(15 August 2011 – Richmond, Virginia)
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Mo Martin emerged as a timely winner of the Eagle Classic on Sunday. With the season quickly drawing to a close the Californian carded a final-round score of 6-under 66 today to win by three shots at 13-under 203. The runner-up was Arizona’s Cara Freeman with a trio of players in a tie for third at 8-under par; Sophia Sheridan (USA), Olivia Jordan-Higgins (UK) and Min Seo Kwak (South Korea).
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rnIt was Martin’s third career win today and in her words, part of a larger plan to play her best golf, win golf tournaments and to prepare herself to move to the LPGA Tour after six years on the LPGA Futures Tour. Her plan is progressing smoothly having recorded ten Top-10s in 14 events, including five top-five finishes. Her latest victory allowed her to jump from fifth to third on the season money list.
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rn“This is a very crucial part of the season and this win means a whole bunch,” said Martin, “It’s wonderful that I won, but this isn’t the end of the season. We still have two tournaments left.”
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rnStarting the final round just one shot behind Sheridan, Martin birdied the first hole from 20-feet and charged into a share of the lead when she made a six-foot birdie putt on No. 3. Sheridan went on to bogey four holes on the front nine with Martin carding four birdies.
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rnWith her 99-year-old grandfather from California and an aunt from Tennessee in her gallery following every shot, the youngest Martin made her family’s trip to Virginia worth their while. She birdied the 10th hole from 15-feet, made a tap-in birdie on the 12th, and knocked in a six-foot birdie on the 14th to build a four-shot lead with three holes to play.
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rn“I stayed aggressive with my putting and honestly, I didn’t know I had a four-shot lead until I reached the 17th green,” said Martin, who hit 14 greens in regulation today and recorded just 26 putts.
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rnThe Californian’s only hiccup was a bogey on the tricky 16th hole, but she was braced for the stretch of Richmond Country Club’s demanding final three holes. Those three par-4 holes have arguably determined the winner for the last three years at this event and Martin has been around long enough to remember all of them.
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rnWith a three-shot lead and Freeman waiting in the clubhouse, Martin’s approach into the 18th hole landed just short of the green. Her chip rolled to 12 feet short of the hole. And then with Grandpa Martin standing greenside wearing his “Go Mo” pin and “Mona,” the long putter she has used since her mid-teens in her hands, she confidently drained her 12-footer for par and the win. Martin pumped her fist several times, plucked her ball out of the hole, and embraced her grandfather.
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rnOnly Stephanie Na made the cut from the ALPG ranks, finishing in a tie for 24th at 1-under par.
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