Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

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SPORTS Monday 17 SepteMber 2018
Angela Stanford wins at Evian for 1st career major title

By GRAHAM DUNBAR More than six years after
AP Sports Writer getting the last of her five
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France LPGA Tour titles, the 76th-
(AP) — In her 18th year on ranked Stanford, put her
tour, after a wild and tear- hands to her mouth in sur-
ful final few holes, Angela prise before beginning an
Stanford became a ma- emotional round of televi-
jor tournament champion sion interviews.
Sunday. The result ensured Ameri-
It was a long journey to an can women extended a
unlikely one-shot victory at streak of winning at least
the Evian Championship one major title each year
for a player who believed since Evian was added as
as a rookie in 2001 that the fifth in 2013.
major titles would come Olson, who led by three
sooner than her 40th birth- shots with five holes to play,
day — and probably not in was stoic about a career-
France. best result that ended by
“I would have laughed, three-putting.
‘No way, it’s going to hap- “It’s disappointing to finish
pen before’,” said Stan- like that,” said the 26-year-
ford, whose runner-up finish old Olson, whose previ-
at the 2003 U.S. Women’s ous best finish in an LPGA Angela Stanford of the U.S. poses with her trophy after winning the Evian Championship women’s
Open was the first of 13 event was tied for seventh golf tournament in Evian, eastern France, Sunday, Sept. 16, 2018.
top-10s in majors without a in 2014. “I committed to ev- Associated Press
win. ery shot and did everything
“I didn’t know at the time I could.”
how close I was,” she re- Playing in the second-last
flected of that playoff loss group, Stanford started
15 years ago. “It was only the day five shots back of
my third year and I had no Olson who had a two-shot
idea what I was doing, to lead over Kim.
be perfectly honest.” The leaderboard changed
Those feelings returned on little on the front nine until
the 17th tee at Evian Resort Olson made bogey at the
Golf Club, she said, after par-3 8th. She stayed as
double bogey at the par- joint leader with Kim on 13
3 16th dropped Stanford under — three shots clear
out of a tie with long-time — only when Kim’s putt
leader Amy Olson. from off the same green hit
Stanford closed her round the pin and stayed out.
of 3-under 68 with eagle- Olson’s two-shot lead was
double bogey-birdie then soon restored after Kim’s
a barely missed birdie that double bogey 6 at the
left her in tears minutes be- 10th.
fore Olson played the 18th She padded her lead to
and made double-bogey. three with a tap-in for bird-
Her winning 12-under total ie at the par-5 13th.
of 272 was good by one Two more Americans, Stan-
shot to earn a $577,500 ford and Ernst, joined Kim
check. three behind Olson, who
Olson (74) fell into a four- let a good chance slip at
way tie for second place the par-5 15th after her
with fellow Americans Aus- short approach chip to the
tin Ernst (68) and Mo Mar- green was weak.
tin (70), and South Korea’s In a wild ride for Stanford,
Sei Young Kim (72). Martin she joined Olson on 13-un-
barely missed with a birdie der after making eagle at
chance on the 18th to face the 15th, then gave back
Stanford in a playoff. both shots when she found
Olson missed a six-foot putt thick rough below the par-
for bogey on the 18th to 3 16th green. Soon, Stan-
force a playoff. Stanford ford was punching the air
waited green-side out of with her right fist on sinking
sight of the putting surface a 25-footer for birdie on the
after signing autographs 17th.
for young spectators. Olson went to the 17th with
Tears flowed again as Stan- a one-shot lead on 13 un-
ford watched on a giant der as Ernst set a clubhouse
screen for Olson — who target of 11 under. Her
spent all day as outright or bogey-free 68 saw several
joint leader — to putt. putts lip out.q