Rohanna finishes in fifth place at Tullymore Classic
STANWOOD, Mich. – Daniela Iacobelli birdied the final two holes Sunday for a one-stroke victory in the Symetra Tour’s Tullymore Classic.
The 27-year-old former Florida Tech player closed with a 6-under 66 to finish at 16-under 200 at Tullymore Golf Club. She was born in Detroit and lived in Michigan until she was a teenager.
Waynesburg High School graduate Rachel Rohanna shot a 4-under 68 to finish tied for 13th, three strokes behind Iacobelli.
“I think every single thought that a golfer can have,” Iacobelli said about what she was thinking standing over her birdie putt on the par-5 18th. “Straight back and straight through. Not too hard. Not too soft. Don’t peak and pray that it goes in.”
Former UCLA player Lee Lopez and Japan’s Haruka Morita-WanyaoLu and Chie Arimura tied for second. Lopez birdied six of the last seven holes for a 62, Morita-WanyaoLu had a 67, and Arimura a 68. Arimura missed a chance to force a playoff when she left her 6-foot birdie putt short on 18.
“I almost dropped to my knees,” Iacobelli said. “When I was in the tent, I was thinking how I would play in the playoff and when her putt didn’t drop it’s almost like you snap out of competition mode immediately. It took a second, but then I was doused with a lot of water so that helped.”
Iacobelli earned $15,000 to jump from 15th to second on the money list with $40,597. The final top 10 will earn 2016 LPGA Tour cards. Iacobelli also won the tour’s 2012 Daytona Beach Invitational.
Rohanna, who entered the event sixth in the Symetra Tour money standings, won $3,073 to increase her yearly earnings to $37,281.
The final top 10 will earn 2016 LPGA Tour cards.
“It’s one of the best feelings,” Iacobelli said. “I’ve done it in my two home states. I don’t think that I could have set up an off week any better.”
Lee wins Greenbriar in playoff: Danny Lee parred the second hole of a four-man playoff to win The Greenbrier Classic on Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory.
The South Korean-born New Zealander earned $1.2 million and became the ninth first-time winner on the tour this season.
Lee, David Hearn, Kevin Kisner and Robert Streb were tied at 13 under after four rounds on the Old White TPC course in West Virginia.
Streb shot a 5-under 65 in the final round by making five birdie putts on the back nine with a 56-degree wedge after breaking his putter on the ninth hole. The putter broke when Streb tossed it at his bag next to the green.
He was allowed a replacement putter for the playoff, but he never got to use it after missing the green at the par-3 No. 18. Lee and Hearn made birdie putts on the first playoff hole, also eliminating Kisner.
Hearn then drove behind a tree on the par-5 17th and made bogey. Lee reached the green in three shots and two-putted from across the green for par.
It marked the third playoff in the tournament’s six-year history. A week ago, Bubba Watson won the Travelers Championship in a playoff.
Tiger Woods started the day seven shots behind the leaders, shot a bogey-free 67 and said he made some “nice strides” heading into next week’s British Open.
Woods broke a streak of 55 consecutive rounds with at least one bogey. It was his first time under par in a final round since the 2013 Tour Championship.
Lee, Hearn, James Hahn and Greg Owen earned spots at St. Andrews. There also were four spots handed out a week ago at the Travelers and one more is available this week at the John Deere Classic.
Kisner shot a 6-under 64 to get to the clubhouse at 13 under. But he had to sweat it out with eight golfers within two shots of the lead still on the course.
Kisner lost in a playoff for the third time this season. The others were at the RBC Heritage and the Players Championship.
Kisner birdied the 18th three times in the first four rounds, but he went over the green in the playoff and left his approach shot in the rough.
Hearn (67) and Lee (67) birdied No. 17 to join the playoff. Both had chances to take the lead on the final hole in regulation, but Lee missed an 18-footer for birdie and Hearn left a 12-footer just short of the cup.
Russell Henley shot 63 and finished fifth at 12 under.