Pepper Prevails In Tour Finale

Dottie Pepper already had to overcome back and wrist injuries this year, so one last obstacle in the season-ending Arch Wireless Championship should have come as no surprise.

It wasn't the treacherous wind or the pressure from an intense duel with Annika Sorenstam. Rather, it was some bad oysters Pepper ate the night before that caused her to bend over and clutch her stomach as she lined up a birdie putt on the 11th hole.

One of the grittiest players on the LPGA Tour, Pepper made the 12-footer to take the lead and never looked back Sunday, finishing off a frustrating season in style.

"I had nothing left," Pepper said after her three-stroke victory over Rachel Hetherington. "That was as hard-fought a day as you can have to get something you really want."

In warm, blustery winds that turned the final round into survival, Pepper took only 14 putts on the back nine and didn't have a three-putt all week. She closed with a 1-under 71 to win for the first time in 20 months.

"That's exactly where you want to be and it's fun," she said of the back nine, where she fought off Sorenstam and then held off a late challenge by Hetherington. "Granted, you have a stomach ache by the time it all ends, but the relief kicks in quickly."

Sorenstam, who struck the ball better than anyone all week, bogeyed four of the first five holes on the back nine and disappeared from contention. The last bogey was a three-putt from 20 feet on No. 14, causing her to look skyward in bewilderment.

"I'm going to go home and putt and putt and putt," said Sorenstam, who had a 76 and finished in a tie for third at 283 with Leta Lindley.

Pepper holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-3 15th for a three-stroke lead, the largest by anyone all week on a difficult Legends Course at LPGA International. She finished at 9-under 279 and won $215,000.

"It was a tough day," Pepper said. "When you've missed as much of the year as I have, you get in the hunt and think, 'What am I doing?'"

She remembered well, coming from behind for the eighth time in 17 career victories.

Karrie Webb failed to become the LPGA's first $2 million player, closing with a 74. That didn't take away from a phenomenal season seven victories, two majors, another Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average and her second straight player-of-the-year award.

she said. "I thought it would be a tough task to back up last year with a better year again."

The 25-year-old Australian also earned enough points for the Hall of Fame, and now needs only to put in 10 years as an LPGA member for induction.

Pepper will stick around Monday to watch her good friend, Juli Inkster, get inducted into the Hall of Fame. Now, maybe Pepper can think about joining her. Her 17th career victory leaves her six points short of qualifying.

"I can't wait for January," Pepper said. "I'm pretty motivated."

She was plenty motivated Sunday, especially paired in the final group with Sorenstam, a rival from the Solheim Cup won last month by Europe.

What appeared to be match play, however, quickly dissolved as Pepper made every big putt and Sorenstam slowly fell too far behind. But Pepper had one last challenger.

Hetherington was five strokes back at the turn and seemingly out of the picture until she rattled off three straight birdies - two from 20 feet and then a 7-iron into 4 feet on the 13th.

Her momentum ended, however, with a three-putt bogey from 30 feet on No. 16.

"The way Dottie is playing, I really had to hit some good shots coming in and make birdies," Hetherington said. "She played better than me. She played well all week."

Pepper made another critical 3-foot par putt on the 14th and could not avoid the electronic scoreboard facing her as she walked to the 15th tee, showing her with a one-stroke lead over Hetherington.

She let the wind carry her 6-iron into 12 feet and clenched her fist when the putt fell for birdie.

It was the perfect way to end a troubling year, and a difficult day.

Pepper had to pull out of the U.S. Open with back problems, and managed to play only one tournament before the Solheim Cup.

"I never imagined spending an entire season at home, not at age 35," she said.

She worked extensively with Tom Boers, who also is the back specialist for Fred Couples and Davis Love III, and got a putting tip from former British Open champion Ian Baker-Finch.

Both went a long way toward her first victory since the Nabisco Championship in 1999. Now, Pepper is anxious to see how much farther she can go.

Divots: Sunday provided another "Solheim Moment," when Pepper and Sorenstam both missed the 13th green and Sorenstam asked whether Pepper was away. The American gave her a quizzical stare, and the Sorenstam's caddie decided the Swede was away. "I wouldn't have made her replay it," Pepper said. "I must admit, I got a chuckle out of that." Sorenstam chipped 4 feet by and missed it for bogey. Pepper got up-and-down for par.