Alexa Pano won her first LPGA title on her birthday.
The teenager turned 19 years old on Sunday, and he won the 2023 ISPS Handa World Invitational in Antrim (Northern Ireland) at Galgorm Castle Golf Club.
Pano defeated Grabriella Coley and Esther Henseleit, who both finished regulation with 8 under par. The three-way playoff was played over three holes. Henseleit, who had a bogey at the par-5 18, was the first to be eliminated. Pano and Cowley both made par, forcing a third round of the No. Pano took the 18th hole with a birdie.
Pano, who earned her LPGA Q-Series card in her rookie season, has only made five cuts, and in addition to winning, she’s also had one top-20 finish. Pano is the third rookie winner of the season, and one out of eight winners who are first-timers.
Pano was a highly decorated junior golfer before turning professional. She was a Drive, Chip and Putt finalist three times and the youngest participant in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. She was also featured in the Netflix documentary The short game.
Three playoff holes later…@alexapanogolf wins the @World_Inv_Golf on her 19th birthday for her first career LPGA victory!
pic.twitter.com/x8MiBo0xkn
LPGA (@LPGA). 20 August 2023
Daniel Brown wins ISPS men’s title
The ISPS Handa World Invitational, a unique event in the calendar, features two competitions that are held simultaneously with 144 women competing for $1.5 Million in prize money.
Daniel Brown won his first tournament in only his 20th attempt. Brown only had three top-10 finishes before the week. His best result was T-5 at the South African Open in March.
It feels incredible. Brown said, “I could not have imagined this in the previous years and months.” “(My mother was) sobbing down the phone. It’s probably not sunk in, but I’m ecstatic. I don’t really know. I still have the feeling that someone will say something about there being another day. Crazy.”
Brown, who had a 6-under-par 64 on Thursday, cruised to the victory with a 1-under-par 69 in the final round. Alex Fitzpatrick (68) finished in second place with 10 under par, while Eddie Pepperell (68) was third with 7 under par.
Unique event not on future schedule
The 2024 DP World Tour, released just last week, does not include this event. It features LPGA, LET, and DP World Tour athletes.
The organizers told BBC Sport that there are plans to hold another major event in the area, but the mixed format will not be extended. This is where male and female competitors compete for the exact same prize money.
