Homecoming round 2: Idaho native Gabby Lemieux enjoys return to Circling Raven

Jim Meehan, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
·4 min read

Aug. 25—Wonderful memories occupy Gabby Lemieux's mind when she reflects on last year's inaugural Circling Raven Championship, but two truly stand out.

The Caldwell, Idaho, native and member of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribe of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation enjoyed strong spectator support as she toured Circling Raven Golf Club, owned and operated by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe.

"Honestly, it feels like home," Lemieux said. "The whole experience grew over the three days (of the 54-hole tournament). With me playing relatively well, there were people that I didn't even know, people from Indian country, just coming over and telling me, 'Gabby, you've got this.' Just all the positive vibes and momentum, even from people I didn't know."

It culminated with Lemieux, needing a birdie on No. 18 to move into a tie for first, burying a birdie putt with a helping hand from husband/caddie Jared. The two have shared the highs and lows from several seasons on the Epson Tour (formerly Symetra Tour), the LPGA's equivalent of the PGA's Korn Ferry Tour.

"The one I always talk about is 18 last year because I was nervous," Lemieux said. "I remember walking down the fairway and I said (to Jared), 'I need you to help me calm down.' He put his arm over my shoulder and said, 'Don't worry, you've got it, you can do this.' That's something maybe a normal caddie can't do.

"It was an unbelievable moment making that birdie putt and everybody from my home state rooting for me."

Lemieux, who eventually finished tied for third with Bailey Tardy behind champion Peiyun Chien, who birdied 14, 15 and 16 to edge Demi Runas by one shot, returns to her home state with her game back on track for the Circling Raven Championship, which begins a three-day run Friday.

Lemieux registered five top-50 finishes in the first eight Epson events of the season and made history in June as the first Native American to play in the U.S. Women's Open. The 26-year-old missed the cut and followed with five straight Epson missed cuts.

"Playing in my first major, it was spectacular," she said. "I was the first Native American women to play in the U.S. Open and a lot of challenges came with playing in that. I was maybe trying too hard, which is understandable because I've never been in that position, and shot myself in the foot that week. The U.S. Open took a lot out of me mentally and physically."

Lemieux turned it around Aug. 12-14 at the Four Winds Invitational in South Bend, Indiana, finishing in a three-way tie with Yan Liu and Kiira Riihijarvi. Liu won the title in a playoff, but Lemieux cashed her biggest Epson paycheck ($16,413).

"Right before South Bend, I told myself I have nothing to prove to anybody, so go out and play golf and have fun. I released all the expectations of what you'd typically expect on the golf course," Lemieux said. "After missing five cuts, it came down to letting the game take over and realize each shot is its own challenge. I needed to slow down, take one shot at a time and I broke it down into smaller increments.

"I just gained some confidence (from South Bend) and it's only going to help coming back to my home state and remembering how well I played last year. All those positives will hopefully roll over, but I'm not putting too many expectations on it. I want to stay in my game and hopefully put together another good week."

Lemieux ranks 44th on the money list. The top 10 at the end of the season secure spots on the LPGA Tour. Chien, the 2021 Circling Raven champ, Sophia Schubert (tied for fifth) and Lillia Vu (tied for 12th) were among last year's graduates to the LPGA.

Chien recently finished tied for fourth at the ISPS Handa World Invitational. Schubert has made roughly $670,000 this season and finished tied for second at the Amundi Evian Masters, an LPGA major. Vu, who was No. 1 on the 2021 Symetra Tour money list, has five top 10s and she's pocketed $526,446.

"There are girls out here that can perform just as well as the women on the LPGA, it's just having the opportunity to play on the LPGA Tour," Lemieux said. "A lot of girls that played well at (Circling Raven a year ago), they just need their time to shine."