With her husband on the bag, Castrale lights up Bulle Rock
HAVRE DE GRACE, MD. – Nicole Castrale’s life on the LPGA Tour has sometimes conflicted with her old world Greek upbringing. When she took an interest in her caddie for more than on-course advice, Castrale worried what her father would say.
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But Anthony Dalkas’s suspicions quickly vanished when he met his daughter’s tall, Italian caddie. Six years later, Nicole and Craig Castrale are one of a handful of player-caddie spouses on the women’s tour.
Thursday at Bulle Rock, Nicole Castrale, with help from her husband, took the first-round lead in the McDonald’s LPGA Championship. With Craig standing behind her to check her alignment on shots, Nicole fired a 7-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead over rookie Anna Nordqvist.
Castrale is at the top of a leaderboard lacking in star power. Among the field’s top draws who failed to solve the rain-soaked course were Lorena Ochoa (72), Natalie Gulbis (72), Karrie Webb (72), Morgan Pressell (74), Paula Creamer (74), Brittany Lincicome (75), and Cristie Kerr (76). While maligned Michelle Wie (70) got off to a solid start, the last three champions at Bulle Rock, Se Ri Pak (72), Yani Tseng (73), and Suzann Pettersen (74), failed to make a ripple.
Castrale, conversely, had eight birdies, including six in her front nine 30. She had a two-stroke lead before driving into the right rough and making her lone bogey on the tough and beautiful 18th hole.
“I hit a lot of fairways and greens and rolled the ball well,” said Castrale. “The front nine, all of my iron shots were going right at the pin, and that was a great feeling.”
Castrale, 30, has one win and has earned more than $1.9 million on the tour. She has been in this position before at Bulle Rock, opening with a course-record 64 in 2006. But after the second round, Castrale stepped out of a fitness trailer and onto a drain, rolling her ankle and struggling to 34th place.
“Now I walk around that drain,” said Castrale, who has tied for 10th here the last two years.
After a standout college career at USC, Castrale had to watch her step as a young professional, walking a fine line between her protective family from Southern California and her glamorous new lifestyle.
When asked about the movie, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” which portrayed life in an archetypal Greek immigrant family, Castrale nods in recognition.
“It’s my life to a tee. Both my parents are 100 percent Greek,” said Castrale. “When my grandmother lived with us from Greece, I spoke no English.”
When she met Craig Castrale, Nicole Dalkas’s life paralleled the storyline of the 2002 movie.
“Dad is very strict,” said Castrale. “Once [Craig] met my family it was, ‘Oh, my gosh, it’s the movie in a nutshell.'”
Castrale’s biggest thrill in golf came when she nailed the clinching putt, helping the U.S. beat Europe, in her first Soldheim Cup appearance in 2007.
On Thursday, Castrale’s flatstick again was on fire as she drained birdie putts of 25 and 6 feet on the first two holes. At the uphill No. 5, Castrale hit a 5-wood to within 12 feet and made the putt. On No. 6, she drilled a 20-footer for another birdie. The binge continued with a lob wedge to within 3 feet at the par 5 eighth.
“You can definitely fire at the pins because the greens are receptive,” said Castrale. “You miss the fairway and you’re going to get penalized, because the rough is extremely healthy.”
