Golf

Lincicome nabs LPGA spot

By BOB HARIG
Published December 6, 2004

DAYTONA BEACH - The decision to turn professional as a teenager looks pretty good right now for Brittany Lincicome.

Knowing she needed to shoot something under par Sunday during the fifth and final round of the LPGA Tour Qualifying School, Lincicome did much better than that.

How about 4-under-68 that was the best round of the day and secured a place on the LPGA Tour for 2005?

"There was a lot of pressure because you know if you don't play good today, you don't stand a chance," Lincicome said. "It's as hard as they said it would be."

Lincicome, 19, of Seminole handled it, well, like a pro.

She made five birdies and one bogey to jump 25 spots and was one of just four to shoot in the 60s. Her five-round total of 360, par, was good enough for a tie for 20th.

The top 30 at the tournament receive full exempt status in 2005. Paula Creamer, 18, an amateur from Pleasanton, Calif., who has attended the Leadbetter Academy in Bradenton, was medalist at 11-under 349 and won by five strokes. After her performance here, Creamer - who tied Michelle Wie for low amateur honors at the U.S. Women's Open - will turn pro and skip college.

Tampa's Beth Bauer, 24, tied for seventh to improve her position from the 2004 money list. The 2002 LPGA rookie of the year struggled the past two seasons, finishing 100th on this year's money list, which had made her only conditionally exempt. Tampa's Leslie Spalding lost in a playoff for the 30th qualifying place and will have the first nonexempt spot. Clearwater's Jenny Gleason tied for 42nd to earn conditional status.

"I'm disappointed right now, obviously, but I'm happy I made it here," said Gleason, 24, who attended Clearwater High and played college golf at North Carolina-Greensboro. This was the first time she attempted Q-School. "I knew I had to play well (Sunday). ... But this opens a lot of doors. I can now try to go Monday to qualify for LPGA events. I image I'm going to do a lot of those."

With just 21 full-field events on the LPGA Tour, Gleason might get into just a handful of tournaments. The top 90 on this year's money list, along with the top 30 from Q-School, are fully exempt. The priority then goes to players who finished 91st to 125th on the money list, followed by 31st to 65th at the qualifying tournament. Spalding will start the year first on that list; Gleason will be 15th.

Bauer, who starred on the American Junior Golf Association Tour before heading to Duke and then turning pro, said: "I wasn't nervous all week really until the last couple of holes. It's been a great week. I've been hitting the ball great and (Saturday and Sunday) has just been putting. I had six three-putts combined. I felt like I had nothing to lose this week and everything to gain. And that's what helped."

Lincicome also figured she had nothing to lose Sunday, starting two shots out of the top 30, but with 15 players between her and full exemption. Lincicome already was fully exempt on the Futures Tour, a developmental tour for the LPGA. But there is little money to be made there and only the top five money earners gain a spot on the LPGA Tour.

She opened with rounds of 72-72-73, then shot 75 on Saturday, meaning she needed her best effort of the week to have a chance.

"Her nerves got to her the first few days," said Lincicome's father, Tom, who caddied for her during the tournament. "She was scared. (Sunday) was a lot different. She was much more relaxed and hit the ball great."

She has nowhere near the amateur resume of Creamer or Bauer, but in Lincicome's first LPGA event she shot 66 to lead the U.S. Women's Open before eventually finishing 55th. She also tied for 66th at the State Farm Classic in her only other LPGA event. Lincicome, who was home-schooled, was promised a trip to Hawaii for her high school graduation if she decided to go to college. Instead, she'll take a different trip to the Aloha State - for the LPGA Tour's first tournament of the 2005 season in February.

PGA QUALIFYING: Dunedin's Bob Heintz shot 8-under 64 to tie for 17th at 8-under 352 after five rounds in La Quinta, Calif. England's Brian Davis shot 68 for a six-shot lead and was 19 under. Tampa's Joe Alfieri (70) was tied for 106th at 4 over. The top 30 and ties receive 2005 PGA Tour cards. The final round is today.

FATHER-SON CHALLENGE: Larry and Drew Nelson closed with eight straight birdies for 13-under 59 in Orlando, rallying from two strokes down on the back nine for a tournament record-tying 25 under. Bob and David Charles were second at 22 under. Three-time major winner Larry Nelson, paired in the past with sons Josh or Drew, won the event for the first time in 10 tries. Vijay Singh and 14-year-old son Qass (62) tied for ninth.

NEDBANK CHALLENGE: Retief Goosen won by six strokes in Sun City, South Africa, closing with 3-under 69. Third-round leader Lee Westwood was undone by a triple bogey on the eighth hole and finished fourth after 80. Goosen, the U.S. Open champion, was at 7-under 281. Ernie Els (71) and Stuart Appleby (74) were second at 287. Americans Chris DiMarco (74) and Jim Furyk (72) were at 288.

EUROPEAN PGA: Miguel Angel Jimenez won the Hong Kong Open for his fifth European tour title of the year, closing with 4-under 66 for a one-stroke victory over Ryder Cup teammate Padraig Harrington (67) and James Kingston (67). Jimenez was 14-under 266 for his 14th career tour title.

AUSTRALIAN PGA: Peter Lonard won a third straight week, shooting 7-under 65 to beat third-round leader James Nitties (70) by two in Coolum. Lonard, who entered three strokes behind Nitties, finished 18-under 270. American Bob Estes (70) was three back in third. Greg Norman, fighting back pain, completed one of his best performances of the year, shooting 70 to tie for 17th at 10 under.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

[Last modified December 6, 2004, 00:10:20]