DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., April 6, 2008 – In a rain-soaked final round with darkness looming, Leah Wigger calmly tapped in her final putt on the 18th green to claim her first professional title at the inaugural $100,000 AMERICAN SYSTEMS Invitational. Wigger shot a final round of 75 to pocket a $14,000 paycheck and close with a three-round total of 212 (-4), two shots ahead of runner-up Indianapolis native Danah Ford, who finished at two-under par with a 214.

For Wigger, a native of Louisville, Ky., with non-exempt LPGA Tour status, it marked her first win on the Duramed FUTURES Tour after finishing in a tie for 16th at the season-opening Bright House Networks Open three weeks ago in Lakeland, Fla. She was able to stick a 6-iron approach shot from 155 yards out in the fairway on the final hole a few feet away from the pin to ice her victory.

“I came in this morning thinking today was my day, my course and my tournament,” Wigger said. “I kept hitting greens and making putts and I felt focused a little more out there.”

Wigger overcame the poor weather conditions and two bogeys to open her final round. She buckled down and strung together 10 consecutive pars before securing momentum with a birdie on the 13th hole.

“I knew the margin was getting smaller at times but I didn’t feel fatigued after playing 30 holes,” Wigger said. “I woke up an hour early from what I set my alarm clock at 4:50 a.m., and knew I had to save it for the course.”

The victory gave Wigger expected confidence for the LPGA Monday qualifying rounds she will face this season as a rookie non-exempt LPGA Tour member. She isn’t expected to return to the Duramed FUTURES Tour until the Decatur, Ill., event in June.

Entering her fourth season on the Duramed FUTURES Tour, Ford put together a streak of three birdies and did her best to make things interesting down the stretch.

“All day I was putting it close and I just needed to remain patient,” Ford said. “I really had to be more aggressive. It was ‘go time.’ The putts didn’t break like I thought they would, but it really takes a different confidence to play in this weather.”

The former Indiana Hoosier posted a career-best finish, surpassing a fourth-place performance at the 2006 Lakeland Duramed FUTURES Classic. Ford said she was used to the weather from her days in the Big Ten Conference.

“I played well in Lakeland and really worked hard over the winter,” Ford added. “I think I gain confidence when I have to play behind and not focus on the end results.”

Sweden’s Caroline Larsson and Song Yi Choi of South Korea finished at one-under par on the day to lead a two-way tie for third at 215 (-1).

Intermittent rainfall continued to saturate the course as the afternoon wore on and a steady downpour was effective around 3:30 p.m. However, lightning was not in the area and play continued without delay.

Wigger Finds Unexpected Support From Charlottesville

Having good friends and Duramed FUTURES Tour professionals Gerina Mendoza of Roswell, N.M., and Rachel Newren-Harmon of Salt Lake City, Utah, at the ceremony in the VIP tent on the 18th green was special, but Wigger ran into an acquaintance near the clubhouse after turning in her scorecard. Wigger greeted Dan Gabel, a former member of Virginia’s men’s golf team with his orange and blue college golf bag.

Annie Young Scores iPod Touch With Low Round of the Day

Annie Young was the recipient of a new 8 GB Apple iPod Touch to continue Duramed’s season-long promotion of the Sunday Low Round Award. Young ended her day with a 68 (-4). A former collegian at Oklahoma State University, Young torched the scorecard with six birdies in seven holes, including five straight, while making the turn into the back nine. She catapulted up the leaderboard into a tie for eighth place after starting the day in a tie for 45th and said she felt like she could have played even better.

“I missed a couple of four-foot putts for birdie,” said Young of Highland, Utah. “I haven’t played well on this course so it feels really good to get a good round under my belt. I was hitting the ball really well and it will help my confidence heading into Lafayette (La.).”

Misun Cho of Cheongju, Korea was awarded the first promotional iPod Touch at the season-opening Bright House Networks Open in Lakeland, Fla., with her five-under par 67 in the final round.

Battistella Saves Best For Last

Second-year Duramed FUTURES Tour pro Taya Battistella of Portland, Ore., is used to adverse weather from her college days at Portland State University and the University of Colorado. With the support of her mother, Susan, Battistella closed out with her best round of the weekend with an even par to slide into a tie for 17th.

“She really plays well in adverse weather,” Susan said. “One time in Texas, she shot well in tornado-like conditions and actually struggled the next day when it was calm.”

Battistella, ranked 11th in scoring average through six rounds at a 72.50 clip, will swing up to Massachusetts before the Louisiana Pelican Classic. She tied for 16th at the Bright House Networks Open in Lakeland, Fla.

Rookie Report

Heralded first-year professional Vicky Hurst of Melbourne, Fla., continued to impress as she finished her final round at one-under par and tied for 12th. Hurst put together a string of three consecutive birdies on the back nine and had the support of her sister Kelly, a redshirt freshman on the University of Florida women’s golf team, the entire weekend. Chella Choi of Seoul, South Korea, who tied for second at the Bright House Networks Open, ended up in a tie for 54th. Former Georgia Bulldog Jean Reynolds remained in contention with two rounds of even par or better and tied for 17th.

For real-time scoring and more information, visit www.duramedfuturestour.com.

Weather: Scattered showers throughout the afternoon with a high temperature of 81 degrees and wind gusting up to NNW at 14 mph.

Contact: Ben Schlesselman, 386-274-7096, Ben@duramedfuturestour.com.