DAVIDSON, N.C. — She only had five holes to finish her second and final round today, but what Jenny Haglund (Karlstad, Sweden) didn’t know was it actually would take six to win the Epson Classic at River Run Country Club.
“I didn’t really think it was going to be a playoff,” said Haglund. “I was sitting, waiting around for my friend who was in the last group. Before [the playoff], I went into my bubble and did a warm-up, then out. It was a long day, but passed the time by doing some other things.”
The former Southern Methodist University (SMU) standout capped a final round 5-under par with a birdie on No. 18, to snag the solo lead at 4-under par overall. That happened around 10 a.m. ET.
From there, Haglund waited. And waited. A little over five hours later, she found herself on the tee box of No. 18 again, this time in the first hole of a sudden-death playoff against Dottie Ardina (Laguna, Philippines).
“I told myself I really want to win this week and after bogey on No. 7, which was my 16th hole, it kind of let me down because I just had to par my last three holes to get the win,” said Ardina, who cared a 1-under par in the final round. “It’s a learning experience. I’ll just try to play good for the next few weeks and hopefully I’ll get my full [LPGA Tour] card for next year.”
Each player knocked their third shot onto the green to make it a putting contest. Haglund stepped up first, about 45-feet from the cup, and with ice in her veins, rolled it right down Broadway. That proved to be the deciding factor, as Ardina was not able to convert her birdie opportunity.
“It was just in the moment and then I saw it drop,” said Haglund. “I don’t really remember, honestly. It was really, really nice to see it go in.”
Over the span of seven days now, Ardina has finished solo second twice—today and last Sunday in Greenwood, S.C., at the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic. Even though it has been a tough pill to swallow, she has been gracious in defeat and found the positives.
“I’ve been playing well since last week, so I have to move on,” Ardina said. “It is heartbreaking, but I’ll just look forward to my next events.”
Meanwhile for Haglund, she made her first career Epson Tour start in Beaumont, Calif., at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa. In just her fourth event, she is a Epson Tour champion. Overall, she has four top-20 finishes on the year, including three top-10s and two top-5 results, with a win as the cherry on top.
“It has been a great season so far. I’ve put myself in contention a lot and been really happy with the way I have been progressing,” said Haglund. “It’s nice that I came out on top this week and I’m really proud of myself. It’s a great event and I’m just really, really happy.”
VOLVIK RACE FOR THE CARD UPDATE
Although four players in the Volvik Race for the Card top-10 were not in the field for the Epson Classic, there was still plenty of star power at River Run Country Club.
With her victory, Jenny Haglund climbed nine spots into the No. 1 position with $41,454 earned through four starts. Meanwhile, even though she finished runner-up, the performance from Dottie Ardina moved her up four places to No. 2 at a total of $36,269.
Continuing down the standings, Elizabeth Szokol (Winnetka, Illinois) sits at No. 3, checking in with $34,319. She ended tied for 28th in the Epson Classic at 3-over par. Then from Nos. 4-7, respectively, it is Vicky Hurst (Melbourne, Florida) at $34,007, Pajaree Anannarukarn (Bangkok, Thailand) with $24,767, Stephanie Meadow (Jordanstown, Northern Ireland) at $24,292 and Lauren Kim (Los Altos, California) with $23,003.
Furthermore, at No. 8 the Volvik Race for the Card welcomes a newcomer in Linnea Ström (Hovas, Sweden). The former Arizona State University standout cracks the top-10 for the first time this season after a tied for 16th finish at 2-over par in the Epson Classic.
Rounding out the top-10 is Charlotte Thomas (Guildford, England) with $16,686 and Daniela Iacobelli (Melbourne, Florida) at $16,069.
JENNY HAGLUND'S WINNER'S INTERVIEW
DOTTIE ARDINA'S RUNNER-UP INTERVIEW
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