Golf Roundup : Postlewait Shoots a 69 to Tie, Wins on 1st Extra Hole

Kathy Postlewait sank a six-foot putt for par on the first extra hole Sunday to win the $200,000 Mazda tournament by one stroke over Betsy King at Boca Raton, Fla.

The victory, worth $30,000, was only Postlewait’s second in 14 years on the LPGA Tour. It was her first sudden-death win in four career playoffs.

“I never had any doubts,” Postlewait said of the putt on the par-3 16th hole. “I felt like the law of averages would finally let me win one.”

Second place in the tournament, the first of the season, was worth $18,500 to King.

On the extra hole, King missed the green to the left and then her approach shot landed on the fringe of the green. Still, she narrowly missed sinking a 25-foot putt for par.

King, the leader after three rounds, shot a 73 in the final round and Postlewait had a 69, leaving them tied after 72 holes at 2-under-par 286 over the 6,472-yard Stonebridge Country Club course.

Finishing a stroke behind the leaders at 287 were Pat Bradley, who shot a 71 Sunday, Lauri Peterson and Rosie Jones. Heather Farr and Ayako Okamoto were at 289.

Farr, who was a stroke behind King after three rounds, struggled to a final-round 75. She was the leader through her first eight holes Sunday, but her second shot on No. 9, a par 4, landed in a woman’s handbag, costing her a bogey and the lead, which she never regained.

Postlewait moved into contention on the back nine with birdies on Nos. 11, 12 and 14 after shooting even par on the front nine. King parred her last six holes.

In a $300,000 Seniors tournament at Sun City, South Africa, Harold Henning of South Africa sank a 16-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole to win a sudden-death playoff against Billy Casper at the Gary Player Country Club.

Henning and Casper finished tied at 214 for 54 holes after both shot 70 on Sunday.

Henning won $90,000 and Casper $47,000.

Peter Thomson of Australia was third at 218 after firing a 67. He collected $30,000. Orville Moody, who shared first place with Doug Sanders after the first round on Friday, finished fourth at 220.

Henning forced the playoff when he sank a seven-foot putt for par on the last hole while Casper made bogey.