WSGT 2007 BJ's Charity Championship Quincy, MA

Nancy Scranton, Christa Johnson Win Third Annual BJ’s Charity Championship on Third Playoff Hole Sunday at Granite Links Golf Club

Former major champions become first to successfully defend a title in eight-year history of The Legends Tour

QUINCY, Mass. (Aug. 5, 2007) – Nancy Scranton and Christa Johnson became the first to successfully defend a title in the eight-year history of The Legends Tour, winning the third annual BJ’s Charity Championship with a birdie on the third playoff hole Sunday at Granite Links Golf Club in Quincy, Mass.

Johnson’s 10-foot putt at the 534-yard, par-5 18th held off the teams of Allison Finney and Debbie Massey and Barb Mucha and Colleen Walker to earn the duo $100,000 and their second career Legends Tour titles.

“It’s just so exciting the way it all came together,’’ said Johnson, a nine-time winner on the LPGA Tour and two-time winner on The Legends Tour. “We were only 1-under par after the first nine on Saturday, but we really rallied after that.’’

The two-day, 36-hole BJ’s Charity Championship featured 30 two-player teams competing for a $500,000 purse, and Sunday’s finale continued a run of riveting finishes.

A year ago, Scranton and Johnson shot a final-round 58 to earn a one-stroke victory over Sherri Turner and Cindy Figg-Currier. The 2005 tournament featured a five-hole playoff between the teams of Jan Stephenson and Cindy Rarick and Pat Bradley and Patty Sheehan.

Johnson and Scranton entered this year’s final round one shot behind Walker and Mucha but took the lead after birdieing eight of nine holes beginning at the eighth. They closed with an 11-under par 61 on Sunday but were forced to extra holes when Finney chipped in for eagle at the 18th and Walker followed with an eight-foot birdie putt.

Walker and Mucha were eliminated after parring the first playoff hole, while the other two teams birdied the first two playoff holes. On the third playoff hole, tournament officials extended the 18th tee 44 yards to 534 yards. When Finney and Massey missed 15-foot birdie putts, Johnson sank a 10-footer.

“We had to work a little harder this year, but it was worth it,’’ Scranton said. “We may have played a little better last year, but we found a way to get it done.’’

Sponsored by BJ’s Wholesale Club, the two-day, 36-hole BJ’s Charity Championship is one of the stops on The Legends Tour. The tournament has raised over $2.3 million for the BJ’s Charitable Foundation and is expected to raise more than $1.3 million this year. The Foundation benefits various non-profit organizations in the eastern United States that support women and children.