For Angela Buzminski A Promise Is A Promise

Since 2003, wanting to win again was about more than just hoisting a crystal trophy and depositing a nice cheque into her bank account. It was about keeping a promise to her friend, Heather Wilbur, who. at 27, was fighting leukemia. Each day was becoming a challenge for Wilbur, who had played on the Tour for three years when she suddenly fell ill with the disease.

"A couple of months before Heather died, I told her that the next time I win, that I would dedicate it to her," said Buzminski. "I guess it took me a while."

Busminski won the inaugural $110,000 Historic Brownsville Open in a non-stop windstorm that rendered only two sub-par rounds and two even-par rounds on a tough-playing El Diablo Course at Rancho Viejo Resort and Country Club. Sustained winds at 29 mph howled all day, with gusts of up to 38 mph.

In short, it was a devil of a day. And according to Buzminski, who finished at six-over-par 77 to win at 216 (+3), it was downright "ugly" at times.

"A win is a win and it's been so long since my last one," said Buzminski, a 15th-year professional from Oshawa, Ontario, who now owns five victories on the Duramed FUTURES Tour and is the Tour's leading money winner after four tournaments.

When it was all over, and her peers drenched her in Michelob ULTRA, the Canadian could only say how glad she was that she "didn't have to play in the wind anymore." It was a universal sigh of relief on this South Texas oasis.

Despite the battle with the elements the day belonged to the player who sums up her career with one word: Perseverance.

Buzminski won her first tournament as a professional on the Duramed FUTURES Tour in 2000, and then tore it up in 2001 with three wins and nine top-10 finishes. That year, she earned full LPGA status by finishing in the top three on the Tour's money list back when only three players earned automatic LPGA membership for the next year.

But as talented as the left-hander is, her success never fully transferred with her to the LPGA Tour. After three years in the Big League, she was back to the developmental tour to begin a confidence slide that finally ended Sunday.

Or perhaps more accurately, a year ago when she went to teaching professional Jeff Gschwind and admitted that she was ready for an overhaul. The teacher reinforced her positive thoughts and launched her on a new "stack and tilt" swing method to shorten her previously long-and-loose backswing and help her become more "centered" in her shotmaking.

All last season, the goal was to put the new swing into play. Sunday, the test was to put it into play in challenging conditions to see if it would stick. It did.

Sunday also marked the second consecutive week that a Canadian has won on the Duramed FUTURES Tour. Last week Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, BC captured the Louisiana Pelican Classic in Lafayette. Richdale is the second leading money winner on Tour.

Duramed FUTURES Tour - - $110,000 Historic Brownsville Open
Rancho Viejo Resort & Country Club - - 6283-yards, par 36-35--71.
(a-denotes amateur):

1 Angela Buzminski, Oshawa, ON, 71-68-77 - 216 (+3) $15,400
Other Canadians
T42 Samantha Richdale, Kelowna, BC, 73-73-78 - 224 (+11) $703
T64 Susan Nam, Edmonton, AB 75-76-76 - 227 (+14) $604
T73 Seema Sadekar, Toronto, ON, 76-75-77 - 228 (+15) $590
T76 Stacey Bieber, Winnipeg, MB, 76-73-80 - 229 (+16) $586
78 Jessica Shepley, Oakville, ON, 73-76-83 - 232 (+19) $583
--- Missed 36 Hole Cut ---
Lisa Meldrum, (Montreal, PQ, 73-79 - 152
Kira Meixner (a), Richmond, BC, 82-76 - 158

Duramed FUTURES Tour 2009 Current Money Leaders
Canadian Members
1 16 *Angela Buzminski, Oshawa, ON - - 4 - 1 $19,682
4 2 *Samantha Richdale, Kelowna, BC - - 4 - 1 $16,218
27 18 Lisa Meldrum, Monteal, PQ - - 4 - 0 $4,011
56 48 Stacey Bieber Winnipeg, MB 2 - 0 $1,982
90 94 Jessica Shepley, Oakvill, ON - - 4 - 0 $1,270
91 96 Seema Sadekar Toronto, ON - - 2 - 0 $1,269