Solid finish for Pace at Kingsmill

South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace collected her first LPGA Tour cheque at the rain-interrupted Kingsmill Championship in Virginia, while American Lizette Salas broke her duck on the ladies pro in the United States with a four stroke victory on Sunday.

Pace carded an opening one-under-par 70 at the River Course at the Kingsmill Resort to finish inside the top 30, however, incessant rain on Friday delayed her 12h30 start in the second round.

Returning to complete the round on Saturday morning with four bogeys on her card, Pace birdied the par-four 16^th and made two great saves at the 17^th and 18^th holes for a 74 to make the cut on the number.

American Paula Creamer was not so lucky.

Coming into the tournament, Creamer let the LPGA Tour with a streak of 75 consecutive tournaments without missing a cut, but rounds of 73 and 72 sent the multiple LPGA Tour winner packing.

Pace cancelled three bogeys in the third round with an equal number of birdies for a 71 and dropped two shots in the final round for a 73. She finished at even-par 288 and earned $3,581 for her share of 56^th.

Having missed the cut in her first start on US soil at the season’s first Major, the Kraft Nabisko Championship, the eight-time Ladies European Tour winner will take a lot of inspiration from her performance in the trying conditions in Williamsburg.

Salas, meanwhile, played 25 holes on Saturday to move to a three stroke lead.

The 24-year-old fired a final round even-par 71 to finish on 13-under-par 271 and collected $195,000 for her breakthrough win on the LPGA Tour.

Yani Tseng from Chinese Taipei got within three shots of Salas on the back nine. Seeking her first victory since 2012, Tseng nearly made matters interesting at the par-five 15^th, but her eagle putt stopped just an inch short of the cup. She closed with a 69 to share second alongside Kraft Nabisca Championship winner, Lexi Thompson from the United States who also shot 69, and Australia’s Sarah Jane Smith, who carded a 66 for the low round of the day.

The final round also dished up a golf rarity when Frenchwoman Joanne Klatten hit driver, three-wood to score a double eagle at the 15^th.

PHOTO – Lee-Anne Pace; credit Catherine Kotze / SASPA.