Nuria Iturrioz made a big move Friday to set up a run at a promotion to the LPGA next year.
With a 5-under-par 67, Iturrioz took the lead at the season-ending Symetra Tour Championship.
At 11-under overall, she’s two shots ahead of Sierra Sims (69) and Laura Wearn (70) and three ahead of a pack of seven players.
Iturrioz, a Spaniard who has won twice on the Ladies European Tour this year, is 14th on the Symetra Tour’s Volvik Race for the Card money list. The top 10 on the money list after this week’s finish will win LPGA tour cards.
Full-field scores from the Symetra Tour Championship
Current Symetra Tour money list
“I’m thinking about all of it,” Iturrioz said. “I was practicing last week and changed a couple things, so now I’m getting more confident.”
Iturrioz isn’t the only player just off the top-10 money bubble who is making a move this week. Five players between Nos. 10-20 on the money list are sitting T-17 or better on the leaderboard.
The battle for the 10 tour cards opened a bit with news that Mind Muangkhumsakul wouldn’t be teeing it up this week. She holds down the 10th spot on the money list but missed her tee time for Wednesday’s pro-am and was withdrawn from the event, per tour rules.