Golf

Australian outplays veterans for 1st win

By C.J. RISAK
Published March 21, 2005

OLDSMAR - Two tour veterans vs. a rookie. Not just Futures Tour veterans, either. Lori Atsedes and Becky Iverson have played on the LPGA Tour.

As for Sarah-Jane Kenyon, this is her first season - on the Futures Tour.

It would seem during Sunday's final round at the Tampa Bay Futures Classic at East Lake Woodlands that the veterans would have the edge. They didn't.

Kenyon shot a final-round 69, tying four others with the low of the day, to finish at 6-under-par 210 and earn her first tour victory.

Kenyon, 20, of Queensland, Australia, had five birdies and two bogeys in her final round. As for pressure, it didn't seem to bother her; she entered the day as the co-leader by one, tied with Iverson of Gladstone, Mich., at 3-under 141, and never relented. She knocked down a 25-foot birdie putt on her third hole, then after bogeying the 347-yard par-4 No. 6, she birdied No. 9, 10 and 11. Her putts came from 20 feet at 10 and 30 feet at 11.

She bogeyed No. 16, leaving her two strokes ahead of Iverson, but birdied the 520-yard par-5 18th hole to win by three.

Asked about her first tour win and $9,100 paycheck, Kenyon wasn't quite sure how to reply, saying, "I feel sick. I did putt well this week."

It was Kenyon's second Futures Tour event. In Lakeland March 13, she finished tied at 18th.

Iverson's final round was plagued by a wobbly putter. She had 33 putts with one birdie and one bogey for par 72.

Atsedes, who led after the first round and trailed by two strokes heading into Sunday, putted well but struggled off the tee.

"I can't remember putting this well," said Atsedes, of Ithaca, N.Y., who had 26 putts on Saturday and Sunday. She had four birdies but also had two bogeys and was never able to get within striking distance of Kenyon, shooting 70 to tie for second.

Clearwater's Jenny Gleason (73-74-71-218) tied at 18th, winning $793. Brooksville's Kelly Lagedrost (75-74-71-220) tied at 27th, winning $543.

[Last modified March 21, 2005, 01:50:19]