Beloeil, Que. - Katy Harris of Humble, Tex., shot a final round 4-under 67 to win the 2011 CN Canadian Women's Tour event in Beloeil, Quebec, beating first round leader Isabelle Beisiegel by two strokes.
Harris had six birdies, including three on the back nine, to erase a four shot deficit against Beisiegel, who had four bogeys and a double bogey on her final nine holes.
"Today, starting off four shots back, I knew I needed to go into attack mode and try and make as many birdies as I could," said Harris. "I hit the ball pretty straight off the tee, which I think served me well. I like slopey greens and greens don't get any faster or slopier than at [Club de golf Beloeil]"
For Harris, the victory was especially satisfying after the Louisiana State University alum admitted that she only recently returned to professional golf after some time away.
"It's been quite a wild ride for me. I graduated in 2001. I was married and I wanted to have a family, so I gave up golf completely," Harris explained. "You could count on your hands the number of times I played, but I wanted to come back and give it a shot. I have no regrets and it's been great so far."
The victory earned Harris $10,000 and the second of three exemptions into the 2011 CN Canadian Women's Open this August.
"It's beyond words. I'm thrilled," said Harris, who has also qualified to play in the upcoming U.S. Women's Open championship. "To qualify for [the CN Canadian Women's Open] it required a win, and this is just perfect. It couldn't be better."
Augusta James of Bath, Ont., a member of Team Canada's Development Squad, earned top amateur honours, finishing third after posting a two-day tally of 1-under (141).
The 18-year-old, who finished second at the CN Future Links Ontario Championship earlier this month, praised her time at Club de golf Beloeil as an important learning experience.
"It takes a lot to calm down my nerves on the first tee, and not throw something like this away and manage it," said James, referring to her fifth place standing entering the final round. "That is what it's about for me right now. That's one of the big things that I'm learning about. Coming third, you can't ask for much more than that and I was ecstatic and excited to be out there."
Former Team Canada member, amateur Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont., finished tied for fourth at 1-over par with Katy McNicoll of Carnoustie, Scotland, Erynne Lee of Silverdale, Wash., and Noriko Nakazaki of Lakemoor, Ill.,
Team Canada Development Squad member, Jisoo Keel of Coquitlam, B.C. was eighth, posting a final round 2-under par 69 for a two-day tally of 2-over (144).
Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ont., the winner of the season opening event in Squamish, B.C., finished tied for 17th along with Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C.
The final event of the CN Canadian Women's Tour takes place June 27-29 at Blue Springs Golf Club in Acton, Ont., where the final exemption into the 2011 CN Canadian Women's Open will be handed out.
Also on the line will be automatic entry into the LPGA Tour's sectional qualifying tournament for the top three players on the Order of Merit and an additional two Canadian Open exemptions for any player not already qualified.