Jodi Ewart finishes third on Futures Tour

LONDON, Kentucky - Ever since her weather-shortened first tournament win as a pro back in May, Ryann O'Toole has kept her giant winner's cardboard check in the back seat of her car. That particular payday rendered a reduced purse because the washed-out Kansas tournament was shortened to only 18 holes.
But every day since the cheque took the back seat, the second-year pro has looked at it and made it her goal to win a full 54-hole tournament, hands-down, with no asterisks. And that goal became a reality today when O'Toole not only played three rounds, but also added an extra play-off hole to walk away as the winner of the $115,000 Falls Auto Group Classic.
"This feels like a real win," said O'Toole of San Clemente California, who carded rounds of 68-69-65 for a 14-under score of 202, with a birdie in the playoff on the second trip to the 18th hole. "And I had to grind it out against a veteran player."
O'Toole's birdie on the extra hole edged out Tour veteran Angela Buzminski of Oshawa, Ontario, who posted rounds of 66-71-65 to draw even with O'Toole in regulation at 202 (-14) at the Crooked Creek Golf Community course. O'Toole's $16,100 payday boosted her from 18th to the No. 6 spot on the Tour's 2010 season money list.
Rookie Jodi Ewart of North Yorkshire, England carded a final-round 70 to finish 3rd at 12-under 204, while two-time 2010 tournament winner Christine Song of Fullerton, Calif., posted a 4-under 68 to finish fourth at 10-under 206.
"Ryann hits it a long way, and on courses like this, it's a big plus," said Buzminski, a five-time Tour winner and a current LPGA Tour member. "She's got game."
It was somehow fitting that the final round of this week's Duramed FUTURES Tour tournament in Kentucky turned into a real horse race with a downright sprint to the finish.
Playing in her fifth tournament as a pro, Ewart entered today's round with a one-shot lead and moved ahead by as many as three strokes. The recent University of New Mexico grad held the lead until her 11th hole, when O'Toole, playing two groups ahead, birdied the 12th hole to draw even when Ewart bogeyed.
But Ewart countered with a birdie on the 12th hole from 10 feet, and then added another birdie on the 14th from 12 feet.
And like any good race with a lot of track still ahead, both O'Toole and Buzminski answered. The Canadian slammed in four consecutive birdies on holes 12 through 15 to ratchet up the pressure. O'Toole answered with four more birdies on her last seven holes, including three on the last four. The three players deadlocked at 12 under, and again at 13 under.
Playing in the same group in what felt like match play, Buzminski and O'Toole both had eagle chances on the par-5 18th hole in regulation. A bomber off the tee, O'Toole used a 4-iron from 195 yards to reach the 514-yard final green in two shots. She missed the 30-foot eagle chance to birdie from three feet. Buzminski chipped from the back fringe and made her tap-in for birdie on the 18th, drawing even again with O'Toole at 14 under.
Meanwhile behind them on the course, Ewart flew the green on the par-4 17th hole and didn't get up and down for par to drop back to 12 under. That meant she would have to eagle the last hole to join Buzminski and O'Toole in the play-off.
"I knew I had to hole it," said Ewart, a 2008 member of the Curtis Cup team for Great Britain and Ireland (and who would have been selected for the 2010 match had she not decided to turn pro as soon as shehad graduated from the University of New Mexico).  "And I gave it my best."
Ewart's second shot into the 18th landed in the right greenside bunker. She blasted out to about 10 feet and two-putted for par. That sent Buzminski and O'Toole back to the 18th tee without her for the play-off.
"I knew Ryann would at least birdie that hole because she hits it so long, so I knew I also had to make at least a birdie," said Buzminski, who hit 16 greens in regulation and needed only 27 putts prior to the playoff.
Buzminski gripped down on a 3-wood on her second shot in the play-off, but hung it out to the left in the rough of the 18th hole. With a "fluffy lie" from the left rough, the left-hander hit a wedge to 15 feet. Her birdie attempt rolled over the top of the cup and Buzminski putted out for par.
With fellow professional Blair Lamb on her bag for today's final round, O'Toole battled nerves and marveled at how calm Buzminski was throughout the afternoon.
"She was so calm, so mellow, and she was on fire with her putter," admitted O'Toole. "I told Blair to tell me a story or something because I couldn't let it get in my head that this veteran was that calm when I was that nervous. I had to just stick to my game."
O'Toole did, in fact, stick to her game and struck her sticks like a player much older than her 23 years. Once again, the former UCLA collegian laced her second shot into the 18th green in two, landing 30 feet below the hole. Her eagle chance rolled a foot short of the cup. With a win right at her fingertips, the Californian stroked in the birdie for the victory.
It was something she had thought about since early May when she earned her first pro victory in the abbreviated event. And now as a cast member in the Golf Channel's "Big Break Sandals Resort" show with young autograph seekers waiting for her at Tour stops, O'Toole wanted a little validation. Playing head to head against a veteran winner today, she finally got it.
"She just wanted to win a tournament in three rounds to prove that she can hold her own against anyone," said fellow Californian and Tour member Nicole Smith.
And to add another giant cardboard winner's cheque for the full amount to the back seat of her car as a reminder that the rose is in the payday for a race well run.
Weather: Sunny and humid with temperatures in the low 90s, with a slight breeze.

"Race For the Card" Continues At Falls Auto Group Classic
The Duramed FUTURES Tour's annual "Race For the Card" entered its 11th week at the conclusion of the Falls Auto Group Classi. The "Race For the Card" spotlights movement on the Tour's 2010 season money list as players compete for positions among the top-10 money winners. Players finishing in the top 10 at the conclusion of the tournament season will earn membership on the 2011 LPGA Tour.
At the conclusion of the Kentucky event, players occupying the top 10 spots on the money list are as follows: 1. Christine Song of Fullerton, Calif., $58,000
2. Cindy LaCrosse of Tampa, Fla., $53,677
3. Angela Oh of Maple Shade, N.J., $40,279
4. Gerina Mendoza of Roswell, N.M., $39,742
5. Pornanong Phatlum of Chaiyaphum, Thailand, $35,301
6. Ryann O'Toole of San Clemente, Calif., $32,963
7. Esther Choe of Scottsdale, Ariz., $30,924
8. Mo Martin of Altadena, Calif., $27,505
9. Jane Rah of Torrance, Calif., $26,093
10. Hannah Jun of San Diego, $23,471.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
1 Ryann O'Toole (San Clemente, Calif.) 68-69-65 - 202 $16,100 (play-off)
2 Angela Buzminski (Oshawa, Ontario) 66-71-65 - 202 $11,500
3 Jodi Ewart (North Yorkshire, England) 68-66-70 - 204 $8,194
4 Christine Song (Fullerton, Calif.) 71-67-68 - 206 $5,873
T5 Erica Moston (Belmont, Calif.) 71-68-68 - 207 $4,176
Marcela Leon (Monterrey, Mexico) 70-67-70 - 207 $4,176
T7 Jenny Gleason (Clearwater, Fla.) 71-72-65 - 208 $2,377
Mo Martin (Altadena, Calif.) 69-69-70 - 208 $2,377
Ashley Prange (Noblesville, Ind.) 69-69-70 - 208 $2,377
Hanna Kang (Seoul, South Korea) 71-67-70 - 208 $2,377
Kristie Smith (Perth, Australia) 72-65-71 - 208 $2,377
T12 Leanne Bowditch (Queensland, Australia) 69-74-66 - 209 $1,532
Dori Carter (Valdosta, Ga.) 71-71-67 - 209 $1,532
Sophia Sheridan (Guadalajara, Mexico) 69-69-71 - 209 $1,532
Virada Nirapathpongporn (Bangkok, Thailand) 70-67-72 - 209 $1,532
T16 Kelly Lagedrost (Brooksville, Fla.) 71-72-67 - 210 $1,165
Carling Coffing (Middletown, Ohio) 75-67-68 - 210 $1,165
Brandi Jackson (Greenville, S.C.) 71-70-69 - 210 $1,165
Inhong Lim (a) (Seoul, South Korea) 73-67-70 - 210
Jennie Lee (Henderson, Nev.) 67-69-74 - 210 $1,165
T21 Carolina Llano (Medellin, Colombia) 73-71-67 - 211 $982
Sarah Brown (Lopatcong, N.J.) 69-73-69 - 211 $982
Elisa Serramia (Barcelona, Spain) 71-71-69 - 211 $982
Min Seo Kwak (Seoul, South Korea) 72-68-71 - 211 $982
Amelia Lewis (Jacksonville, Fla.) 70-70-71 - 211 $982
Angela Oh (Maple Shade, N.J.) 67-72-72 - 211 $982
Jenny Suh (Fairfax, Va.) 65-70-76 - 211 $982
T28 Kitty Hwang (Guayaquil, Ecuador) 71-71-70 - 212 $896
Hannah Jun (San Diego, Calif.) 74-68-70 - 212 $896
Tzu-Chi Lin (Taichung, Taiwan) 72-69-71 - 212 $896
Eileen Vargas (Ibague, Colombia) 70-71-71 - 212 $896
Ayaka Kaneko (Honolulu, Hawaii) 70-70-72 - 212 $896
Victoria Elizabeth (Dayton, Ohio) 71-69-72 - 212 $896
Dolores White (Lakeland, Fla.) 70-69-73 - 212 $896
T35 Kirby Dreher (Fort St. John, Canada) 76-70-67 - 213 $847
Jessica Carafiello (Coral Springs, Fla.) 73-72-68 - 213 $847
Miriam Nagl (Berlin, Germany) 69-73-71 - 213 $847
Jane Rah (Torrance, Calif.) 72-69-72 - 213 $847
T39 Gerina Mendoza (Roswell, N.M.) 73-72-69 - 214 $811
Marlowe Boukis (Lutherville, Md.) 71-73-70 - 214 $811
Kelly Nakashima (Maui, Hawaii) 70-73-71 - 214 $811
Yoora Kim (Seoul, South Korea) 70-73-71 - 214 $811
Laura Bavaird (Grosse Ile, Mich.) 73-70-71 - 214 $811
Hannah Yun (Bradenton, Fla.) 72-67-75 - 214 $811
T45 Christina Jones (Jensen Beach, Fla.) 73-69-73 - 215 $785
Lori Atsedes (Ithaca, N.Y.) 75-67-73 - 215 $785
Chelsea Curtis (New Seabury, Mass.) 69-70-76 - 215 $785
T48 Veronica Felibert (Caracas, Venezuela) 70-74-72 - 216 $768
Dewi Claire Schreefel (Diepenveen, Netherland71-73-72 - 216 $768
Susan Nam (Edmonton, Alberta) 69-73-74 - 216 $768
T51 Tiffany Joh (San Diego, Calif.) 70-75-72 - 217 $750
Danah Ford Bordner (Indianapolis, Ind.) 72-72-73 - 217 $750
Wannasiri Sirisampant (Bangkok, Thailand) 73-70-74 - 217 $750
T54 Carmen Bandea (Atlanta, Ga.) 73-73-72 - 218 $735
Rachel Bailey (Faulconbridge, Australia) 73-71-74 - 218 $735
Jennifer Ackerson (Dallas, Texas) 71-73-74 - 218 $735
T57 Kristina Langton (Ada, Mich.) 71-75-73 - 219 $721
Maggie Simons (Raleigh, N.C.) 73-72-74 - 219 $721
Jackie Barenborg (Vero Beach, Fla.) 67-73-79 - 219 $721
T60 Nannette Hill (Pelham, N.Y.) 74-72-74 - 220 $706
Briana Vega (Andover, Mass.) 72-73-75 - 220 $706
Kylene Pulley (Kokomo, Ind.) 71-73-76 - 220 $706
Jenny Lee (Simi Valley, Calif.) 72-71-77 - 220 $706
T64 Nicole Smith (Riverside, Calif.) 69-77-75 - 221 $686
Katie Brenny (Apex, N.C.) 75-71-75 - 221 $686
Courtney Mahon (Lee's Summit, Mo.) 72-73-76 - 221 $686
Kim Augusta (Rumford, R.I.) 76-69-76 - 221 $686
Lehua Wise (Kauai, Hawaii) 67-77-77 - 221 $686
Juli Erekson (Chicopee, Mass.) 73-70-78 - 221 $686
T70 Jennifer Hong (Granger, Ind.) 74-72-76 - 222 $673
Benedikte Grotvedt (Nesbru, Norway) 72-71-79 - 222 $673
72 Sara Brown (Tucson, Ariz.) 70-74-79 - 223 $671
73 Kathleen Ekey (Sharon Township, Ohio) 72-74-79 - 225 $670