Lindy Duncan claimed her first LPGA Tour title at The Annika, marking a milestone victory in her 222nd career start.
The 35-year-old golfer finished at 16 under par at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida, according to Yahoo Sports.
Duncan entered the final round with a one-shot lead and maintained her composure to finish two strokes ahead of South Korea’s Choi Hye-jin.
Reflecting on her long-awaited breakthrough, the winner expressed her disbelief regarding the outcome of the tournament.
“I’m just completely shocked,” Duncan said, as noted by the Yahoo Sports report.
Duncan, who joined the professional tour in 2014, had only managed one top-10 finish throughout the current season prior to this performance.
She credited her success to a shift in mindset that allowed her to perform without the heavy burden of self-imposed pressure.
“Sometimes you just over try, and I think I’ve done that a lot,” Duncan explained, per the BBC Sport leaderboard documentation.
This victory proved significant for her season standings, as she climbed from 74th to 34th place in the points race.
The win ensures Duncan a spot among the 60 players competing in the upcoming CME Group Tour Championship.
World number one Nelly Korda also participated in the event, finishing in seventh place.
Korda is now preparing to compete for her second season title at the finale scheduled for next week.
England’s Lottie Woad also secured her place in the final field by achieving a top-10 finish at the event.
The leaderboard results, published by BBC Sport, show that Yuka Yoshida and Ryu Hae-ran tied for third place at 13 under.
Duncan concluded her post-round comments by acknowledging the support system that helped her persevere through 12 years of professional play.
“I got so many people to thank that believed in me when I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep playing,” Duncan stated, according to the outlets.