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PALM HARBOR — Michele Redman's three-day stay at Innisbrook turned into a paid vacation.
Redman, a full-time women's golf coach at Minnesota and a part-time player, shot a final-round 2-under 70 to win the LPGA Legends Open Championship on the Island Course by two shots over Rosie Jones. Redman pocketed $40,000.
It was her first professional win since 2000, when she won the Betsy King Classic on the LPGA Tour. It was only the third win of her career, which started in 1992, and her first on the Legends Tour.
"I really didn't have any expectations at all," Redman said. "I just came down here to have some fun and go on vacation. It's a nice way to end my season."
Redman, 46, was on the LPGA Tour this year until August, when she accepted the job at Minnesota. Since then she has played sparingly, mostly just practice rounds with her golf team. Redman arrived at Innisbrook on Thursday night, played a practice round Friday then shot par 72 in the first round.
That score put her in the final group with Lorie Kane, who also shot 72. Redman made bogey on the first hole then birdies at the third and eighth to make the turn at 1 under. She chipped in from 15 feet on the 10th hole, then parred out to claim the championship.
"I could not get comfortable over the ball," Redman said. "I was so much more comfortable (Saturday). I don't why that was. I actually think getting a bogey on the first hole was a good thing. I just got it out of the way. Then I started hitting some good shots."
Jones, who won last year's tournament, put some pressure on by posting a two-round total of even-par 144. She shot a second-round 69 after shooting 75 Saturday. Playing seven groups ahead of Redman, Jones could only wait to see what Redman would do.
"You can't make any mistakes, which is what I did in the first round," Jones said. "I missed a 1-footer out there (Saturday), then bogeyed the next par 5. It comes down to stuff like that."
Kane faded early and finished with 4-over 76. She double-bogeyed the par-5 second hole and had three more bogeys on the front nine to make the turn at 41. From there she was just trying to salvage her round.
"(Redman) had control of her putter all day and I didn't," Kane said. "And when you get under the gun like that, you tend to fall back on bad habits. My alignment was off. It was just one of those days."
Cindy Figg-Currier matched Redman's 2-under 70 and finished alone in third place at 1-over 145. Laura Shanahan Rowe was the only other golfer in the field of 43 to break par with 1-under 71. The field was 44, but JoAnne Carner withdrew prior to the round with a pulled hamstring.
Redman was the only player in the field to shoot under par for two rounds. She said she was worried about how she would play under pressure, but the nerves held up.
"I was nervous on the last hole, I'm not going to lie," Redman said. "But I was very laid back. I actually didn't know where I was on the (scoreboard). I just didn't want to look at it (Sunday) . It worked."
This was the final year of a three-year deal to hold the LPGA Legends Tour at Innisbrook. However, it is likely to return in 2012.
"Right now we are 95 percent sure we'll be back," LPGA Legends Tour CEO Jane Blalock said. "It's just a matter of taking care of some things. We'll be shooting for the same time in November."
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