Paula Creamer made a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win the Sybase Classic by one stroke on Sunday and become the second-youngest first-time winner on the LPGA Tour.
The 18-year-old Creamer won't be able to win two weeks in a row, though, as she has to return home for her high school graduation on Thursday.
The former amateur star closed with a 1-under 71 on the Wykagyl Country Club course, including three birdies in her last five holes. She had tap-in birdies on the par-4 14th and par-5 15th and the clincher came on the par-5 18th after she was just short of the green in two. She finished with a 6-under 278.
Marlene Hagge won the Sarasota Open in 1952, just 14 days after her 18th birthday. She won the Bakersfield Open two months later.
Creamer, who finished second in the ShopRite Classic last year as an amateur, is 18 years, 9 months. Her best finish this year was a tie for third in the Takefuji Classic.
The US$187,500 winner's share from the US$1.2 million purse is almost US$20,000 more than Creamer won in her eight starts this year and will move her from 19th to fourth place on the money list.
Jeong Jang (67) and 2002 Sybase champion Gloria Park (71) tied for second at 279, one shot in front of Christina Kim (73), who led or shared the lead after each of the first three rounds.
Heather Bowie (72) and Kim Joo-mi (73) finished another shot back at 281.
Kenny Perry ended another record-breaking run at the Colonial with a 1-under 69 for a seven-stroke victory over Billy Mayfair.
After a double bogey at the 17th hole, Perry had to settle for matching his tournament scoring record of 19-under 261. It was the best 72-hole total on the US PGA Tour this year, and the largest margin of victory. Phil Mickelson twice won by five strokes this season.
Perry's victory at Colonial in 2003 was overshadowed by Annika Sorenstam, who became the first woman in 58 years to play on the men's tour. After the LGPA standout missed the cut, Perry tied the course record with a third-round 61 and won at 19 under, six strokes ahead of Justin Leonard.
Perry began the day with a seven-stroke cushion, a lead no US PGA Tour player had ever squandered in a final round.
Stephen Dodd won a playoff on the first hole to claim the title, handing David Howell his second straight defeat in extra holes.
Dodd, who shot a 68 to force sudden death at 9-under 279, birdied the first playoff hole for his second European PGA Tour win. He reached the par-5 18th in two and then two-putted from 30 feet for the birdie.
Howell hit his second shot into the rough and failed to get up and down to match Dodd, who also won the China Open in November.
Howell, who shot a 70 Sunday, lost a playoff to Thomas Bjorn last Sunday in the British Masters.
"It was one of those when you win or you lose. I had nothing to lose," Dodd said. "Once I won in China I wanted to do it again. I've put a lot of hard work in the last two years and now it's paying off."
Angel Cabrera and Nick Dougherty shared third place, two shots behind at 281. Cabrera fired a 68 with four birdies on the last six holes at the 7,301-yard Colin Montgomerie-designed course.
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