14 year-old Megan Khang of Rockland, Massachusetts was a wire to wire winner Wednesday in the Connecticut Women’s Open Championship. Khang established a two shot lead after the first round of the 36-hole tournament after shooting 70 on Tuesday at the 5,873 yard par 72 Clinton Country Club course. She followed that with a 73 on Wednesday to claim a two shot victory over East Lyme’s Lynn Valentine, winner of the 2008 championship. With the victory, Khang continues to build on what is already an impressive resume. Last week she qualified for the 2012 USGA Women’s Open, to be played July 5-8 at Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wisconsin.
Khang was rock solid in the first round, recording sixteen pars and two birdies. Her final round was more of a rollercoaster with four birdies, five bogies and nine pars. Khang never lost her nerve or the lead, however, as she became the youngest winner in the fourteen year history of the championship. Valentine shot 73-72 and earned the $5,000 first place prize as the low professional in the championship.
Isabelle Lendl of Goshen shot her second consecutive 73 to finish in third place at 146. Lendl was five strokes back of Khang through eleven holes on Wednesday, but closed the gap to two with birdies on holes 12 and 13, and a Khang bogey at 13. That was as close as she would get as Khang birdied the 14th and Lendl bogeyed the 15th. Valentine also closed to within two strokes after Khang’s bogey at 13, but with nine straight pars on the back nine, Valentine could not catch the leader.etts finished as the second low professional, fourth overall, and earned $2,500.
