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Juli Inkster Wins Legends Championship

By Elizabeth Bethel

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2015 Solheim Cup Team USA Captain Juli Inkster strutted her stuff at the Legends Championship and hoisted her first Legends Tour trophy just 19 days before she leads her team into battle against the Europeans at St. Leon-Rot.  Inkster and vice-captain Pat Hurst wanted to squeeze in a tournament with their own sticks before heading to Germany to guide Team USA in the 14th biennial team match-play event between Europe and the United States that begins on September 17.

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Inkster says her Legends Tour victory sends a clear message to the players on her 2015 U.S. Solheim Cup team: “If a 55-year old can win, they can win, too.”

Inkster, who is also still playing on the LPGA Tour, wasn’t battling Stacy Lewis and Inbee Park this week at the Pete Dye-designed  French Lick Resort track but she still had to beat some formidable foes she has faced for two decades. England’s Trish Johnson and Laura Davies shared the lead with Inkster at the start of today’s final round.

By day’s end, however, Davies lost momentum with a score of one-over 73 and dropped into a tie for seventh at even-par 144. Inkster and Johnson went head to head as they had in many Solheim Cup matches and even more tournaments on the LPGA Tour.

With Inkster playing in the pairing ahead of Johnson, the two fought to the finish for the tournament title. Inkster birdied the 17th hole to move to four under and then drained an eight-foot birdie on No. 18 to take the lead at five under.

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    • Johnson also birdied the 17th, but her second shot on the par-5 finishing hole found a front bunker. With rain starting to fall, Johnson left her bunker shot 25 feet from the hole for a chance to birdie and tie Inkster, forcing a playoff.

    By the time Johnson walked onto the green, she not only faced a tricky putt, but a downpour of heavy rain, as well. Johnson missed the birdie attempt and a short putt for par, finishing with a score of 2-under 70. Her bogey dropped her into solo second place at 3-under 141.

    "“I tried to stay patient and that’s when I started hitting it better,” said Inkster, who plans to play in the LPGA’s final major, The Evian Championship, in two weeks."

    There could be a message there for Team USA.

    Pat Hurst, one of Inksters Solheim Cup vice-captains, also made a run at The Legends Championship and acquitted herself nicely at the end. Hurst eagled No. 18 by hitting the green in two shots and draining a 10-foot putt on the par-5 hole, ending in a tie  for third with Canada’s Lorie Kane (70) at 2-under 142.

    Danielle Ammaccapane (70) of California and Jean Bartholomew (70) of New York tied for fifth at 1-under 143.

    Australia’s Jan Stephenson won the Super Legends Division, topping seven other contestants in the division for players 63-over.  Stephenson posted rounds of 73-71 to finish at even-par 144. Judy Dickinson of Florida was runner-up at 8-over 152.

    “Winning never gets old,” said Stephenson, who interned with the course’s designer, Pete Dye, years ago. “This was a really special one.”

    Complete scores are available at The Legends electronic leaderboard.

    Next: No Gimmes at The 2015 Solheim Cup

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