SARASOTA, Fla. – Marissa Steen won the Guardian Retirement Championship on Sunday for her first Symetra Tour title, beating China’s Yueer Cindy Feng with a short birdie putt on the fifth hole of a playoff.
The 24-year-old Steen birdied the final two holes of regulation at Sara Bay for a 3-under 69 to finish at 3-under 213 and got into the playoff when Feng closed with a par for a 73.
They matched pars on the par-5 18th on the first four playoff holes before Steen finally won.
“To get the job done and seal the deal, it is really surreal right now,” Steen said. “I looked at my caddie when I was done and said, `Oh, my gosh, I won.’ … It was a great week from start to finish. This is my third playoff, so it feels good to finally get the job done.”
Steen lost a seven-hole playoff to Cydney Clanton last year in the Four Winds Invitational.
“I kept telling myself that if you put yourself in contention, good things are going to happen and it finally did today,” said Steen, a former University of Memphis player from West Chester, Ohio.
Steen began the round four strokes behind the 18-year-old Feng, the winner of the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic in March at Lake Wales.
Steen earned $15,000 to jump from fifth to second on the money list with $30,977. Feng made $9,367 to push her tour-leading total to $35,351. The top 10 at the end of the season will earn 2015 LPGA Tour cards.
Megan McChrysal had a 71 to finish a stroke back. Rachel Rohanna, Kris Tamulis and Therese Koelbaek followed at 1 under. Rohanna shot 71, Tamulis 72 and Koelbaek 63.
Canadian Results:
T13. Sara-Maude Juneau (+3) 76-72-71–219
T13. Maude-Aimee LeBlanc (+3) 76-71-72–219
T31. Jessica Shepley (+7) 71-78-74–223
T41. Samantha Richdale (+9) 75-74-76–225
T51. Ashley Sholer (+11) 74-77-76–227
T57. Jessica Wallace (+12) 79-71-78–228
MC. Angela Buzminski
MC. Nicole Vandermade
MC. Christine Wong
MC. Erica Rivard
MC. Lisa Meldrum