Annie Park, who left USC after her junior season in May, claimed her first professional victory in her fourth start on the Symetra Tour, holding off Vicky Hurst by one stroke in the inaugural Toyota Danielle Downey Classic at Brook-Lea Country Club in Rochester, N.Y.
The 20-year-old Park, who won the 2013 NCAA individual championship as a freshman with the Trojans, birdied five of the first 10 holes in the final round before carding her only bogey on the 13th hole, and closed out a 4-under-par 68 with five consecutive pars.
“I’m speechless; this is my first professional win and it has been happening all so fast,” said Park, who won before family and friends who made the trip from her hometown of Levittown, N.Y. “For me, to win this tournament is crazy right now.
“I knew Vicky is a phenomenal player and I knew she was going to play great today. She was putting so well. I miscalculated yardages on 16, 17 and 18, but for me to make that seven-foot par putt on 17 was shocking to me. I was like, ‘Yes! I made it!'”
Park posted a score of 68-67-69-68–272, 16-under, and collected $22,500, while Hurst, who was the No. 1 amateur in the world in 2007 but has not won since claiming five victories on what was then the LPGA Futures Tour in 2008, finished at 71-69-67-66–273.
Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Canada shot 73-69-70-68–280 to tie for third with Marina Choi, who totaled 74-67-67-72–280, Laura Gonzalez Escallon of Belgium, who finished at 72-70-69-69–280, and Giulia Molinaro of Italy, who came in at 67-72-72-70–280.
Brooke Henderson, the 17-year-old sensation from Canada, carded a score of 72-70-73–66–281 to tie for seventh with Emily Talley of Napa, who wound up at 68-73-73-70–281, and Sara-Maude Juneau of Canada, who finished at 73-68-70-70–281.
