Oh wow! Sarah goes back to back

BY Liz White | ALPG Tour | 2010 Women's NSW Open | Round Three | 07 Feb 2010

Sarah Oh has won back to back NSW Opens in a battle of nerves and patience at Sydney’s Oatlands course today.

The 21-year-old started the day one shot behind British veteran Laura Davies and tied with Katherine Hull, Karen Lunn, Joanne Mills and Sydney’s Rachel Bailey on 4 under.

In the end it was her peerless bogey free round of 5 under 67 that secured her a one shot victory at 9 under, over NSW Open bridesmaid – yet again – Katherine Hull.

“It was very good to do it back to back,” Oh said.

“As I said at the beginning of the week I was feeling really confident even with the bad round yesterday I was very confident today.

“It’s like a home course to me this course, I seem to play well every time I come here.”

The door was opened on the very first hole today when the leader, Laura Davies was again spooked on the 316m par four.

Ever since the starter told Davies two years ago that a player in front had hit out of bounds, the 2008 champion has had a mental battle with the hole. This week she has shot bogey, par, bogey. Today’s opening bogey dropped Davies back into the chasing pack at 4 under.

The 46-year-old ultimately ended the tournament in a tie for tenth, three consecutive bogeys on 11,12 and 13 putting paid to her chances.

Today’s final round was the closest NSW Open in history with 13 players within two shots of the lead at the halfway mark of the final round.

The lead was constantly changing, with Karen Lunn, playing in the second last group with Oh, firing the first shot.

Her birdies on the first, fifth and sixth had her in the outright lead at 7 under.

But then little known Rachel Bailey, playing in the final group with Davies and Hull, showed she was not going to be overawed by the occasion.

She joined Lunn in the lead with three birdies on the trot, on the par five 4th, the par 3 5th and the par 5 6th.

At this stage of the tournament Oh was two shots adrift but the defending champion stuck to her game plan of one shot at a time.

Her patient and nerveless play was rewarded with four consecutive birdies on holes six through to nine.

Her easy nine iron to one metre on the par three 9th was the highlight of her round.

For twice runner-up – in 2009 and 2010 – Queensland’s Katherine Hull, it was a case of a putter that stuttered.

On several holes she left it short and in the heart, none more agonisingly so than on the par 3 18th.

Needing a birdie to force the title into a playoff her putt sat on the lip and refused to drop.

“I am very frustrated. I knew that the greens were slow and just failed to get it to the hole.”

To finish second is not quite what Hull had planned.

“Being a perfectionist I am not overly happy but I guess it could work in my favour and get me more fired up for the rest of the season.

“I guess the more times I get myself into contention the more I am going to win.”

While all the action was happening in the final groups, Canberra’s Nikki Campbell was busy setting a new course record of eight under 64.

She posted three eagles after chipping in on the par 4 1st and the par 4 10th and landing her second shot to within a foot on the par 5 4th.

It was a round that Campbell conceded could have been even better with three bogeys sitting alongside the three eagles on the scorecard.

“That was disappointing but then things went my way it’s not like you usually hole shots so I can’t really complain,” she laughed.

Also not complaining was 28 year-old Rachel Bailey. Playing in the final group today was the biggest thing she has experienced in 7 years on the tour. She finished with the biggest tournament cheque of her career, $3,950, in a tie for 5th.

“It was awesome,” she said.

“On the first I was shaking and nervous and once I got on the fairway I wasn’t nervous after that.”

Oh showed no sign of nerves all day but admitted on the 17th, at this stage with a one shot lead over Hull, she thought she was looking at a bogey on the longest par four on the course.

“I hit the tree on the left and I thought if it just kicked left I was in trouble.”

But she got lucky and after skimming the trees it kicked right onto the fairway leaving her a four rescue from 165 metres out.

After parring that hole and then the par 3 18th, Oh was left to watch Hull’s putt on 18 just miss and revel in her back to back victories.

“To do it back to back, it’s very meaningful to me.”