Fowler, Myers back atop Lassies throne

Diane Fowler and Harriette Myers knew they needed birdies.

They got them.

Fowler and Myers finished with two birdies to capture their ninth Lassies Classic crown by one shot over longtime rivals Janice Hoffman and Vicki Long.

"I love the second-day competition," Fowler said. "You know what you got to do to come out here and win."

Fowler and Myers did just enough to escape with the title.

Mary Jane Tyler chips onto the 11th green as Sandy Barclay watches Thursday at the Cape Girardeau Country Club.

They tallied a 4-under-par 67 to pair with their opening-round 64, giving them an 11-under 131 for the tournament.

"We didn't play our normal game today," Myers said. "They had some tough pin placements today."

The two said they knew they needed to shoot low in their final round.

"Harriette always tells me we need to shoot a 61," Fowler said. "Whatever is 10-under, that's what she thinks we ought to shoot every time."

It was their ninth title overall and sixth since 2000.

"We really complement one another's game," Myers said. "I can really judge my irons by the way she hits them."

Hoffman and Long, major rivals to the victors, won the tournament a year ago but fell just short this time around.

They had a birdie opportunity on the final hole to force a playoff, but both missed. Hoffman's mulligan attempt failed to drop.

"It was not an easy putt," Hoffman said.

"It was about a 3-foot break and it kind of curled around," Long added. "We were both kind of close to it."

The duo fired a final-day 65 for a total of 10-under 132.

"We just try and do the best we can," Long said. "We really didn't have any trouble today. No bogeys."

Although the team of Hoffman and Long has formed a rivalry with Fowler and Myers, the teams respect each other.

"They're great players," Hoffman said. "There is no doubt about it."

Myers offered similar sentiments about the opposition.

"There is some competition in this tournament," Myers said. "We thought we'd have a playoff today. There are several teams out there where if we don't play stellar golf, we can be beat."

Fowler and Myers came into the final day tied with the team of Phyllis Crawford and Yvonne Cross; however, Crawford and Cross struggled to a 3-over 74.

"We just didn't have the putter going today," Cross said. "But we enjoyed it."

Crawford and Cross shot an opening-day 64 to put themselves in contention. Crawford's ace on No. 6 sparked the low round. But the final result wasn't what they had hoped for.

"Today just wasn't our day," Crawford said.

Sandy Barclay and Mary Jane Tyler shot a 6-under 65 on the final day to capture third place. Their opening-day 69 placed them in fourth coming into the final round, and they finished with an 8-under 134.

But in the end, it was Fowler and Myers who walked away victorious once again.

"This is a great tournament, it's very well run, they really do an awesome job," Myers said. "And that's the reason they have a big turnout."