canadian led the Symetra Tour in par-5 scoring (4.600), was second in scoring average (70.060) and in par-4 scoring (3.982), and fifth in average driving distance (285.190 yards). Leblanc first earned LPGA Tour Membership through her finish in the 2011 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament.

Leblanc on earning 2022 LPGA Tour Membership: “It’s pretty surreal. A couple years ago, I wasn’t sure if I would ever play competitively again. To be here, getting back my LPGA Tour card after probably the best season in my career, there’s no words to describe the emotions. The journey has been grueling and this game knocks you down, but I’m proud to see what all my perseverance and hard work accomplished.”

[rgk5]

Good for her. She has been there before and hopefully will stay, this time.

[4wedges]

Congrats to her for fighting her way back. Hopefully she can have a good year and stay there.

[sjmcampbell]

Maude-Aimee shot a 67 for her first round of the season at the Gainbridge LPGA and has a share of 4th. Brooke is one shot back (T11).
https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/gai...ga/leaderboard

It is worth noting that, as a Symetra Tour Top 10 graduate, she does not have to worry about reshuffles, so the stress that the Q-School graduates have (needing to score a spot in the reshuffle early) isn't there or at least is less.

January 27, 2022


Maude-Aimee Leblanc


Boca Raton, Florida, USA

Boca Rio Golf Club

Quick Quotes



Q. All right, Maude, first round done of the 2022 season. How you feeling after the first day of Gainbridge?

MAUDE-AIMEE LEBLANC: Really good. I mean, it was pretty consistent today. It was a nice continuation to last year, which is what I wanted. Even if I felt like I left putts out there, it was a solid tee-to-green all around game.

Yeah, I'm very happy.

Q. I know we've seen you out here before, but any nerves walking up to the first tee?

MAUDE-AIMEE LEBLANC: Yeah, for sure. The adrenaline was there. I was hitting every club longer today. Yeah, the adrenaline was definitely there, the excitement. And the crowd, I mean, was very supportive, so always adds a little bit of pressure but also more fun, too.

Q. Definitely we're used to seeing a lot of Canadian fans following Brooke, and now we see a contingent following you as well. How much does that mane you feel more comfortable here in the Boca Raton?

MAUDE-AIMEE LEBLANC: Yeah, definitely. There are a lot of snow birds down here and they like their golf, so it was nice to see them out here today.

Q. You said a round like this kind of proves all the work you've done this past season leading up to this year really paid off. Do you think that?

MAUDE-AIMEE LEBLANC: Honestly I didn't prepare the way I wanted to for this tournament because I had COVID a few week ago and I was on my back for couple weeks, so I guess I didn't have any expectations this week and it helped.

Q. What did you work on? Once you were able to get over that sickness what did you work on heading into this week that you think really shined, if anything?

MAUDE-AIMEE LEBLANC: Yeah, made some adjustments on my clubs actually because I recently changed irons. The lies and the lofts were a little bit off so I had -- my striking was off because of that.

Paul helped me this week sort that out, and my divots were 100% better and the ball striking was better, too. I got my distance back, so that made a huge difference. Before that it wasn't pretty.

Q. Coming off today, what will you take heading into Friday's round?

MAUDE-AIMEE LEBLANC: Just keep doing what I'm doing. Just trying to stay loose out here. Sometimes I get a little tense and my swing gets a little shorter, so just try to avoid that tomorrow and stay loose.


FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

[sjmcampbell]

Here is the interview with Maude-Aimee after the first round of the JTBC Classic. She shot a 68, including 9 birdies, 4 bogeys and a double.

Apparently, she went to Montreal for a few weeks. Turns out, her local simulators had the Aviara Golf Club as an option, so she played it 10 times.

---

JTBC CLASSIC PRESENTED BY BARBASOL


March 24, 2022


Maude-Aimee Leblanc


Carlsbad, California, USA

Aviara Golf Club

Quick Quotes



Q. Here with Maude-Aimee LeBlanc after a 4-under 68. You had a day. Ten holes without a par. Just walk us through your front nine.

MAUDE-AIMEE LEBLANC: Yeah, I don't think that ever happened to me before. Yeah, just hitting good shots. Couple three-putts; those were the bogeys. But just giving myself chances.

And, yeah, I mean, out here it's -- the shorter putts are the tougher ones because it's poa. I know everyone, it's the same for everyone. I just got roll with it and stay confident.

Q. Did you know what was going on when all that was happening, like did you have the count in your head, or were you blissfully unaware?

MAUDE-AIMEE LEBLANC: I (indiscernible at one point. Yeah, I did. Yeah, I just focused on staying loose and trying to have no tension in my arms and shoulders and hands, and that's usually key for me to make good swings.

Q. You said the bogeys were three-putts. Let's count them up. Six, eight birdies in a stretch of ten holes. Had you ever had something like that happen to you before? What have you been working on to get to that point?

MAUDE-AIMEE LEBLANC: I don't think so. I mean, nothing really. It's just, it's all mental. Like I said, I just focused on nothing technique, just staying relaxed.

My putting has been really good for a while now, so I know I can rely on that. I mean, to win out here you have to make a lot of putts, so I feel that was key for my round today.

Q. What kind of confidence does that kind of a round give you, being able to grind through the madness heading into the rest of the week?

MAUDE-AIMEE LEBLANC: Uh-huh, yeah, gives me really good confidence. Like I said, just I feel like I just have to keep doing what I'm doing and try not to put too much pressure on myself.

Easier said than done.

Q. Have you taken some time off heading into this week?

MAUDE-AIMEE LEBLANC: Yeah, felt like a second off-season actually, so I did take a lot time off. Went to Canada for three weeks and practiced on simulators up there.

Funny enough, in the simulators they had Aviara Country Club, so I played it like ten times when I was up there. I felt pretty comfortable out there.

Q. Did it hold up to its digital counterpart?

MAUDE-AIMEE LEBLANC: It did. It was less windy up there, but everything else was pretty much the same.

Q. I don't think that's very common here. Obviously in Montréal, in Canada right now, it's very cold I would imagine. You don't hear of a lot of players playing golf courses on simulators before they come play it. Is that something you had done prior that helped you, or...

MAUDE-AIMEE LEBLANC: No, I had never done it before. I just felt like I wanted to be home with family, and, yeah, it just happened that this course was on the simulator. So I thought, well, might as well play it and just try to get comfortable with it.

Yeah, I feel like -- I feel like it did help, funny enough. Might just be in my head. I don't know.

Q. Mindset heading into the rest of the week?

MAUDE-AIMEE LEBLANC: I mean, obviously I want a good finish. I'm trying to improve my ranking whenever I can.

Yeah, I mean, again, I try not to think about it too much, though, and just try to stay relaxed out there. That's going to be my focus for the week.


FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

[Mr22putt]

After holding the lead at -7....MAL gagged coming home with a double (par 5) and bogey.

[sjmcampbell]

She finished this week in T4, two back.

Her two top tens so far this year has earned her a trip to Rancho Mirage for the Chevron Championship this week in the Current Year Points List category. This is the last time they will be playing at Rancho Mirage as the Championship (previously known as the ANA Inspiration) moves to Texas next year.

[4wedges]

Nice to see her have another high finish. Hopefully it’s a sign of things to come.

[Bellyhungry]

Maude-Aimee is T3 going into the final round at the Scottish Open.

[ProAc_Fan]

You can watch the 4th round on Fox Sports 505 if you've got an IPTV

[Ignatius Reilly]

You can watch the 4th round on Fox Sports 505 if you've got an IPTV

Also on Golf Channel right now.

She and Lydia Ko are stuck on even par thru 7 and drifting backwards while some others go low.

Still at T5 and plenty of holes to go.

[ProAc_Fan]

Also on Golf Channel right now.

She and Lydia Ko are stuck on even par thru 7 and drifting backwards while some others go low.

Still at T5 and plenty of holes to go.

Oh interesting..I had GC on earlier and they were airing some DP Tour event.

[Ignatius Reilly]

Also on Golf Channel right now.

She and Lydia Ko are stuck on even par thru 7 and drifting backwards while some others go low.

Still at T5 and plenty of holes to go.

Tough finish and a lousy break for double on 12.

Finished the round at even par to end up T8 - which is great - but it looked like she was going to do more.

Never had a chance when Furue went -10 on the final round, yikes!

Anyways, a positive tourney for her.

I had to look it up, but LeBlanc is 6'1". She looks so tall out there.

[ProAc_Fan]

I realize the course the ladies play is easier but i was amazed at the short iron play from the leaders. Wish MAL could have had a better Sunday but nothing to be embarrassed about.

[4wedges]

I realize the course the ladies play is easier but i was amazed at the short iron play from the leaders. Wish MAL could have had a better Sunday but nothing to be embarrassed about.

Yup, it was a tough Sunday but a nice top 10 finish. Hopefully she gains confidence from this and goes on to better finishes.