Brody wins Futures golf tournament at Knob Hill
Goes wire-to-wire
in 54-hole event
By tim morris
Staff Writer

SARAH McCOLGAN Lucent Technologies Hewlett-Packard Futures Classic winner Jenn Brody shows off her championship form before teeing off Sunday at Knob Hill Country Club in Manalapan.

MANALAPAN — Jenn Brody rallied on the back nine to capture her first win of the year on the SBC Futures Golf Tour, the $60,000 Lucent Technologies Hewlett-Packard Futures Classic held at Knob Hill.

Brody, a Futures Tour veteran with a pair of wins going into the year, went wire-to-wire at Knob Hill, but it wasn’t quite as easy as it looked for the former All-Big 10 golfer at Michigan State University, East Lansing, who finished the 54-hole tournament with a 7-under-par 206 and collected $8,400.

An opening round 65 on the par-71 Knob Hill course (designed by PGA pro Mark McCumber) on Friday had Brody on top of the 136-player field. A second-round 68 for a 133 had her clear of the field by two strokes. However, a closing round of 73 opened the door for Debbie Harmon (135) and Beth Bauer (139) to make a run.

Harmon, who has been playing the Futures Tour since 1989 and lives in Harrisburg, Pa., was paired with Brody on the final day. She would grab the lead on the back nine, enjoying a two-stroke margin at one point.

When Brody double-bogeyed the par-4, 393-yard 13th hole, she fell out of the lead for the first time in the tournament as Harmon went up by one. Harmon stretched the lead to two on the par-5, 485-yard 14th hole with a birdie.

But Harmon did not get to play with the two-stroke lead for long. On the par-3 15th hole, a bogey sliced the lead to a single stroke, setting the stage for the par-5, 493-yard 16th hole where Brody regained control.

An errant tee shot that traveled out of bounds set Harmon up for big trouble. She added to her problems by hitting into the trees to the left on her next shot. Brody played it safe with a driver and iron short of the green. But she found the green-side bunker with her third shot and ended up getting a bogey. However, Harmon took an eight and Brody had a two-stroke lead with two holes to play.

"The turning point of the tournament was when Debbie had trouble on the 16th hole," said Brody. "I took the lead back at that point, and I started to feel a little more comfortable and a little more in charge. I knew I was not coming from behind anymore."

Both golfers pared the 17th and 18th holes, leaving Brody with a one-shot victory. She sank a testy 3-footer for par of the 18th to finish it off.

"I have been working really hard on my game and trying to be more patient," said Brody. "I did not play well today, but I played well enough to win, and I guess that is what really matters."

Former Duke University (N.C.) All-American Beth Bauer, the leading money winner on the 2001 SBC Futures Golf Tour, carded a strong closing round of 68 to tie Harmon for second place, just one stroke behind Brody. Bauer and Harmon each picked up $5,250 for their efforts.

Catherine Cartwright (Bonita Springs, Fla.) and Brittney Bacon (Minot, N.D.) were just two strokes back at 208 and tied for a fourth, earning $3,262.

Since 1999 the SBC Futures Golf Tour has been the official developmental tour of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, providing golfers with direct avenues to the LPGA tour. The top three money winners on the 2001 tour will earn automatic exempt status on the 2002 LPGA, while those finishing in fourth through 10th place will receive direct entry into the LPGA’s final qualifying tournament, where they will have an opportunity to play their way onto the 2002 tour.

Bauer, a rookie, leads the current money list with three wins and $54,482 in earnings prior to Knob Hill. The true international flavor of the tour is evident by the second- and third-place money winners, Ju Yun Kim ($39,497) and Jung Yeon Lee ($38,990), both from Seoul, Korea. Kim tied for seventh at 210 and collected $1,875, and Lee carded 213 to tie for 15th and picked up $939 last weekend.

Brody’s $8,400 check increased her winning in 2001 to $19,397 and to 12th place on the money list. There are four tournaments remaining before the $75,000 SBC Futures Championship is held Oct. 4-7.

The Futures Tour has proved to be a showcase for future LPGA talent with stars like Laura Davies, Meg Mallon, Dottie Pepper, Grace Park and Karrie Park among the Futures alumni. The more than 180 Futures alumni on the LPGA tour have accounted for 226 LPGA wins including 24 major championships.

All proceeds from this weekend’s tournament benefited the Monmouth Council of Girl Scouts.

Greater Media Newspapers was the media sponsor for the Futures Classic.