Longs Drugs Challenge: History

Longs Drugs Challenge Returns
October 9 through 12, 2008
Danville, California • Blackhawk CC

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1998 Champion Donna Andrews	1998 Andrews Wins Battle Over Koch GolfWeb Wire Services LINCOLN, Calif. -- Donna Andrews won her sixth LPGA career victory at the $600,000 Longs Drugs Challenge at Twelve Bridges Golf Club. Andrews fired a score of 3-under-par 69 to defeat three-round leader Carin Koch by one stroke with a winning score of 10-under 278. She took $90,000 for the first place check. With the win, Andrews pushed her season earnings to more than $215,000. Andrews said her earning would purchase four or five horses, but that she also planned to look at land later this week that her husband wants to use for a new course. "My husband said 'no more horses,'" said Andrews, a former competitive rider who owns three rare breed horses and shopped for more earlier this week. "But maybe if I win a few more tournaments we can get some more." Andrews had a 107-yard eagle on the sixth hole to move to 8-under-par and then tied Koch for the lead at 9-under-par after nine holes, four shots ahead of their closest pursuer. But Andrews had bogeys on the 10th and 11 holes, to fall two strokes behind before beginning her string of birdies on the 14th hole. "It was an up-and-down round," said Andrews, who claimed her sixth career title. "I didn't feel I had my best game today, but we got the job done." Koch was looking to earn her first LPGA Tour victory. "It's disappointing, but I think today was a big step for me," said Koch, who is from Kungalv, Sweden. "Every other time I have been in contention, I've shot one or two over on Sunday. Next time I'll have this under my belt. You could tell Donna has been there before. This is not new to her. She was tough." Annika Sörenstam, the defending champion and reigning LPGA player of the year, followed her third-round 66 with a final-round 70 and finished alone third at 282. A two-time winner of the U.S. Open, Sörenstam was even for the day, until birdies at the 12th and 14th holes brought her within the three strokes of the lead. Luciana Bemvenuti finished with a final-round 67 and tied for fourth at 283 with Barb Mucha, who finished with a 73. Andrews had been uncomfortable with her swing for the past two weeks and spent an hour in the pouring rain on Tuesday hitting balls to get back to her old form. Her natural swing never returned and Andrews worked with what she had. "I like to play a little draw, but a little fade seemed to be in my bag this week," said Andrews. "You have to scramble the best you can with what you bring to the course that day. After nine years on Tour, I've learned to play the little fade if I have to. I got the good bounces today and that's what it takes to win a golf tournament. There is a lot of luck involved."

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	© 2008 Longs Drugs Challenge. All Rights Reserved Copyright © Photos by Danny Salz & Dina Wong - EM&PS, Frank Kay, Getty Images	2007 Champion Suzann Pettersen