The final round of the Dream First Bank Charity Classic got off to a later start than scheduled, with severe weather rolling through Garden City, Kan., early in the morning, pushing back the start time by two and a half hours. Once play started, and everyone was on the course, two players immediately separated themselves from the rest of the field, turning a once crowded leaderboard into a two-horse race. Daniela Iacobelli and Kathleen Scavo traded birdies all day, rolling in a combined 12 birdies on the day, all before entering a 6-hole playoff, where Scavo eventually came out victorious, claiming her first Epson Tour victory.
Before the playoff began, Scavo was on the chase for most of the day. Every time she would roll in a birdie, Iacobelli would match her with one in the group behind her. The tournament could have swung either way for the first 18 holes of the final round. Eventually, Scavo tracked down the four-time Epson Tour winner, taking the lead with only three holes to play. A wayward approach shot into No. 18 left Scavo with a tricky up and down, which she was unable to convert, leaving Iacobelli with a chance to birdie to win the tournament.
Iacobelli found the center of the fairway on her 54-hole of the event, displaying the ball striking clinic she had put together all week by giving herself a 15-foot birdie putt to win the tournament. The roll was good, but the ball stayed high, narrowly missing the cup but forcing a playoff.
The playoff, like the play in regulation, was back and forth. Both players had multiple opportunities to win the tournament, but no putts were falling. The pair traded pars for the first five playoff holes before a mishit approach by Iacobelli left her with a difficult chip around a tree and over a bunker. The veteran knew she needed to give herself a look at par, with Scavo just off the green to the left, looking at a routine up-and-down opportunity. Iacobelli delivered, getting the ball to check up just before rolling into the first cut, but she left herself with a downhill sliding putt from about 12 feet. Scavo did not hit her best chip but was able to get the ball within 8 feet, with the same line she missed in regulation to get into the playoff. Iacobelli's putt missed on the high side and there would be no mistake for the second time for Scavo, who stepped up and rolled in her par to capture her first Epson Tour victory.
"It definitely was disappointing to bogey the last hole, but I thought about my whole day and how great I played, and it just happened to be the last hole that I stumbled," explained Scavo. "D (Daniela Iacobelli) played fantastic today. I mean, it was amazing to see how, you know, how neck and neck we were. But hats off to D for how well she played today. I mean, it feels amazing to finally get a win."
The win comes at a perfect time for the 26-year-old. Heading into the week, Scavo was having doubts about her game, only making three cuts on the season, with her best finish being a tie for 28th. Scavo can focus on working her way inside one of the top 15 spots in the Race for the Card as we pass the season's midway point.
"They say your journey is a marathon, not a sprint," said Scavo about her difficult start to the season. "Eventually, I was able to, you know, get over the hump and play golf that I know that I could play."
The Epson Tour will return to play July 12-14 for the second playing of the Hartford HealthCare Women's Championship in Milford, Conn., at Great River Golf Club. Jenny Bae will defend the first of her two titles out east.
IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE WITH KATHLEEN SCAVO
Hometown/Resides: Benicia, California
Age: 26
Rookie Year: 2020
| Category | |
|---|---|
| 2024 Race for the Card Rank | 18 |
| 2024 Race for the Card Points | 537.433 |
| 2024 Epson Tour Wins | 1 |
| 2024 Epson Tour Top 10s | 1 |
| 2024 Season Earnings | $39,893 |
| Career Epson Tour Wins | 1 |
| Career Epson Tour Top 10s | 4 |
| Epson Tour Career Money | $113,432 |
OF NOTE
- Scavo defeated Daniela Iacobelli in a six-hole playoff
- She recorded a 5-under final round with six birdies and one bogey
- The win moves her from No. 122 to 18 in the 2024 Race for the Card standings
- She finished 29th in the 2023 Race for the Card standings
- The University of Oregon alumna has made four cuts in 11 starts in 2024
- Her season-best finish before the win was T28 at the Casino Del Sol Golf Classic
- She played in the 2021 and 2022 U.S. Women's Open
QUICK QUOTES
Cassie Porter (-6, T7) on a successful Midwest stretch:
"It means so much. I think after the win, I really struggled to get back to 'what do I actually need to do?' I wasn't really expecting myself to be in that position and being third on the money list and being well in the race for the card, I think that was that was kind of a shock to me. Posting a top ten this week, it means the world to me and obviously takes a little bit of pressure off, but it's also just proving to me that I actually can do it. It wasn't a fluke."
Brooke Matthews (-6, T7) on three top 10 finishes in four events:
"I think it's kind of the right spot at the right time and working hard with my coach back at home. I started out with a tied-for-second finish in Battle Creek, so that boosted my confidence, and I was able to back it up with a third at the Otter Creek Championship. Last week, I missed the cut by one, kind of fell on the off side of the wave, but that's what happens. So I was happy to come back out here and put up some good rounds."
Amari Avery (-6, T7) on her first top 10 finish on the Epson Tour:
"It feels good. I had a good chance at the Firekeepers Casino Hotel Championship, and I felt like I was playing good all week, so I'm glad to get a top ten. I'm still learning things as a rookie, but honestly, I'm just trying to do my best and finish as high as I can. A top ten is pretty good."
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