Stanford's great run continues in Mexico
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2008 Lorena Ochoa Invitational | Round Four | 17 Nov 2008
Angela Stanford continued an impressive run of form in recent weeks, recording her second win in her last five starts by defeating Brittany Lang and Annika Sorenstam to win the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Guadalajara in Mexico.
Despite the birdie run drying up over the closing seven holes, Stanford had done enough to hold out Sorenstam, who is playing her penultimate LPGA Tour event before retirement after next week’s ADT Tour Championship, and the fast finishing Lang. Sorenstam missed a birdie putt of ten feet at the last which would have forced the event into extra time but it was not to be.
Lang’s final round of 65 was the best of the week and threatened to catch the leaders napping.
Stanford has not only won twice in her last five starts, she has been no worse than 4th in the other three and she is on track to finish inside the top ten on the money list for the first time in her eight year career on the LPGA Tour.
“I felt like I was the best version of myself today,” Stanford said after accepting the $200,000 first-place check. “I stuck to my game plan. I was patient. Any time I got over a putt, I felt like could I make it, and I believed in myself.”
This was her third LPGA Tour victory but it has been a long time between drinks since her first victory in 2003.
Sorenstam was gracious and brave in defeat.
“I certainly had a chance today, but Angela played very well,” she said. “I was tracing her all day, but I never gave up, kept on fighting, and I had a chance to force a playoff. Obviously I was disappointed with that but overall I thought it was a great tournament and I really tried.”
Clearly she still has the desire to succeed despite the looming retirement.
Katherine Hull who played in the final group with Stanford today, continuing her remarkable season, actually drew level with Stanford in the final round after a fast start but two dropped shots early in her back nine and a double bogey at the last cost her dearly. Still, for Hull, she moves past US$1,000,000 in earnings this season, her cheque for US$40,000 moving her to US$1,031,000.
The LPGA Tour now plays the ADT Tour Championship in West Palm Beach.
