Dana Finkelstein wins first Symetra Tour title

GARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) - Dana Finkelstein won the Symetra Tour's Garden City Charity Classic at Buffalo Dunes on Sunday to move into position for an LPGA Tour card.

The 23-year-old former UNLV player closed with a 1-under 71 for a four-stroke victory , her first on the tour. She finished at 11-under 277 and earned $22,500 to jump from 13th to fourth on the money list with $73,282 with four events left. The final top 10 will earn LPGA Tour cards.

"To all the people that said I could never do it, here is to them," the 5-foot-1 Finkelstein said. "My whole career, I've had the mentality of proving people wrong and it is fun when you get to do it."

Finkelstein, from Chandler, Arizona, won five times at UNLV - three as a senior in 2014-15 when she finished second in voting for the Annika Award. She opened with rounds of 65, 71 and 70 to take a five-stroke lead into the final day.

"I'm still at a loss for words winning by four shots," Finkelstein said. "I came into the day with a five-shot lead and thinking even par would get it done and I shot 71, so I'm very happy."

Brittany Benvenuto was second after a 69. Canada's Brittany Marchand (72) was 5 under, and Marissa Steen (70) was 4 under.

Tour friends Clariss Guce, Jenny Coleman and Kristin Coleman doused Finkelstein with water and sports drinks on the final green.

"It's pretty amazing getting water thrown on me by my friends," Finkelstein said. "To have their support means a lot. I couldn't do it without them. All the practice rounds and dinners makes me give lots of thanks to them."

The tour will remain at Buffalo Dunes next week for the Garden City Charity Classic . That event was moved to Buffalo Dunes this week because of fungus problems at The Golf Club at Southwind.