Lee-Anne Pace collects sixth LET title after three years without a victory
·
Charley
Hull finishes joint second for the third time in three tournament starts in her
first year as a pro
·
Carlota
Ciganda comes close to forcing a play-off after a lip-out with a long birdie
putt on 18
·
With a
chance to win for the third year in succession, Christel Boeljon bogeys last
hole to drop into outright fifth place
Lee-Anne Pace collected her sixth Ladies
European Tour title at the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open, three years after her
last victory in 2010, when she won the Order of Merit and five titles around
the world.
With a final round one-under-par 72,
the 32-year-old South African came from two shots behind the overnight leaders
Charley Hull and Carlota Ciganda to win by one at National Golf Club.
Playing in the penultimate group, in
fine weather, Pace posted the clubhouse lead at three-under before an agonising
wait on the putting green to see if she could be caught by Hull, Ciganda or the
two-time defending champion Christel Boeljon.
All three players needed a birdie to
force a play-off and Boeljon was eliminated after she found the bunker off the
tee and had to lay-up to the fairway.
Hull and Ciganda both had fairly long
birdie putts to stay in the tournament but Ciganda’s birdie putt from around 25
feet lipped out, before Hull’s edged past the hole.
“My heart stopped for a while, for a
beat, but you know, if it happens, it happens. We may have had to go to a
play-off but I was just hitting some putts and trying not to look,” said Pace,
adding that patience was the key. “It’s so nice to win again. It’s been a while
and to do it again is fantastic.”
Playing on one of the toughest
courses on the Ladies European Tour schedule, Pace had a blistering start with
birdies on the second and fourth holes and she had established a one stroke
lead by the turn.
She used a nine-iron to strike her
ball within a metre of the flag on the par-three second before hitting a chip
and a putt for birdie on the par-five fourth hole.
She made a fantastic up and down on
number six and then another good save after finding the bunker on eight.
On the more difficult back nine, she
made a great save on 10, before dropping a shot on 11 after a gust of wind
knocked the ball down short of the green and immediately responded with a
birdie on 12, followed by a bogey on 14.
“It’s definitely one of the toughest
golf courses, also because the greens get quite a lot harder at the end of the
week and quicker. It’s a very tight golf course so of course you have to keep
the ball in play,” said Pace, who was congratulated by her friend Ciganda, the
LET Player of the Year in 2012.
Joint runner-up Ciganda said: “I’ve
been playing good but today wasn’t like the days before. I didn’t hit the ball
that good and I only hit 12 greens compared to 15 or 16 the other days. It was
a bit tough but I tried until the end. I finished with one birdie on the last
five holes and until the end I was trying to fight, but only one person can win
and Lee-Anne played great so congratulations to her.”
Rookie professional Hull, 17,
finished equal second for the third time in as many tournament starts this
season.
“I’m pleased but just a bit annoyed.
At least I parred the last,” she said. “I didn’t play very good on the first 11
holes. The back nine, I played a lot better. I seem to perform better when I’m
under pressure and I have to chase, like the last couple of holes. I just edged
my putt on 17 and literally edged the hole on 18 and I thought I had it, but it
was a good try. I’ve had three second place finishes in my first three
tournaments so I just want to win one now.”
Hull
and Ciganda were joined in second by Finland’s Minea Blomqvist, who fired a
second successive round of 70 and commented: “I have to be very, very happy. It
was a very tough start for me. The front nine was plus one and I didn’t get it
going. I was very happy to make five birdies on the back nine. I have had such
a difficult time for three years with my game and I actually want to cry right
now because I’m so happy.”
The next Ladies European Tour event
is the Deloitte Ladies Open in Holland, on May 24-26, where Ciganda will be
defending, Hull will have another stab at claiming her maiden title and Boeljon
will be the leading lady on home soil.
Turkish Airlines Ladies
Open
National Golf Club, Belek,
Antalya, Turkey
9-12 May 2013
Final Scores:
289
- Lee-Anne Pace (RSA) 70 77 70 72
290
- Charley Hull (ENG) 75 71 69 75, Carlota Ciganda (ESP) 69 74 72
75, Minea Blomqvist (FIN) 75 75 70 70
291
- Christel Boeljon (NED) 71 78 67 75
292
- Holly Clyburn (ENG) 74 71 75 72, Eleanor Givens (ENG) 72 73 74
73, Florentyna Parker (ENG) 74 71 72 75, Trish Johnson (ENG) 71 71
75 75
293
- Linda Wessberg (SWE) 72 77 70 74, Vikki Laing (SCO) 77 73 68 75
294
- Line Vedel (DEN) 76 76 71 71, Laura Davies (ENG) 72 70 78 74,
Sarah Kemp (AUS) 70 79 71 74, Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 81 71 70 72
296
- Carmen Alonso (ESP) 70 72 79 75
297
- Bree Arthur (AUS) 75 77 72 73, Mireia Prat (ESP) 73 75 75 74,
Miriam Nagl (GER) 72 75 74 76, Valentine Derrey (FRA) 74 74 74 75,
Margarita Ramos (MEX) 75 72 73 77, Ann-Kathrin Lindner (GER) 72 77
74 74, Caroline Afonso (FRA) 76 69 76 76, Sharmila Nicollet (IND)
74 75 76 72, Klara Spilkova (CZE) 76 72 76 73
298
- Whitney Hillier (AUS) 75 76 72 75, Diana Luna (ITA) 74 77 76 71,
Julie Greciet (FRA) 75 74 75 74, Melissa Reid (ENG) 75 77 73 73,
Liz Young (ENG) 75 73 77 73
299
- Kelsey Macdonald (SCO) 76 77 72 74, Nontaya Srisawang (THA) 74 75
72 78, Malene Jorgensen (DEN) 77 73 74 75, Pamela Pretswell (SCO)
76 76 72 75, Sophie Walker (ENG) 75 78 70 76, Louise Larsson (SWE)
77 70 75 77
300
- Veronica Zorzi (ITA) 73 78 73 76, Rebecca Artis (AUS) 74 73 76 77
301
- Nikki Campbell (AUS) 75 73 77 76, Cecilie Lundgreen (NOR) 70 78
79 74, Mallory Fraiche (USA) 76 73 73 79, Beth Allen (USA) 75 77 73
76
302
- Holly Aitchison (ENG) 77 74 75 76, Stefania Croce (ITA) 76 77 71
78, Joanna Klatten (FRA) 75 76 77 74, Katie Burnett (USA) 72 78 76
76
303
- Hannah Burke (ENG) 77 76 78 72, Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA) 77 73 78
75, Mikaela Parmlid (SWE) 72 77 73 81
304
- Nina Holleder (GER) 76 77 74 77
305
- Leigh Whittaker (GER) 74 78 73 80, Jade Schaeffer (FRA) 76 74 81
74
306
- Charlotte Ellis (ENG) 72 76 75 83, Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA) 74
77 80 75
307
- Morgana Robbertze (RSA) 75 76 81 75, Maria Salinas (PER) 75 76 78
78
308
- Sarah King (AUS) 77 75 75 81, Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) 76 75 78
79, Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) 77 76 76 79, Margherita Rigon (ITA) 77 75
78 78, Paula Hurtado (COL) 75 75 81 77
309
- Carly Booth (SCO) 78 75 82 74
310
- Rebecca Sorensen (SWE) 72 77 81 80
311
- Daniela Holmqvist (SWE) 73 76 80 82
313
- Emma Cabrera-bello (ESP) 73 79 79 82
320
- Virginie Lagoutte-clement (FRA) 76 77 88 79
322
- Jessica Yadloczky (USA) 78 75 83 86
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