Wisdom wins the Open for Davies

BY Liz White | ALPG Tour | 2009 Women's Australian Open | Round Four | 15 Feb 2009

45-year-old veteran Laura Davies showed the young guns the wisdom of age to take out her second Australian Open Championship at Melbourne’s Metropolitan Course today.

The Brit fired off a brilliant 5 under round of 68 to finish 7 under for the tournament, one shot ahead of Spain’s unlucky loser Tania Elosegui, and two ahead of Britain’s Melissa Reid and Koreans, Chang-Hee Lee and Hye Yong Choi.

Defending champion Karrie Webb and fellow Australian Katherine Hull, finished a further three shots back on 2 under, to share 6th place.

While Davies was a deserving winner it was somewhat a case of Elosegui’s inexperience in the clutch that helped the Brit lift the Patricia Bridges Bowl today.

The Spaniard had played well all day and as she left the 17th green, she thought she was tied in the lead with Davies at 8 under. She didn’t look at the scoreboard. Had she checked she would have noticed Davies had bogeyed the 18th, which meant the 27-year-old was leading by one with one hole to play.

As the Spaniard stood over her 6m putt for par on the 18th, she thought she had to make it to force a playoff. She charged the putt a metre past the pin.

Thinking her return putt for bogey was just for second place, and not for a playoff, her concentration slipped and she missed the one metre slider.

It was only after she left the green that she had realised the error.

“I was kind of “Oh I can’t believe that,” a disconsolate Elosegui said.

“I don’t think it is no-one’s fault I didn’t look at the leaderboard at the 18th I just thought, I was almost sure that she was going to have a par at the 18th because it is not really a bogey hole.”

Davies, a winner of 74 titles worldwide was surprised the Spaniard did not check the scoreboard.

“I never understand the leader board thing and not looking,” she said.

“You have to know where you stand.”

Elosegui’s heartache aside, no one would begrudge the popular honorary ALPG member today’s win. At the halfway mark of the tournament, she was way back in a tie for 41st.

“I must admit I thought I was out of it,” she said.

“To sit here as a winner is absolutely fabulous. It certainly was not expected on Saturday morning. There was no way I expected to be here.”

Davies headed in to today’s final round three shots off the leaders. She set up her win with a great birdie on the 386m par 4 10th and a brilliant 40-foot eagle putt on 15.

“The best shot of the day was at 10. Everyone was bogeying that hole,” she said.

“I hit a two iron and a four iron in to about six feet and made it.

“That’s what makes this such a good win because it is such a good course.”

Defending champion Karrie Webb blew her chances today with a doubly bogey on the par 3 7th and then a bogey two holes later on the par 4 9th. Webb turned in 3 over _ her marvellous 7 under round on day one but a distant memory.

Incredibly Webb went 24 holes before she finally secured a birdie on the par 5 14th. Another birdie on the 16th got Webb back to 2 under for the tournament, but it was too little too late for the four-time champion.

Starting the day at 5 under, overnight leader, Korean Chang-Hee Lee had a horror double bogey start but steadied the ship and managed to turn at even par to remain at 5 under. However, a bogey on the par three 13th ended her title hopes and she finished the day even par and in overall T 3rd.

Katherine Hull finished strongly today, posting a 3 under 70 to finish equal 6th with Webb on two under 290.

Last week’s Masters champion has had an outstanding ALPG season, finishing top 10 in all four tournaments.

It sets her up perfectly for a real chance at achieving her stated aim of making both the top 10 money list and top 10 world rankings by year’s end.

“They are pretty big challenges but I have a good team of people around me and I am not accepting mediocrity anymore so we’ll give it a try,” she said.

Although Dana Lacey didn’t win the silverware she was still celebrating after her round which included the tournament’s only hole in one at the par three 2nd.

“I hit my seven iron and I just saw it going at the pin and I didn’t think anything else,” she said.

“I thought it’s on the green good enough and then I heard everyone clap and then I was like yes, sweet!”

Her improved performances throughout the local season have the West Australian looking forward to her second year on the Ladies European Tour.

“I feel much more confident this year I think I can get some good top fives in there and maybe even a win.”

For the winner there will also be a few celebratory drinks.

“I think maybe just a couple,” Davies laughed.