After narrowly missing birdie putts the first two times she played Otter Creek’s 18th hole late Sunday afternoon, Savannah Vilaubi didn’t want to miss a third.
So on the second playoff hole at the Epson Tour’s Otter Creek Championship — once again on the par-5 No. 18 — Vilaubi rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt to capture her second win on the LPGA’s feeder tour.
The Downey, California, native and St. George, Utah, resident was tied for the lead at 9-under entering the final round, but found herself trailing by a shot after Yahui Zhang of China fired a 5-under 67 on Sunday to finish at 10-under for the tournament. Zhang had gotten to 11-under before bogeying the final hole. That allowed Vilaubi, who shot 1-under 71 on Sunday, to match her at 10-under.
“Comparatively, not the best result, I guess, but it was the best the game that I had that showed up today, so I was really happy with the way I stayed steady,” Vilaubi said. “I’m no stranger to playoffs, so I know how gritty I am. You just have to get comfortable being uncomfortable, and that’s what I did.”
Going back to No. 18 for the playoff, Zhang hit her drive under the lip of a sand trap. She was able to get out of the trap, then hit her third shot on the back fringe before chipping on and sinking a 7-footer for par after Vilaubi had left her birdie putt short.
On the second playoff hole, Vilaubi reached the green in three, while Zhang was just short of the green with her third shot. Zhang chipped to within about 8 feet and was awaiting her par putt when Vilaubi rolled in her birdie for the win and $45,000 payday.
“I had entertained using a 3-wood into the green on that first playoff hole, but I was like, ‘We can make birdie with a wedge. I’ve been doing that all week’ and just came up short with that one. The second playoff hole, I’m like, ‘We have enough adrenaline to get pretty close to this one,’ and I’m happy I found the very front throat center of the green. I didn’t hit the greatest chip, but the putter is what showed up for me this week, and it didn’t fail me on the last one.”
Vilaubi is no stranger to playoffs. Her only other Epson Tour win came in a two hole playoff at Copper Rock in Utah last year. She also qualified for this year’s US Women’s Open in a playoff.
The 30-year-old Vilaubi has been on the Epson Tour since 2016. She played on the LPGA in 2022, but was unable to keep her card and is trying to bounce back. She moved into 15th place in the Race for the Card standings, in which the top 15 at the end of the year receive LPGA Tour cards.
“We’re really excited,” Vilaubi said. “All glory to God. It’s His timeline, and we just have to stay diligent.”
While Vilaubi referred to herself as a tour “relic,” her playoff opponent was playing in only her sixth Epson Tour tournament. The 18-year-old Zhang moved to the United States this year.
“Today, I think I played pretty good,” Zhang said. “Two days, 35 holes, I played really good, but today I think on the last hole, I got a little bit tired. This week was pretty good. My putter was really good, and also, chipping was pretty good.”
Brooke Matthews, who shared the lead after each of the first two days, carded a 73 Sunday and finished in a tie for third with Minori Nagano of Tokyo. Matthews, a 25-year-old Rogers, Arkansas, native, was playing the same Otter Creek course where she won an AJGA Tournament in 2016.
“I played solid all week,” Matthews said. “A couple loose shots today, and a couple putts didn’t fall. But that’s golf. I’m really happy with how the week went, though. Anytime you’re in contention, you’re doing something right. So I’m just ready for the next one. We’re just going to try to keep playing good golf and see what happens. My time will come.”
Michelle Zhang of China, Kenzie Wright of McKinney, Texas, and Saki Baba of Japan tied for fifth at 7-under.
Meanwhile, two Central Indiana natives finished their tournaments on a high note. Former Zionsville and Clemson golfer Annabelle Pancake fired a 69 Sunday and tied for 13th at 5-under.
Pancake, who is still an amateur, leaves next week for the British Amateur, then will play in the Women’s Western and US Amateur before going to Q-School for the LPGA Tour.
“It was really fun,” Pancake said. “My goal was just to enjoy Father’s Day with my dad (Crooked Stick pro Tony Pancake) on the bag today. To be able to make some birdies in there was definitely nice.”
Center Grove and Duke graduate Erica Shepherd shot 70 on Sunday to finish at 4-under. She had opened with a 70 on Friday and a 72 on Saturday.
“It was definitely good,” Shepherd said. “I think under par today was way more impressive than under par Friday, considering it was way more soft on Friday with the rain we got. The course was playing a lot tougher today, so to be 2-under, I was pretty happy with that. It would have been awesome to win today in Indiana on Father’s Day, but it wasn’t meant to be. But I’m happy with how I played.”
