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Natalie Sheary wins first Symetra Tour title

BROCKTON, Mass. (AP) - Natalie Sheary completed a wire-to-wire victory Sunday in the W.B. Mason Championship for her first Symetra Tour title in 88 career starts.

The former Wake Forest player from West Hartford, Connecticut, closed with a 3-over 74 for a one-stroke victory over Marissa Steen.

"It feels super cool," Sheary said. "To have my parents here and to do it on the last hole, it couldn't be any more special than that."

Sheary finished at 8-under 205 at Thorny Lea and earned $18,750 to jump from 34th to eighth on the money list with $28,325, with the final top 10 earning LPGA Tour cards.

"I played really well during my college years at Wake Forest and expected to do the same when I came out here after winning Q-School in 2010," Sheary said. "It didn't really happen like I envisioned, but everything is worth waiting for and I finally have a win. ...

"I'm still out here because I love every day. I love to travel, meeting all the great players, playing on great golf courses and I couldn't imagine myself doing anything different."

Sheary broke the course record with a 62 on Friday and shoot a 69 on Saturday to take a three-stroke lead into the final round.

On Sunday, a day away from her 27th birthday, she had three bogeys and a birdie on the first six holes top drop to 9 under. She parred 11 of the last 12, making a bogey on the par-4 14th.

Steen shot a 72. She tied for the lead with a birdie on the par-4 15th, then fell back with a bogey on the par-3 17th.

"She kept sticking it late and I was putting my driver in the rough," Sheary said. "I felt like I kept hitting a few fliers where my iron shots would be right over the pin, but they were rolling off the back. Three out of the last six holes, I had to get up-and-down from the back of the green."

Steen earned $11,804 to move from seventh to second on the money list with $38,765. Madelene Sagstrom, the leader with a record $103,300, didn't play in the event.

Dana Finkelstein and Germany's Isi Gabsa tied for third at 6 under, each shooting 69.

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