SEMMES, Alabama, 16 November 2004 — Heather Daly-Donofrio took full advantage of a rule change that allowed her to compete in the LPGA Tournament of Champions, firing a two-under par 70 here Sunday to win the event by four strokes.
The 35-year-old American won her second LPGA title and first since 2001 by finishing 72 holes at 19-under par 269 with compatriot Laura Diaz, who fired a final-round 69, second in the $800,000 event.
Daly-Donofrio, with only one top-10 finish in 22 previous starts this year, would not even have qualified for the event had the field not been expanded this year to include LPGA tournament winners from the past three seasons.
“I’m really happy. The second win is way more sweet than the first and I’m not sure why,” said Daly-Donofrio. “It just feels so much better and maybe it’s because when you win for the first time you don’t know if it’s a fluke or not.”
A total of 39 players competed at the Robert Trent Jones Trail course in the final tune-up for next week’s season-ending Tour Championship among the 2004 money leaders.
Taiwan’s Candie Kung, Britain’s Karen Stupples and Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson shared third on 274. Kung and Stupples fired a 71 Sunday. Gustafson had a 72.
Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam, who did not play here, has already clinched her seventh LPGA Player of the Year Award. Sorenstam posted her seventh win of the season last week in Japan.
