DECATUR, Ill., June 15, 2008 - Instead of taking a bite out of a jalapeno pepper, rookie Vicky Hurst of Melbourne, Fla., celebrated her second professional win by donning the champion's navy-blue blazer. Hurst overcame a four-shot deficit on Sunday to claim top honors and a sponsor exemption to the LPGA State Farm Classic at the $115,000 Michelob ULTRA Duramed FUTURES Players Championship.
Tied for third when the final round began, Hurst was down by four shots to M.J. Hur of Seoul, South Korea, to start the day and won by as many strokes, carding the tournament's lowest round at 5-under-par 65 with runner-up Sarah-Jane Kenyon of Queensland, Australia. Hurst finished the week at 272 (-8), while Kenyon finished four shots back with a four-round total of 276 (-4).
In addition to her victory at the Jalapeno Duramed FUTURES Golf Classic in El Paso, Texas, Hurst joined second-year pro Mindy Kim of Diamond Bar, Calif., as the only two players this season to win two tournaments on the 2008 schedule. She also moved past Kim and Hur to take the top spot on the season money list, earning $16,100 for her victory.
"It feels really good coming from four shots back," said Hurst, the 2007 AJGA Rolex Player of the Year. "From the very start I felt really comfortable with my game, and even with the rain delay today, I felt like I had the momentum and kept attacking pins and making birdies.
Hurst was awarded an additional $1,500 from Duramed's "Foundation 4 Success" program to help cover expenses for the LPGA's State Farm Classic in Springfield, Ill, on July 17-20.
What was of left of a large crowd that filled the grandstands on the 18th hole roared with applause when Hurst saved par with a 15-foot putt after chipping from the back of the green on the fringe. With just two holes left for the final group of Hurst, Hur and Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ontario, an afternoon storm brewed that threatened to postpone final-round play.
Airhorns blared at 4:08 p.m. to suspend play because of lightning. A 38-minute delay ensued as 45 mph winds ripped through the area and rain dumped on the Hickory Point Golf Course momentarily. Hurst was on the 17th tee when the remaining two groups were escorted inside, but play was restaged 4:36 p.m.
Hurst didn't skip a beat after the storm delay and iced her win with a birdie on the 17th hole. She sprinkled in eight birdies amidst three bogeys, including back-to-back birdies on three occasions
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Hur, the reigning Louisiana Pelican Classic champion, saw a three-shot advantage evaporate by the fourth hole as rookie Sara Brown of Tucson, Ariz., came out with three birdies in her first four holes to claim a share of the lead. Early-round struggles doomed Hur with four consecutive bogeys after a par on the first hole, giving Brown the lead for the first time since second-round play. Brown (69) and Hur (74) tied for third at 277 (-3), both earning $7,014.
Kenyon threw herself into the mix with three straight birdies while making the turn on the back nine. A tournament winner in 2005, Kenyon opened her day with a bogey on the first hole, but was flawless the rest of the way, making four birdies on the back nine to finish the day with six birdies.
"I really wasn't expecting too much at the beginning because I was playing well, but the putts weren't going in," Kenyon said. "I had some really good putts to finish before the storm hit, so that was really nice."
When Hurst wasn't satisfied with her putting following Saturday's third round, she consulted YES! Golf representative, Glen Kirk, who had given her a "Sandy" model, mallet-style putter earlier in the week. Kirk analyzed Hurst's motion and altered her stroke -- a teaching session that Hurst said helped her feel more comfortable with a forward press.
"Today, I really felt comfortable with my putter and making putts just felt easy," Hurst said. "I was making more birdie putts that I couldn't hit yesterday. I was just so confident with it today."
Hurst birdied her first two holes to climb within one shot of Hur, but kicked it into high gear with whipping winds and approaching storms bearing down towards the latter part of the back nine, knocking in back-to-back birdies on holes 14 and 15.
Hurst will be competing in her third career LPGA event this week, accepting a sponsor exemption at the LPGA's Wegman's Classic in Pittsford, N.Y.
"I love playing in LPGA events," Hurst said. "I'm excited to see where my game is right now against the big girls."
The Tour continues its Midwest Swing next week in Mason, Ohio, for the second annual Duramed Championship.
