Stay close: Caroline Haase watches a shot late in the final round. She held on to win the event by one shot. -- Matt Kryger / The Star

FRANKLIN, Ind. -- With a four-shot lead with four holes to play Thursday, Caroline Haase appeared to be cruising in the Indiana PGA Women's Open.

But a double bogey on No. 15 and a muffed sand shot on No. 18 made things more interesting.

Haase made an 8-foot bogey putt on No. 18 to preserve a one-shot victory over Julie Tomlinson and win the title at the Legends of Indiana Golf Course.

Haase was 1 over par for the day, and even for the two-day tournament.

"I struggled down the stretch today, but I thought I still played a pretty solid round," said Haase, who led by three shots after the first round. "I thought I putted extremely well. I made every putt I needed to make."

Two of those putts came on the final four holes. On the par-4 15th, Haase hit her second shot into a water hazard, then she sent a chip over the green. After chipping to 6 feet, she made a putt for double bogey.

On No. 18, her second shot found a bunker, and her subsequent chip traveled only a few feet. She got up and down from there to seal the victory.

Haase, who won the state high school individual championship while at Culver Academy in 2001 and currently plays for Purdue, said she felt most in control while putting.

"The second shot on 15 was just a bad swing," she said. "It happens. You make a bunch every round. It cost me a couple of shots. I made a good putt there to actually save double (bogey), and I went off thinking I was still in good shape. I just knew that I needed to make a couple of good swings, hit a couple of putts and I would be OK."

That confidence saw her through on her two troublesome holes.

"I had played well all day, and I just thought I had practiced too hard and I had made enough putts just like this one (on No. 18) the last few days to miss one now," Haase said.

While Haase played the final four holes at 3 over, Tomlinson had a bogey on No. 15 and followed with three pars. Playing two groups ahead of Haase, Tomlinson had a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 18 that rimmed out.

"When we got to No. 18, I heard that (Haase) had just double-bogeyed 15, so I knew it was getting tighter," Tomlinson said. "I felt if I could sink a birdie on the final hole that I could possibly give her a run for her money."

Tomlinson, who played at Noblesville and currently plays for Ohio University, was four shots behind Haase to start the round. Her 2-under-par 70 Thursday was three shots better than any other player in the tournament.

Emily Kuhfeld of Carmel and Kristine Cook of Fishers finished tied for third at 4 over. Both players shot 74s in each round. Sally Shonk of Noblesville and Tiffany Hockensmith of Bloomington tied for fifth at 5 over.

Suzanne Noblett of Fort Wayne had the low score of the four professional players in the tournament. She shot 77-76--153 to finish 11th.