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Caroline Westrup's most recent chapter in life can be a reminder to never give up. 

Westrup, from Baerum, Norway, says she just about quit professional golf a month ago.  She applied for a job as an assistant golf coach and was ready to leave the constant touring and competition behind her.   She jokes about each tour stop being like a circus, with the various banners, flags and tents resembling a circus atmosphere.

Perseverance paid off for the Westrup, age 29, who posted a 2-under 69 on Sunday (September 6) to win the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge at 12-under 272. In her 62nd career start, Westrup earned her first career professional victory.

The purse on the Sioux Falls portion in the tournament is being equated financially to winning two tournaments elsewhere, with the purse at $210,000.  She won the largest purse in the history of the Symetra Tour and pocketing $31,500, Westrup vaults from 55th to 14th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. 

This is everything I have ever dreamed of and more.  Finally, finally, I can say that I won my first professional event.

Westrup’s longtime friend Dani Holmqvist (Stockholm, Sweden), who was playing in the group in front, took the outright lead on hole 12 with a birdie to move to 12-under. Holmqvist later stumbled with a bogey on 14 and a bogey on 16 to drop to 10-under. Meanwhile, Westrup made a tough up-and-down par on 16 to remain at 11-under. After a par on 17, Westrup hit her approach into 18 to six feet and drained a birdie to put an exclamation point on the win.

First of all, I was shaking so much over that putt, I was really nervous.  I just told myself not to hit it hard. After I hit the approach on 18, my caddie Rick told me ‘let’s end with a birdie’ and I just couldn’t have been more happy when it went in.

Westrup is now just $3,417 behind tenth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list with five events still remaining.

 

 

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