ROOKIE MEAGAN BEATS ANNIKA
IN MEXICO CITY PLAY-OFF
LPGA Tour rookie Meaghan Francella, pictured right, beat the formidable figure of Annika Sorenstam at the fourth hole of a play-off to bring to an end of the fourth day of stop-start-play in the weather-extended MasterCard Classic at Bosque Real Country Club near Mexico City.
Francella, who played on the US women's college tour with the University of North Carolina and the University of Memphis, turned pro in June 2004 and went straight on to the Futures Tour.
Last year she won an event on the Futures Tour and had a clutch of top-10 finishes which meant she finished last year as fifth on the Futures Tour money list, giving her automatic promotion to the LPGA Tour this season.
This was her fourth LPGA event and she had banked around $5,000. Now Meaghan is $180,000 richer after beating the world's No 1 female professional in head-to-head match-play. Annika's runner-up cheque was for $109,000.
Sorenstam, with 69 wins since she turned pro in 1994, tied with rookie Francella on 11-under-par 205.
Both players started at the 10th in their delayed third and final rounds. Annika birdied the fourth, fifth, sixth and ninth for 32 and a six-under-par 66.
Meaghan, who had led the field after 36 holes, birdied the fourth, fifth and ninth on her second nine in the final round but bogeyed the sixth (a crucial slip) for 34 and a 69.
Laura Davies finished with a 71 for 213, the same score as Becky Morgan who had a 74. They finished joint 15th and gained $16,119 each.
Janice Moodie had a final round of 72 to fill joint 45th place of the 74 qualifiers. Janice finished on 217. Her earlier rounds were 77 and 68. Moodie's pay-out amounted to $4,751.
The early holes of the tournament "killed" the Scot's hopes of a high finish, and almost knocked her out of the tournament. Janice bogeyed the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth, five holes in a row.In the end, for the 54 holes, Janice had 10 birdies and 11 bogeys.
Sorenstam, with 69 wins since she turned pro in 1994, tied with rookie Francella on 11-under-par 205.
Both players started at the 10th in their delayed third and final rounds. Annika birdied the fourth, fifth, sixth and ninth for 32 and a six-under-par 66.
Meaghan, who had led the field after 36 holes, birdied the fourth, fifth and ninth on her second nine in the final round but bogeyed the sixth (a crucial slip) for 34 and a 69.
Laura Davies finished with a 71 for 213, the same score as Becky Morgan who had a 74. They finished joint 15th and gained $16,119 each.
Janice Moodie had a final round of 72 to fill joint 45th place of the 74 qualifiers. Janice finished on 217. Her earlier rounds were 77 and 68. Moodie's pay-out amounted to $4,751.
The early holes of the tournament "killed" the Scot's hopes of a high finish, and almost knocked her out of the tournament. Janice bogeyed the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth, five holes in a row.In the end, for the 54 holes, Janice had 10 birdies and 11 bogeys.
LEADING FINAL PLACINGS
205 Meaghan Francella 68 68 69 bt Annika Sorenstam 69 70 66 at fourth hole of a sudden death play-off.
208 Kyeong Bae 71 70 67, Angela Stanford 74 67 67, Stacy Prammanasudh 67 70 71.
Other totals:
213 Laura Davies (Eng) 68 74 71, Becky Morgan (Wal) 69 70 74 (jt 15th).
217 Janice Moodie (Sco) 77 68 72 (jt 45th).
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Monday, March 12, 2007
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