LPGA rookie Alexa Pano wins first professional event on her 19th birthday: 'This is big'

Nothing has been easy for Alexa Pano since earning her LPGA Tour card.

So why would anything be different for her first professional victory?

Pano, the Lake Worth Beach teenager, won the ISPS Handa World Invitational Sunday, a co-sanctioned event between the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour, catching the leaders on the 72nd hole and winning with a birdie on the third playoff hole.

"I feel like I've really been trending toward this and glad it all came together this week," said Pano, whose victory came on her 19th birthday and earned her $225,000, her biggest check since turning pro 16 months ago. Pano had made $33,548 in her LPGA career before the win.

"This is big," said Rick Pano, Alexa's dad and caddie.

More: Alexa Pano qualifies for U.S. Open on second playoff hole

Pano battled back after shooting an opening-round six-over 76, bettering the score by 10 shots Sunday with help from nine birdies to get into the playoff. This came after arriving in Northern Ireland the previous Sunday and realizing three bags did not make it, including her clubs

Pano's clubs arrived Monday and her clothes were delivered two days later.

"I did end up buying clothes but I was a little nervous about the clubs because it's not exactly easy to replace here in Northern Ireland," she said.

Slow start to season for Pano

Pano finished in a tie for 57th in her first event of the season and then missed five cuts in a row, which she called a "dark" time. Looking back, she now sees the benefits.

"It's definitely been a very up and down kind of year but definitely wouldn't change anything that's happened," Pano said. "I feel like it made me more mature as a golfer and a person and definitely taught me a lot this rookie year.

"I think it can be really stressful as a rookie those first bunch of events and there's a lot of pressure on you. After that I've really gotten better every single week that I've played and I've had a few bad final rounds so it makes it look a little worse than it has felt for me playing."

Pano, who closed at 8-under, birdied her final two holes to get into the playoff with England's Gabriella Cowley and Germany's Esther Henseleit. On the third playoff hole, a par-5, Pano's second shot from about 200 yards stopped about 20 feet from the hole, leading to a birdie.

Pano benefitted from Cowley missing a four-foot birdie try on the second playoff hole that would have given her the victory.

She has been satisfied with her ball striking but spent recent off weeks working on her putting. She had just 23 putts Sunday.

"This week my putting was so much better than it has been," she said. "I worked really hard the last few off weeks especially on the putting. That's really what paid off today.

"This whole week was just the most confident I've felt over putts in a long time."

Pano now 38th in CME Globe Tour Championship points

Pano jumped to 38th from 132nd in the Race to the CME Globe Tour Championship points. The top 60 and ties qualify for the CMA Group Tour Championship, the LPGA's season-ending event, Nov. 6-19 at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples.

"Rookie year is hard," said Rick, his daughter's caddie throughout her career. "We get the worst tee times. We don't get much practice time. But now that she's won she's going to be around awhile."

The closest Alexa came to winning as a professional before Sunday was on the Epson Tour 14 months ago when she lost in a playoff at the Carolina Golf Classic. Pano lost a four-shot lead with four holes to go, and lost the tournament when Lucy Li eagled the first playoff hole.

Rick said Alexa has been "haunted" by that loss.

"The LPGA is loaded with great players," Rick said. "The biggest difference is details. Week to week it might be your chipping stroke is off, but there are details you have to continuously work and work and work and work."

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Rookie Alexa Pano wins Handa World Invitational for first LPGA victory