Mallon-Pate Win JCPenney

December 3, 1998 / 10:16 PM EST / CBS/AP

Meg Mallon and Steve Pate shot a final-round 9-under-par 62 Sunday in the modified, alternate-shot format to win the JCPenney Classic with a tournament-record 29-under 255.

Their bogeyless 62 also tied the lowest final-round score in a tournament that pairs LPGA and PGA Tour players in team competition.

Six years before this weekend's event, Pate and Malon decided they would make a good team because "we got each other's jokes."

Now, they are laughing all the way to the bank.

The four-stroke victory was good for $218,750 each to the winning twosome, who bettered by two the tournament record of 27-under set by Beth Daniel and Davis Love III in 1995.

"I thought (62) was possible, yes. Likely, no," Pate said. "It's a tough format to get on a roll. But she got to putt a lot in stretches and that helped. I got to putt a few from three feet. And I made them."

Third-round leaders Rachel Hetherington and Rocco Mediate shot a 2-under 69 to finish second, at 25-under-par, while Catrin Nilsmark and Chris Perry finished at 22-under after a 68.

"We just played very solid," Mallon said. "We didn't make mistakes. Steve hit it great, and -- fortunately -- I had the putter working. You want to reward the good shots your partner makes."

Hetherington and Mediate began the day with a three-shot advantage over Mallon-Pate and led by two strokes at the turn. But Hetherington-Mediate got their only bogey of the week at the par-4 10th hole at about the same time Mallon-Pate were making a birdie on No. 11 to move into a tie for the lead.

Interviews:
Mallon and Pate
Hetherington and Mediate

Mallon-Pate went on to record four more birdies -- five in their last eight holes -- while Hetherington-Mediate parred in.

It was the sixth JCPenney appearance together by Mallon and Pate, whose best previous finish was seventh last season.

"We thought (victory) would eventually be inevitable," Mallon said. "Whether or not it would actually happen, we weren't sure. But this is the best I've played for four rounds wth him. I usually have time off before this event, but I played right up to it this year."