Carling Coffing
MIDDLETOWN — Carling Coffing is excited to be home.
The Middletown native will be competing today, June 11, in the opening round of the Teva Championship at The Golf Center at Kings Island in Mason.
She returned to her hometown earlier this week to prepare for the Duramed Futures Tour’s local stop.
She was in Iowa last week at the Ladies Titan Tire Challenge, where she finished tied for 61st.
“I’m really enjoying being on the road and traveling this year,” Coffing said while on her way home from the Pro-Am event Wednesday. “But this week I get to sleep in my own bed and be at home to play with my dog.”
She’s also got a new traveling partner. Carmen Bandea, a third-year player on the tour, and Coffing have been traveling together.
“We’re watching out for each other and waiting for our games to take off,” said Coffing, also in her third season with the tour.
This year, Coffing has competed in six events — making the cut in three — with a top finish of tied for 30th in March at the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic in Winter Haven, Fla., where she carded back-to-back 73s for a 146 total.
“I’m excited,” Coffing said about her start this season. “I’m making some cuts, but I haven’t had any big finishes yet.
“This is a game of inches, and I’m waiting for the inches to go in the right direction,” she added.
Coffing’s best finish in three years on the tour came in 2008 when she tied for 11th at the Alliance Bank Golf Classic in Syracuse, N.Y.
Coffing will tee off at 1:50 p.m. today on the No. 10 hole. Her playing partners are Danah Ford Bordner of Indiana and Benedikte Grotvedt of Norway.
When she begins play, Coffing, a Type 1 diabetic, also will be trying out a new insulin pump made by her new sponsor, Medtronics.
“It’s a continuous glucose monitoring system,” Coffing said. “And I’m donating a percentage of all my winnings to the Juvenile Diabetes Association, so I really want to do well and bring in a lot of money.”
Coffing’s earnings so far this year total $1,971, but the season is about to get really busy as the tour will be playing 10 tournaments in the next 11 weeks.
“You can’t let the lows get you too much,” Coffing said. “You just have to celebrate the highs and keep on going.
“I’m working toward my dream,” she continued. “I’m in good health, and the golf is going well. I’m enjoying every minute of it.”
If you miss the opportunity to see Coffing while she’s in town, you’ll be able to watch her on television beginning at 9 p.m. June 21.
She filmed 13th installment of The Golf Channel’s popular series “Big Break Sandals Resorts” in February at the Sandals Emerald Bay in Great Exuma, Bahamas.
She is among a field of 11 women competing to make their lifelong dream of playing alongside the world’s top golfers a reality.
In addition to other prizes, the winner receives an exemption to compete in an LPGA Tour event and a Ladies European Tour event.
“You don’t know pressure until you’ve been on ‘Big Break,’ ” Coffing said. “The competition really prepares you to come out on the tour, and I think it has really helped me this year.”
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