Laura Davies obviously enjoys the Skins Game format. She has an extra $340,000 to prove it.
Davies made a 12-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole to claim 10 skins and $300,000, clinching the title in Sunday's final nine holes of the LPGA Skins Game.For Davies, the key to success in Skins Game competition is to know when to be aggressive. Since total score is not a concern, the philosophy is different from tournament play.
"The Skins Game format really gives you the chance to enjoy 18 holes of golf," said Davies, who won an LPGA Skins Game record $340,000. "You can take a few risks. It's worth taking yourself out of a few holes to get yourself into a few."
Davies also learned from her mistakes Sunday. She left a 12-foot putt short on No. 12, a miscalculation that cost her $220,000.
Two holes later when faced with a putt of the same length, Davies, the long-hitting native of Coventry, England, took a more bold approach to convert her 12-foot birdie attempt and take Sunday's biggest prize.
"I was thinking about the money, I have to admit that I was," said Davies after winning the most money on any single hole in Skins Game history, including PGA and Seniors. "I didn't want to leave it short like I did on the other putt. If you miss it, you get nothing. I was shaking for the next hour. That was the most nervous I've ever been over a putt."
Defending champion Dottie Pepper and 1995 LPGA Player of the Year Annika Sorenstam finished with $100,000 each. Pepper pushed her career skins earnings to $460,000, second to Davies. Beth Daniel became the fourth player in the six-year history of the competition to finish with no money.
Only $80,000 of the $210,000 available on Saturday was won, meaning a $130,000 carryover into Sunday's final nine holes at Stonebriar Country Club. No skins were taken over the first four holes Sunday, leaving 10 skins on the line and setting up Davies' big payday, which also earns her an automatic bid to next year's competition.