GOLF ROUNDUP : McNamara’s Victory Is a Laughing Matter

Melissa McNamara used a few dirty jokes and one double bogey to overcome a severe case of nerves and win her first LPGA tournament Sunday at Stratton Mountain, Vt.

Starting the final day atop the leader board for the first time, the second-year tour pro couldn’t eat, didn’t sleep much and was up at dawn.

But caddie Patrick Swift helped her relax by whispering dirty jokes in her ear, she said, and then came the double bogey on No. 5 that dropped her out of the lead.

“A few holes later, I told my caddie I’m almost glad I made that double bogey,” she said. “There were plenty of holes left; I’m fortunate it happened early. It relaxed me.”

She went on to outduel veterans Patty Sheehan and Deb Richard on the back nine to win with a 70 for a 10-under-par 278.

Sheehan finished two strokes behind after a final-round 72.

The 25-year-old McNamara won $67,500, more than double her total amount in two seasons on tour.

Richard, a winner last week at Youngstown, Ohio, started the round two back of McNamara and Sheehan, and never pulled even with them. Richard also had a 72 for 282, tied with Pat Bradley and Elaine Crosby.

McNamara, of Tulsa, Okla., moved to the top Saturday with four birdies on the back nine, and again made her move after the turn.

She took the lead at nine under by sinking a 20-foot birdie putt on the 10th hole, but Sheehan pulled even with a 25-foot birdie on the 12th.

McNamara applied the clincher on the 15th, rolling in a 25-footer on the par-five hole for birdie.

Charles Coody lost five strokes on the final two holes, handing Dale Douglass the victory in the Senior Tour event at Jeremy Ranch, Utah.

Coody had a three-stroke lead over Douglass after 52 holes, but made a double-bogey on the 17th and a triple-bogey on the 18th.

Douglass shot a 71 and finished with a 209, seven under, one in front of George Archer and Don Bies. Coody, meanwhile, fell to a 77 for a 211, tied for fourth with Don January at the 7,103-yard Jeremy Ranch course.

Archer had bogey on the 18th hole for a 71. Bies and January shot 67.

Coody started the round at 10 under and managed to keep the lead until the last hole. After a birdie on the par-five 16th increased his lead to three over Douglass, Coody’s game unraveled.