Canadian Samantha Richdale entered in the day two shots behind Taiwan’s 15-year-old amateur Chang Ya-Chun (張雅淳) but made a late charge to beat Chang and captured the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic in the Lake Wales Country Club.

Richdale shot 69 on Sunday to win at 7-under 209. Chang carded even-par 72 and finished just one stroke off in a tie for second with Swede Madelene Sagstrom, who also turned in a 69.

Chang had a 30-foot birdie opportunity to tie and force a play-off but missed it. “It was rolling on the line! I thought I was about to make it and it just twisted right,” said Chang. “I feel a little sorry. The chairwoman and secretary from the TLPGA were both there cheering for us the whole way. I let them down. But I do feel this experience will only help me become a better player.”

“I was super nervous going out, only started to calm myself down after the turn,” said Chang, who had two birdies that got balanced out with two bogeys. “Samantha was too good. I tried to make it happen but it was just not meant to. It was a big confidence booster for me, nonetheless.”

Chang had a chance to become the youngest golfer to win a Symetra Tour event but the runner-up showing has already bested her record. She will play the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial next week, followed by the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic from April 21st to 24th.

With the winner’s payout of US$26,250, Richdale jolts into the leading position on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. This is the Canadian’s fourth career victory on the Symetra Tour.

Tying Richdale after 36 holes, Chien Pei-Yun’s (錢珮芸) mentality failed to hold up on Sunday’s final stage, wrapping up with a final-round 74 with two birdies and four bogeys and fell to solo eighth at 214. “I didn’t hit well and I was a bit mad at myself,” admitted Chien. “Nerves could be the reason. The wind made it worse. I was rushing on my shots.”

Fellow Symetra Tour member and compatriot Cheng Ssu-Chia (程思嘉) had a solid round making five birdies and just one bogey, surging into the top 10 at equal ninth at 1-under 215.

Yeh Hsin-Ning (葉欣寧) and Doris Chen (陳彥寧) finished T48 at 223. 2011 winner Lin Tzu-Chi (林子麒) sit in a tie for 63rd while Chen Meng-Chu (陳孟竺) finished T68. There were fifteen TLPGA players in the field.

The TLPGA Tour forged a partnership with the Symetra Tour in the off season. Twelve sponsor invitation opportunities are provided for TLPGA members to be joining the fields of the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic and the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial next week, to help them get acclimated to playing in the United States ahead of the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic.

The Florida’s Natural Charity Classic features a total purse of US$175,000, largest in tournament history. It marks the first TLPGA Tour event co-sanctioned with the developmental tour to the LPGA Tour, dubbed the “Road to the LPGA”.