THE VILLAGES, FLA., April 28, 2013 - Nancy Scranton earned her fifth career win today at The Legends Tours inaugural $225,000 Walgreens Charity Championship. The first-round leader fell behind in todays final round, but scrambled on the back nine to win by one shot.The Illinois native carded rounds of 67-69 to finish at 8-under 136 to earn the winners check for $30,000. She edged out runner-up Jane Crafter of Australia, who posted rounds of 68-69 to finish one shot back at 7-under 137.
"I was just really patient today," said Scranton, who now lives in St. Augustine, Fla. "You never know which holes youre going to birdie. I was fortunate to birdie holes 16 and 17 to get back in there."
Scranton rolled in birdie putts on hole Nos. 8 and 9, but stumbled with her only bogey on No. 13. That gave Crafter a chance to make a run at the leaderboard. The Australian toured the Nancy Lopez Legacy Course at The Villages bogey-free today, while recording birdies on holes 6, 9, 12 and 14.
But Scranton, who celebrated a birthday earlier in the week, joined Crafter in a tie for the lead when she birdied the par-4 16th hole. At No. 17, she laced a 5-iron to within a foot on the par-3 hole to set up her tap-in birdie. That putt gave her a one-stroke advantage heading into the final hole.
Knowing she had to birdie the 18th hole for a chance to tie the lead, Crafter made a run with her 12-foot birdie attempt, but the ball didnt drop. The Aussie tapped in for par to finish solo second.
"I saw that I had a chance, but I didnt put the best stroke on it," said Crafter, who won the Legends Tours Frys Desert Classic team event in March with Hall of Famer Betsy King. "I was a little nervous over the birdie putt on 18, and I think I just misread it."
While Crafters birdie chance failed to drop on No. 18, Scranton layed up on the par-5 finishing hole and two-putted for the win.
"I didnt know I was in the lead until I got up to the 18th green and saw that Jane was at seven under," admitted Scranton. "Sometimes thats the hardest thing to do - to two-putt instead of just trying to make it for birdie."
Tied for third at 6-under 138 were Cindy Figg-Currier (70) of Texas, a three-time Legends Tour winner, and Swedens Liselotte Neumann, who fired the days low round of 6-under 66.
Ohios Barb Mucha (69) and Wisconsin native Sherri Steinhauer (69) tied for fifth at 5-under 139.
Weekend crowds of 22,000 in The Villages retirement golf community set a fan attendance record that hasnt been matched since the Legends Tours inaugural event in 2000, in Green Bay, Wis.
For complete tournament results and more information, log on to www.thelegendstour.com
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