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Rookie stays cool to win by 4
HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. - A long and memorable day for Anna Nordqvist ended with well-deserved champagne shower on the 18th green.
Playing in only her fifth professional tournament, the steely nerved rookie from Sweden shot a 4-under 68 on Sunday to win the LPGA Championship by four strokes over Lindsey Wright.
Nordqvist finished at 15-under 273 in the tournament's final stand at Bulle Rock Golf Course. After letting a five-shot lead dwindle to one, Nordqvist sank a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 14 and essentially clinched her first career victory with a 35-foot putt for a birdie on No. 15.
When the shot dropped into the cup, the 22-year-old Swede pumped her fist with delight.
Not that she ever felt the need to panic. Throughout the week, Nordqvist appeared more nervous in the interview room than on the course. So after her advantage fell to a stroke, her mind-set never changed.
"I just kept being patient. I think that's really what paid off at the end," she said.
Wright, who shot a 70, said, "It was amazing. Under that amount of pressure, not being in that position before and in a major and being a rookie? You can't get any better than that. She really didn't falter today. She didn't show any nerves at all."
Nordqvist completed the final four holes of the suspended third round at 7:30 in the morning, then teed off as part of the final twosome shortly after 2:30 p.m. She took a two-shot lead into the fourth round, quickly increased the margin and held on to earn the $300,000 top prize.
► PGA TOUR: At Memphis, Tenn., Brian Gay thought so little of his chance to play his way into the U.S. Open in his last possible chance that he had plans for a week off. Not even a tentative plan sketched out just in case.
Well, he better figure something out pretty quick. His wire-to-wire victory Sunday in the St. Jude Classic punched his ticket to Bethpage Black.
"Right now I don't know if we're going home first or what we're going to do, whether we spend tomorrow traveling, going home and repacking," Gay said. "Get to work on Tuesday I guess."
Gay came to Memphis as one of seven players with a chance to grab the Open exemption as a multiple winner in the last calendar year.
He responded with his second win in his last five events and the third victory of his career, beating David Toms and Bryce Molder by five strokes.
Gay led by only a stroke after each of the first three rounds, then shot his third straight 4-under 66 to pull away. He birdied three of the first six holes to take all the suspense out of the final round, and birdied the 18th to finish at 18-under 262.
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