Golden oldie Stanford prevails in thrilling finale

ANGELA STANFORD became the secondoldest player in LPGA history to win her first major when she captured the Evian Championship after a dramatic finish.

Fifteen years after she finished runner-up at the US Women’s Open and six years after she captured the most recent of her five LPGA Tour wins, the American closed with an adventurous four-underpar 68 to win by a shot on 12 under just a month shy of her 41st birthday.

“I have no idea what just happened,” an emotional Stanford said moments after leader Amy Olson three-putted the 18th for a doublebogey six and a 74 to fall into a tie for second with fellow Americans Austin Ernst and Mo Martin, and Korea’s Sei Young Kim.

Stanford eagled the 15th to snatch a share of the lead with Olson, immediately doublebogeyed the par-three 16th but then birdied the 17th before missing a birdie chance to tie at the 18th.

Olson’s late mistake gave her a win that was doubly emotional as her mother Nan, diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma breast cancer in 2009, was told in June that the disease had returned and metastasised into her bones.

“Glad she got to see it,” a tearful Stanford said in a TV interview. “She may be the first to drink out of the trophy.”

Meanwhile, on the Symetra Tour, Jordanstown’s Stephanie Meadow closed with a level-par 72 to finish tied 13th on three-overpar in the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout in Arkansas.

Ranked third in the race for ten LPGA Tour cards, she finished eight shots behind overnight leader Hyemin Kim of Korea, who shot 73 to win by three shots on five-under-par from American Brittany Benvenuto.

Slieve Russell’s Leona Maguire tied for 29th on six-over after a final round 73 at Mystic Creek Golf Club in El Dorado.