The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Bowie captures LPGA Jamie Farr Classic title
07.11.2005 | Women's Golf
AUSTIN, Texas -- Former Longhorn Heather Bowie won her first LPGA Tour title after a three-hole playoff against Gloria Park at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic on Sunday, July 10 in Sylvania, Ohio.
Bowie, who played at The University of Texas from 1995-97, entered the final round five-shots back, but rallied to close regulation with a 4-under 67, matching Park at the top of the leaderboard with a 10-under 274. In the playoff, Park drained a pair of clutch putts on the first two extra holes before triple-bogeying the last hole. The miscue allowed Bowie to two-putt the final hole and wrap up her first Tour win.
"It was a tremendous relief," Bowie said of her first victory in six years on the Tour. "A huge monkey (is) off my back (that has been) getting bigger every year. I knew that if I just kept making pars or birdie in the playoff I was all right. If I get beat by somebody making a birdie and I make a good par, then that's just the way it is."
With the victory, Bowie earned a career-best $180,000 and a three-year LPGA Tour Exemption. She is currently ranked 12th on this year's LPGA money list with earnings of $466,000 to date this year. Bowie currently stands ninth in the U.S. Solheim Cup standings. The next Solheim Cup (competition between the top USA players and the European top players) takes place from Sept. 9-11, 2005 at the Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana. Nancy Lopez is captain of the U. S Solheim Cup team and will lead the 12-member team which will include the top 10 American players in 2005 Solheim Cup points and two of her own captain picks.
Bowie's highest finish prior to this tournament win was in 2003 when she tied for second at The Office Depot Championship Hosted by Amy Alcott.
While playing at Texas from 1995-97, Bowie earned All-American honors, was the 1997 Big 12 Player of the Year, and captured the NCAA Individual Medalist trophy in 1997 when she finished first at the NCAA championships played in Columbus, Ohio.
Heather Bowie's victrory numbers and post-match interview (Courtesy: )
Heather Bowie, 72-66-69-67=274 (-10)
Scorecard: Hole 1, 347-yard par 4: birdie - 4-iron to 10 feet Hole 6, 148-yard par 3: birdie - 8-iron to eight feet Hole 7, 575-yard par 5: birdie - gap wedge to 25 feet Hole 10, 369-yard par 4: birdie - 6-iron to eight feet Hole 11, 385-yard par 4: bogey - missed green, didn't get up-and-down Hole 12, 395-yard par 4: birdie - wedge to seven feet Hole 13, 355-yard par 4: birdie - gap wedge to 30 feet Hole 17, 513-yard par 5: bogey - 5-iron missed the green, chip to 10 feet, two-putt
Thoughts after winning her first tournament...
HEATHER BOWIE: I'm exhausted. It's certainly difficult but that makes it more special, it's a long time coming. I'm thrilled to get an opportunity in a playoff after making bogey on 17 in regulation.
Struggles on par 5s all week and playoffs...
HB: I have no idea what I did on par-fives (3-over par). The back nine was tough for me this week in general. 17 and 18 were not the holes I would've picked. I knew you were going to have to play well to win it.
Bogey on 17 and where she stood...
HB: I didn't look at a board all day. I accidentally saw at one point that we were all 1-2-3-4, there were no ties. I knew I was in second but I didn't know what the differential was. It was pretty early, on 12 I saw that.
Play on 17 and 18 doesn't usually win...
HB: You're right. I certainly had a big tee shot to get home in two. On the walk up 18, my caddie said to me let's birdie this hole, you can win it. I thought he was being optimistic because I didn't know people had made bogeys.
First time he's caddied for you...
HB: He's my very significant other. I usually don't kiss my caddies like that after I'm done. This is the first time that we decided to do it beyond one week. He has done it for me when I've been in a bind. I've had a lot of caddies. He's done it for me three other weeks, the U.S. Open last year and when we went over to Asia for two weeks.
What she likes about this course...
HB: I like that you have to shape the ball both ways. You have to draws and fades off the tee and into greens. For some reason I feel really comfortable on these greens. I never look at a putt and wonder what its doing. I feel confident about the line that I see.
Getting her first win...
HB: The longer it goes, the harder it is. Honestly, I kept telling myself all day that I was too far back so I wouldn't think about it. I kind of did the same thing in junior golf. I think its good for me to finish way out of ahead the leaders. It was a tremendous relief. A huge money off my back, getting bigger every year.
Best moment in Ohio...
HB: Ohio has been good to me. I won the NCAAs at Ohio State, that was my last win, I was a senior in college, last event I ever played. I got my first-ever top 20 when I was conditional. I got my first top-three and top-five here, so its been good to me.
Expectations to win...
HB: I have always felt that way, I just tried not to put those expectations out there. Last year, I played really well at the British and I didn't make the cut. This year, I just wanted to make the cut and see what I could on the weekend.
Next time in this spot with the experience...
HB: I hope that I'm less nervous because I sure thought I was going to throw up out there. Hopefully I'll get to experience the second, third and fourth to know if the first one is the hardest.