Delacour gets first win

Published 3:37 am Tuesday, June 11, 2019

SOUTH BEND — Perrine Delacour is no stranger to the LPGA Symetra Tour.

The Paris, France native was, however, a stranger to the winner’s circle until Sunday afternoon.

Delacour held off Jillian Hollis to win the Four Winds Invitational at Blackthorn Golf Club Sunday afternoon.

Delacour shot 9-under par to beat Hollis by two strokes. The win vaulted her past Hollis into second place on the Volvik Race for the Card money list , with $68,152 earned so far this season.

Hollis remained fifth on the money list with $54,327.

Delacour’s previous best finish was second at the 2013 Symetra Tour Championship. She also has a fourth-place finish at the 2015 Kingsmill Championship on the LPGA Tour.

Delacour has made seven of the nine cuts this season on the Symetra Tour.

Delacour shot a 5-under par 67 on Sunday, which included three consecutive birdies on holes 15 to 17 coming down the stretch to seal the win.

“It was hard because I made the turn and was leading, then made a bogey on No. 11,” said Delacour, about her final round. “Jillian three-putted on No. 14 and from there I actually had a chance. I looked at the leaderboard after No. 15, and there were so many girls bunched together. Made good birdie on No. 15 and smoked my drive on No. 16, then another good birdie there and also birdie on No. 17. Told myself to make par on No. 18 and just enjoy the moment.”

Hollis was disappointed with not winning, but happy with how she played.

“It was so special, nice having my grandma and mom here,” she said. “It meant the world to me, and today, I was thinking how great it is to be out here playing, family here with me and grandpa in spirit. It’s awesome. Made a little mistake on No. 14 then had some birdie looks and just couldn’t capitalize. Happy to finish the way I did because if you had told me I’d shoot 3-under today, I would take it and thought it would be up there. Congratulations to Perrine, she played awesome and made so many birdies coming in so she totally deserved it. Really great week, yeah.”

Amateur Alexis Pano, who started Sunday’s final round 2-under par, finished tied for 39th after shooting a 77 and finishing 3-over par.

The Four Winds Invitational is the first leg of the Potawatomi Cup. The second leg will be at Sweetgrass Golf Club in Harris, Michigan later this month.

Delacour and Hollis are atop the cup standings with 500 and 300 points respectively. Jenny Coleman, who led the Four Winds Invitational at 4-under Par heading into the final round, finished tied for third at 6-under par. She is tied with Maude Aimee Leblanc for third place in the standings.