19-year-old comes out of pack to win Giant Eagle playoff

Rookie Dorothy Delasin, competing without a sponsor, became the youngest player to win an LPGA event in 25 years when she defeated Pat Hurst in a playoff today.

Rookie Dorothy Delasin, competing without a sponsor, became the youngest player to win an LPGA event in 25 years when she defeated Pat Hurst in a playoff today.

The 1999 U.S. Women's Amateur champion birdied the last hole of regulation to get into a playoff, then won with a par on the second extra hole of the Giant Eagle Classic.

The Californian sidestepped a half-dozen contenders in the final few holes to pick up her first top-10 finish. She is the youngest winner on the tour since Amy Alcott took the Orange Blossom Classic in 1975.

Delasin collected $150,000 - almost $30,000 more than she had picked up in her first 18 tournaments combined.

Her father, Arsenio, caddied for her. After Delasin made a 3-foot putt to win, her father held the flagstick over his head and cheered loudly. After hugging Hurst, he wrapped up his daughter in a bear hug and carried her around the green.

Hurst, seeking her second win of the year, barely missed her 10-foot par putt - catching the lip as the ball sped past on the left side on the decisive hole. She had found trouble in the right rough off the tee, then put her approach into the rough fronting the par-4 hole. Her chip came up short, setting up the touchy putt for par.

Both players had parred the first playoff hole.

Delasin, who had rounds of 71, 67 and 67 to finish at 11-under 205, began the day tied for seventh place and was a shot behind Hurst and Laura Philo as she walked to the 18th green.

But Delasin made a 12-foot downhill birdie putt to tie for the lead.

Hurst, who closed with a 2-under 70 after earlier rounds of 66 and 69, saved a spot in the playoff with a delicate, 5-footer for par after first landing 60 feet away on the 18th hole.

Philo, playing in the group between those of Hurst and Delasin, didn't fare as well. Tied for the lead when she teed off on the final hole, she found the deep bunker with her drive and was forced to blast out into the fairway. From there she hit her iron approach pin high but into the left rough, then chipped to 5 feet and missed the bogey putt.

Despite that sour ending to her 71, Philo shared third place with Wendy Ward and Mi Hyun Kim. Ward shot a final-round 69 and Kim a 67 to also finish at 207.

Michele Redman, native who had a piece of the lead until Hurst birdied at the 14th hole, double-bogeyed the 15th and bogeyed the closing hole to cap a 74 that left her alone in sixth place.

Se Ri Pak, who started the day tied for the lead with Redman, faded with four bogeys in the last eight holes and had a 75.

Delasin's golf bag was a small, thin nylon model with tripod legs - unlike the bulky leather models covered in advertising that many of the other pros play.

She wore no logos on her clothes, and there was no prominent trademark on her ball, although she did draw a smiley-face logo - with its tongue hanging out - on both her visor and her ball.

During the presentation of the first-place check and trophy, Delasin began crying and got a nosebleed. She had to apply ice to the back of her neck to stop the bleeding.

The victory vaulted Delasin from 52nd to 22nd on the LPGA money list.

Final scores from the LPGA Giant Eagle Classic, Ohio (US unless stated):

205 D Delasin 71 67 67, P Hurst 66 69 70 (Delasin wins play-off on second hole) 207 W Ward 72 66 69, L Philo 68 68 71, Mi Hyun Kim (Kor) 72 68 67 208 M Redman 66 68 74 209 J Moodie (Gbr) 71 65 73, H Alfredsson (Swe) 65 70 74, Se Ri Pak (Kor) 65 69 75 210 J Zedlitz 69 71 70 212 M Bell 70 74 68, N Harvey (Can) 70 70 72, M McGann 73 70 69, B Mucha 73 69 70, M Murphy 66 75 71, F Pike (Aus) 71 74 67 213 A Dibos (Per) 71 71 71, A.J. Eathorne (Can) 72 72 69, C Hajjar (Aus) 71 70 72, Oh-Yeon Kwon (Kor) 70 71 72, J Lidback (Per) 69 73 71 214 K Marshall (Gbr) 68 74 72, P Sinn (Kor) 69 69 76, C Sorenstam (Swe) 70 72 72 215 J Jang (Kor) 73 71 71, L Neumann (Swe) 71 71 73, G Park (Kor) 67 75 73 216 D Coe-Jones (Can) 72 69 75, S Croce (Ita) 75 69 72 218 S Gustafson (Swe) 71 70 77, C Matthew (Swe) 70 74 74 220 C Koch (Swe) 70 74 76