Song has strong weekend showing


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USC sophomore Jennifer Song, who has been looking to use her USC career as a springboard to the professional ranks, had a strong showing over the weekend at the Kraft Nabisco Championship — the LPGA’s first major tournament of the 2010 season.

Song finished 21st overall against a challenging field with a score of 1-over 289 (71-71-76-71) — ahead of the highly-touted young phenom Michelle Wie who finished 27th overall.

Competing as an amateur, she also earned low-amateur honors to the surprise of very few.

“She just knows how to grind,” Andrea Gaston, the team coach at USC, told Southland Golf Magazine following Song’s solid outing. “I think her game is suited for very difficult golf courses because she has the mental toughness to stay in the game. She doesn’t let anything really get to her.”

The sophomore’s strong finish was largely due to an impressive performance early on in the four-day tournament. As of Friday night, with the first two days in the books, Song was tied for 10th overall after posting a score of 2-under 142 (71-71), positioning herself toward the top of the competition.

It now appears Song will be making the jump to the professional ranks rather shortly. Earlier this year, Song announced that she’ll turn professional following June’s Curtis Cup Match, a biennial women’s amateur tournament between the United States, Great Britan and Ireland.

“I’m definitely excited to be a professional player because that’s what I want,” she told the media.