Moira Dunn has earned more than $2.2 million during her 16-year career on the LPGA Tour and has a tour victory.
So it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone that the tournament-tested veteran steadied her nerves better than others Friday to win the Colorado Women’s Open.
“I knew (Dunn) was going to play well,” said Erin Houtsma, who tied for second place.
Dunn, 38, played the 6,412-yard Green Valley Ranch layout in 3-under-par 69 on Friday and finished 54 holes in 5-under 211, earning $11,000. Dunn began the day three strokes back of 36-hole leader Houtsma but moved up the leaderboard with solid play during the middle of her round.
Ultimately, Dunn finished with a rather cushy three-stroke victory margin over fellow LPGA touring pro Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, British Columbia, and Houtsma, a former University of Colorado golfer who occasionally competes on a mini-tour in Arizona.
That’s not to say victory came easy for Dunn. Five active LPGA Tour players took advantage of an open date on that circuit this week and made a side trip to Denver.
This field was regarded by tournament officials as the strongest in the 16-year history of the Colorado Women’s Open. Another LPGA touring pro, Kris Tamulis of Naples, Fla., tied for fifth.
Local favorite Jill McGill, who is in her 15th year on the LPGA Tour, finished in a tie for 19th at 8-over after a final-round 74.
“The course was set up a little easier than conditions we see on tour, so I thought the LPGA players would do well,” she said. “But obviously that didn’t help me. I didn’t make a birdie putt outside 6 feet in three days.”
Dunn called this her biggest victory since winning the 2004 Giant Eagle LPGA Classic in Vienna, Ohio. She has struggled on the tour this season, cashing just one check in four starts: $18,440 for a tie for 21st place at the Kia Classic in March.
“There were some great players here,” Dunn said. “Hopefully, I can use this as a springboard for the rest of the tour season.”
On Friday, Dunn gave back two early birdies with a pair of bogeys. The pivotal shot of her round, she said, was hitting an approach to within 3 feet of the pin on the par-5 ninth for an easy birdie. She later birdied Nos. 11, 14 and 17 and wasn’t hurt by a bogey at 15.
Richdale never made a charge, playing the back nine in a good but unspectacular 1-under. Houtsma, who was Erin Kerr when she won the 2005 Colorado Women’s Open, lost her lead with an ugly stretch of four bogeys in five holes, beginning at No. 6. She needed 34 putts for 75, 10 strokes worse than her Thursday round that set a tournament record.
“Putting like that is not going to win a tournament like this,” Houtsma said.
Recent Duke graduate Alison Whitaker of Australia earned low-amateur honors with a fourth-place finish. Whitaker has friends here and plans to make Denver her home base this summer before turning pro this fall.
Tom Kensler: 3039-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
