Stacy Lewis Cements Her Status as #1
- Dan Hauser
- 30 Jun, 2014
Stacy Lewis has been on a tear in 2014 and the historical season continued Sunday at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. Entering this week, the Palm Beach Gardens resident had only failed to finish in the top 10 once in 2014, at the Kingsmill Championship back in May. In addition to her bevy of top 10 finishes, she already had two wins and four runner up finishes, including her runner up finish to Michelle Wie last week at the U.S. Women’s Open when she put the pressure on with a final round 66. In that time period she has also climbed back to number one in the world on the Women’s side. The only thing she had yet to do was win an LPGA tournament in the same state where she became one of the most decorated collegiate athletes around, Arkansas.
Sunday, she was finally able to scratch that off the list as well. Lewis, who attended the University of Arkansas and views the area as her adopted home state, came from four shots back on Sunday by shooting a 65 to win the event in front of a raucous Arkansas crowd. In the five years, from 2003 to 2008, that Lewis spent at the University of Arkansas she won pretty much everything. She was a four-time All-American, a national champion in 2007, and a member of the Razorback Hall of Fame. The pressure of playing so close to her Alma Matter had gotten to her over the years though making it tough to play in the event. In fact, Lewis felt more pressure during Sunday’s final round then she did a week earlier at Pinehurst.
“It’s so hard to play here,” she said afterward. “It’s so much harder than people think. I was more nervous today than at the U.S. Open. That’s how much this place means to me.”
Lewis finished with a one shot victory over Lydia Ko, Cristie Kerr, and Angela Stanford.
Next up in two weeks is Women’s British Open where she just happens to be the defending champion. No pressure or anything.
PGA TOUR
Justin Rose won his 6th PGA Tour event Sunday
In a final round Sunday that played more like a U.S. Open then a regular tour event, it was only fitting that former U.S. Open winner Justin Rose came away from the pack to win the Quicken Loans National at Congressional.
Starting the final round three shots behind 54-hole leader Patrick Reed, Rose stayed steady with a 71 while the rest of the leader board faltered. Heading into 18 with a 1 shot lead, Rose almost cost himself the tournament when he hit his second shot from behind the trees into the water. He managed to save bogey and watch as Shawn Stefani bogeyed 17 which resulted in a playoff. In the playoff, Stefani made the same mistake Rose made earlier. Hitting in a similar spot, Stefani ended up hitting his second shot in the water. Meanwhile Rose recorded a par and won in the playoff to win his sixth PGA Tour event.
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About Dan Hauser
As an avid golfer and sports enthusiast, Dan has had a passion for sports starting at a very young age. Dan’s other passion has always been writing. Since the time he could write, he has always enjoyed sharing information with people and telling stories through writing. In middle school he combined his two loves by joining the school newspaper in the sports department.
