Skip to main content

Sara-Maude Juneau

Norway's Marita Engzelius eagled the first hole of a playoff Sunday to win the season-ending Symetra Tour Championship, and the top 10 on the money list earned LPGA Tour cards.

Engzelius hit a 7-wood to 5 feet to set up the eagle on the par-5 18th.

"It's just a great, great end of the Symetra Tour season," Engzelius said. "I'm unbelievably happy to stand here with this trophy. I was shaking. I was shaking a lot. The first professional win is big and this is definitely the beginning for me and I'm looking forward to many more."

Engzelius closed with a 3-under 69 to match Jackie Stoelting and Demi Runas at 10-under 278 on LPGA International's Jones Course. Stoelting finished with a 64, and Runas shot 65.

Engzelius earned $22,500 to finish 15th on the money list with $36,050. She earned an exemption into the final stage of the LPGA Tour's qualifying school.

"It's very important," Engzelius said. "I knew I didn't have a chance to get my card this week even though I won, but I knew I had a chance to get straight to final stage and play this course again in December. I will get a couple of months of good practice in and we will see what happens there but maybe I can give myself an opportunity for LPGA next year."

Marissa Steen, a three-time winner this season, topped the LPGA Tour qualifiers with $75,348. From Westchester, Ohio, the 24-year-old former Memphis player missed the cut in the finale.

"For all the players on the Symetra Tour, the ultimate goal is to finish in the top 10 in order to get full-time status on the LPGA Tour, so to be in that group and to have been in the top 10 the entire year is a dream come true," Steen said. "My ultimate career goal is to play on the LPGA for a long time, so to know it is going to be happening next year is a great feeling."

Min Seo Kwak was second at $69,143, followed by Stoelting ($60,452), Sadena Parks ($57,597), Min Lee ($57,011), Wei-Ling Hsu ($53,004), Yueer Cindy Feng ($51,992), Kendall Dye ($47,684), Runas ($45,095) and Mallory Blackwelder ($41,381).

Parks is the first black player to earn an LPGA Tour card through the Symetra Tour. The 24-year-old former Washington player, a two-time winner this year, closed with a 67 to tie for 12th at 6 under.

Sara-Maude Juneau of Fossambault, Que. finished in a tie for 18th which left her 13th on the money list, $2,949 outside of the top 10. She will get a chance to play her way back onto the LPGA Tour having earned an exemption into the final stage of the Tour's Q-School in December.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., the leader heading into the final round, bogeyed four of her first six holes to finish one stroke outside of the playoff. She ended up tied for fourth at 9-under par. She finished 19th on the season ending money list, also earning an exemption into the final stage of Q-School.

Nicole Vandermade of Brantford, Ont. made it a Canadian three-some heading off to the final stage after finishing 17th on the money list.

Interact with The Globe