OTTAWA, Canada – Paula Reto is a champion on the LPGA Tour. The former Boilermaker fired a final round 67 (-4) for a one-shot, comeback victory at the CP Women's Open in Ottawa, Canada.
In her ninth season on tour, Reto's hard work and persistence paid off. She began the tournament with a 9-under 62, setting a new course record at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club. That round tied the lowest round on the tour this season and was a personal best for Reto at the professional level. The South African added a 69 to stay near the top of the leaderboard heading into the weekend. Carding back-to-back 67s on Saturday and Sunday, Reto recorded all four rounds in the 60s to finish at 19-under and one stroke ahead of Nelly Korda and Hye-Jin Choi.
Reto entered the final round one shot back, but five birdies on the front nine vaulted her to 20-under and into the lead. She steadied her game and grinded out eight pars on the back nine, including a tap-in par on No. 18 to secure her first LPGA win.
Prior to becoming a professional, Reto was a standout at Purdue from 2009-13 to help the Boilermakers capture three Big Ten titles during her time in West Lafayette. As a senior, Reto earned medalist honors at the 2013 Big Ten Championships on her way to becoming a First Team All-American. She won the Mary Fossum Award for the lowest scoring average in the conference.
Reto still holds a pair of school records. She is the only Boilermaker to shoot 64 in a tournament, going low at the 2012 Lady Jaguar Intercollegiate. In one of her final appearances as a Boilermaker, Reto's 206 (71-69-66) at the NCAA West Regional set another program record and led Purdue to the NCAA Championships. Her 13 career rounds in the 60s also sit atop the Purdue Women's Golf record book. Reto also set the single-season marks for par-or-better rounds (22), rounds in the 60s (6), and top 10 finishes (10).
In her ninth season on tour, Reto's hard work and persistence paid off. She began the tournament with a 9-under 62, setting a new course record at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club. That round tied the lowest round on the tour this season and was a personal best for Reto at the professional level. The South African added a 69 to stay near the top of the leaderboard heading into the weekend. Carding back-to-back 67s on Saturday and Sunday, Reto recorded all four rounds in the 60s to finish at 19-under and one stroke ahead of Nelly Korda and Hye-Jin Choi.
Reto entered the final round one shot back, but five birdies on the front nine vaulted her to 20-under and into the lead. She steadied her game and grinded out eight pars on the back nine, including a tap-in par on No. 18 to secure her first LPGA win.
Prior to becoming a professional, Reto was a standout at Purdue from 2009-13 to help the Boilermakers capture three Big Ten titles during her time in West Lafayette. As a senior, Reto earned medalist honors at the 2013 Big Ten Championships on her way to becoming a First Team All-American. She won the Mary Fossum Award for the lowest scoring average in the conference.
Reto still holds a pair of school records. She is the only Boilermaker to shoot 64 in a tournament, going low at the 2012 Lady Jaguar Intercollegiate. In one of her final appearances as a Boilermaker, Reto's 206 (71-69-66) at the NCAA West Regional set another program record and led Purdue to the NCAA Championships. Her 13 career rounds in the 60s also sit atop the Purdue Women's Golf record book. Reto also set the single-season marks for par-or-better rounds (22), rounds in the 60s (6), and top 10 finishes (10).