Angela Stanford squandered a comfortable cushion but sank a short par putt at the closing hole to hold off China’s Feng Shanshan on Sunday and win the inaugural Bell Micro LPGA Classic.
Stanford, who held a four-shot lead heading into the final round, saw it dwindle to one stroke through 17 holes as she posted a double-bogey and three bogeys.
But her one-over-par final-round 73 was enough to give the 30-year-old American her first LPGA victory since 2003.
She finished with an 11-under total of 277 in the US$1.4 million tournament to collect a first-prize of US$210,000.
Stanford also received her first champagne victory shower from Tour friends Kristy McPherson and Brittany Lincicome.
“[The shower] felt great. I didn’t get that my first time, the first win in ’03,” Stanford said. “So I think I’m pretty fortunate and very blessed to have friends out here that are so awesome and they’re so sweet to hang around — they’re just great.”
“The final hole was a little more drama than I would have wanted, so it was a welcome treat to be greeted by my friends,” she said.
Nearly five years ago, Stanford went wire-to-wire to emerge victorious at the ShopRite LPGA Classic.
A week after that win, Stanford was part of a three-way, 18-hole playoff for the US Women’s Open, which was won by Hilary Lunke.
“I’m more relieved than excited,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll be excited later, but just relieved that I did it again.”
“I honestly believe the second time is harder, because the first time you don’t really know it’s happening when it happens, and then you just try to do it again. You try to duplicate it, and I’ve been trying, and probably too hard a lot. So it feels good,” Stanford said.
Feng carded a final-round 68 for a 10-under total of 278, while Kim Hall (69) was third on eight-under 280.
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