STACY LEWIS WINS NAVISTAR LPGA CLASSIC
FROM THE LPGA WEBSITE
Stacy Lewis started slow, but finished strong on Sunday to claim her third victory of the season at the Navistar LPGA Classic.
The 27-year-old Texan carded a final-round 69 to edge defending champion Lexi Thompson by two shots and complete the “Alabama Slam” with victories this season at the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic and, on Sunday, in Prattville.
The win is significant for Lewis, who now takes a 56 point lead in the Rolex Player of the Year race in her bid to become the first American since Beth Daniel in 1994 to claim the honour.
Winning never gets easier,” Lewis said. “I think it might have looked easy out there but it was hard. Every shot was stressful, and I know on this golf course with one swing you can make a double pretty easy."
Lewis, who birdied four of her first five holes on Saturday, played the same stretch in even par on Sunday including a bogey at the par-3 second hole. She recovered with four birdies on the day to shoot 3-under-par 69, enough to hold off a final-round charge from Lexi Thompson, who began the day five shots back after leading the first 36 holes.
The 17-year-old shot 6-under-par 66 on the final 18 holes including three consecutive birdies on holes 10, 11 and 12 that put pressure on Lewis to close out the round.
Lewis added, “I was definitely a lot more comfortable coming down the stretch knowing that I could hit the shots and knowing how to handle my nerves and knowing that I'm going to hit a drive probably 300 yards on the last hole, and just knowing how your body reacts to the pressure I think helps you a lot.”
With the win, Lewis regains the No. 2 spot on the Rolex Rankings from Na Yeon Choi and adds $195,000 to her already career-best season money total.
She is currently second on the LPGA Official Money List to Inbee Park with $1,598,596.
Rolex Player of the Year Points
Rank Player Points
1 Stacy Lewis 184
2 Jiyai Shin 128
3 Yani Tseng 120
4 Inbee Park 114
5 Shanshan Feng 112
6 Ai Miyazato 110
7 Mika Miyazato 105
8 Na Yeon Choi 101
Happy (Robert Trent Jones Golf) Trails for Stacy Lewis. This season, she was a combined 35-under-par in eight rounds on the RTJ Golf Trail. I don't know if it's the Bermuda grass, and it's kind of what I grew up on in Texas,” Lewis said.
“You know, it can get windy here and I'm used to that. I don't know what it is. I like playing these kind of courses where you have to hit good shots. If you don't hit good shots, you're not rewarded and I like that.”
Lexi Thompson gave it her Sunday best, but it wasn’t enough to catch Stacy Lewis.
Thompson, who returned to Prattville as defending champion of the Navistar LPGA Classic, shot 66 on Sunday, but was plagued by a third-round 74 that knocked her out of contention on Saturday afternoon. The 17-year-old started her final round with a bogey, but rattled off seven birdies coming in – including three in a row on holes 10, 11 and 12 – to
“I knew I was in position pretty close to the lead, but I was just trying to make birdies and just keep playing consistent, give myself chances,” she said.
Sunday marked Thompson’s second runner-up finish to Stacy Lewis in Alabama this year following the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic, where the pair also dueled in the final round.
Staying grounded… With more than $3.8 million sitting in her bank account, a Major championship win followed by three tournament wins this season and known as the No. 2 golfer in the world, Stacy Lewis says she won’t allow the success to get to her head.
“I'm not a person defined by my success,” Lewis said. “I just love playing golf, and if I play pretty well, it's just a bonus.”
Joined by her dad on the 18th green during the Navistar LPGA Classic awards ceremony, Lewis says there’s no greater feeling than being surrounded by family and friends who manage to help her stick to her roots.
“My friends definitely keep me grounded,” she said. “They like to bring me back to earth, but they also cheer for me and want me to do well. And my parents and my mom, my mom does a pretty good job at that, too. It's just who I am.”
In the bubble… With a tie for 14th, Dori Carter $19,801 and moved to 99th on the money list, inside the top 100 players who will be “exempt” in 2013. Wendy Ward moved from 107th to 96th with a tie for 27th.
TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS IN THE NAVISTAR LPGA CLASSIC
CLICK HERE
Stacy Lewis started slow, but finished strong on Sunday to claim her third victory of the season at the Navistar LPGA Classic.
The 27-year-old Texan carded a final-round 69 to edge defending champion Lexi Thompson by two shots and complete the “Alabama Slam” with victories this season at the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic and, on Sunday, in Prattville.
The win is significant for Lewis, who now takes a 56 point lead in the Rolex Player of the Year race in her bid to become the first American since Beth Daniel in 1994 to claim the honour.
Winning never gets easier,” Lewis said. “I think it might have looked easy out there but it was hard. Every shot was stressful, and I know on this golf course with one swing you can make a double pretty easy."
Lewis, who birdied four of her first five holes on Saturday, played the same stretch in even par on Sunday including a bogey at the par-3 second hole. She recovered with four birdies on the day to shoot 3-under-par 69, enough to hold off a final-round charge from Lexi Thompson, who began the day five shots back after leading the first 36 holes.
The 17-year-old shot 6-under-par 66 on the final 18 holes including three consecutive birdies on holes 10, 11 and 12 that put pressure on Lewis to close out the round.
Lewis added, “I was definitely a lot more comfortable coming down the stretch knowing that I could hit the shots and knowing how to handle my nerves and knowing that I'm going to hit a drive probably 300 yards on the last hole, and just knowing how your body reacts to the pressure I think helps you a lot.”
With the win, Lewis regains the No. 2 spot on the Rolex Rankings from Na Yeon Choi and adds $195,000 to her already career-best season money total.
She is currently second on the LPGA Official Money List to Inbee Park with $1,598,596.
Rolex Player of the Year Points
Rank Player Points
1 Stacy Lewis 184
2 Jiyai Shin 128
3 Yani Tseng 120
4 Inbee Park 114
5 Shanshan Feng 112
6 Ai Miyazato 110
7 Mika Miyazato 105
8 Na Yeon Choi 101
Happy (Robert Trent Jones Golf) Trails for Stacy Lewis. This season, she was a combined 35-under-par in eight rounds on the RTJ Golf Trail. I don't know if it's the Bermuda grass, and it's kind of what I grew up on in Texas,” Lewis said.
“You know, it can get windy here and I'm used to that. I don't know what it is. I like playing these kind of courses where you have to hit good shots. If you don't hit good shots, you're not rewarded and I like that.”
Lexi Thompson gave it her Sunday best, but it wasn’t enough to catch Stacy Lewis.
Thompson, who returned to Prattville as defending champion of the Navistar LPGA Classic, shot 66 on Sunday, but was plagued by a third-round 74 that knocked her out of contention on Saturday afternoon. The 17-year-old started her final round with a bogey, but rattled off seven birdies coming in – including three in a row on holes 10, 11 and 12 – to
“I knew I was in position pretty close to the lead, but I was just trying to make birdies and just keep playing consistent, give myself chances,” she said.
Sunday marked Thompson’s second runner-up finish to Stacy Lewis in Alabama this year following the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic, where the pair also dueled in the final round.
Staying grounded… With more than $3.8 million sitting in her bank account, a Major championship win followed by three tournament wins this season and known as the No. 2 golfer in the world, Stacy Lewis says she won’t allow the success to get to her head.
“I'm not a person defined by my success,” Lewis said. “I just love playing golf, and if I play pretty well, it's just a bonus.”
Joined by her dad on the 18th green during the Navistar LPGA Classic awards ceremony, Lewis says there’s no greater feeling than being surrounded by family and friends who manage to help her stick to her roots.
“My friends definitely keep me grounded,” she said. “They like to bring me back to earth, but they also cheer for me and want me to do well. And my parents and my mom, my mom does a pretty good job at that, too. It's just who I am.”
In the bubble… With a tie for 14th, Dori Carter $19,801 and moved to 99th on the money list, inside the top 100 players who will be “exempt” in 2013. Wendy Ward moved from 107th to 96th with a tie for 27th.
TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS IN THE NAVISTAR LPGA CLASSIC
CLICK HERE
Labels: LPGA TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | 7:34:00 am
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