LPGA Tour's Lincicome enters men's mini-tour events to keep game sharp

Brittany Lincicome will play in a men’s tournament next week as part of her preparations for the LPGA Tour season.

The long-hitting Lincicome, a three-time winner on the LPGA Tour, has entered the NGA Hooters Tour’s Bridgestone Winter Series event at Deer Island Golf Club.

She will be the first current LPGA Tour player to play in a Winter Series tournament.

“(The LPGA Tour) finished in December, and I need to keep playing to get ready for next season,” Lincicome said Friday. “This will be my seventh year on the LPGA Tour and I still get nervous when I tee off (in the LPGA season-opening event) in Thailand. This tournament is close to home and has a lot of competition in it. I think it’s a great way for me to get some of the nerves out before our season starts.”

The event will be her second straight against an all-male field. Earlier this month, she played in an event on the minor-league Moonlight Tour in Windermere, Fla. Playing from the back tees, Lincicome carded a 1-under 71 to finish third, five shots behind the winner, and earned $115. She also played in a Moonlight Tour event last spring, finishing 18th in that one.