Ammaccapane Gains First Victory Since ‘92

LPGA/Seniors

Danielle Ammaccapane shot a 4-under-par 68 Sunday to rally from a five-stroke deficit for a one-shot victory over a group of four in the LPGA’s Edina Realty Classic at Maple Grove, Minn.

Ammaccapane’s 8-under 208 total was one shot better than Hiromi Kobayashi, Catriona Matthew, Mayomi Hirase and Jane Geddes and gave her her first LPGA victory since she won three times in 1992. She fell as low as 84th on the money list last year and entered this week’s tournament 112th on the current list.

She earned $90,000 for the victory, nearly $70,000 more than she had won all year.

Kobayashi, who bogeyed the final hole, was the only one of the group in second to break par Sunday with a 70 as the others all had 72s.

Brandie Burton, who took a two-shot lead heading into the final round at Rush Creek Golf Club, faltered in her attempt to capture her first LPGA victory since 1993. She shot a 3-over 75 to finish in a tie at 210 with Kris Tschetter, who closed with a 72.

Burton started her final round with 10 consecutive pars but fell apart with bogeys at Nos. 11, 13, 16 and 17. Her lone birdie came on the par-3 15th.

Ammaccapane, who didn’t have a bogey Sunday, birdied 14 and 15 to reach 8-under.

After her round she waited near the 18th green and watched Kobayashi fall out of a tie for the lead with the bogey and Geddes just miss a birdie chip which would have forced a playoff.

Players faced a 70-minute rain delay followed by a steady wind.

Michelle McGann, who started the day two shots behind Burton, shot a 2-over 74 and finished in a group of five at 5-under.

Tracy Hanson of Rathdrum, Idaho, shot a 69 to finish four shots behind the winner, while Clarkston’s Robin Walton shot a 76 to finish at 217.

Seniors

Jack Kiefer, who blew a two-shot lead by closing the third round with three bogeys, shot a 3-under-par 68 for a two-stroke victory in the $1.1 million du Maurier Champions senior tournament in Etobicoke, Ontario.

On Saturday, Kiefer had a seemingly safe two-stroke lead over Jim Colbert and Graham Marsh with three holes remaining. But Colbert emerged as the third-round leader by a stroke after Kiefer’s late collapse.

Kiefer finished with a 15-under-par 269 total after four trips around the 6,686-yard St. George’s Golf and Country Club course near Toronto.

Colbert had a 71 Sunday and was at 13-under 271, two strokes ahead of Marsh, who had a 72.

“I hated to leave the golf course on that note, you know, bogey, bogey, bogey,” Kiefer said. “I thought about it (Saturday night) that I could’ve really been in great shape and go out and play a steady round, you know, maybe it would be a nice walk.

“But I think maybe finishing that way got my attention that I really had to be focused. Maybe the other way I would’ve been more relaxed and made a lot more mistakes.”

Kiefer, a former knuckleball pitcher who played briefly in the Detroit Tigers minor-league system before turning to golf, earned $165,000 for his second career win and first since 1994. The 57-year-old spent his entire career as a club pro before earning his senior tour exemption in 1990.

John Bland was fourth at 274 after a 68, one shot ahead of Walter Morgan (65) and John McGee (70).

Kiefer pulled into a first-place tie with Colbert with an opening birdie. The two made the turn tied at 14-under before Kiefer took a one-stroke lead with a birdie at No. 11.