Mills victorious at NSW Women's Open
BY David Collinge | ALPG Tour | 2006 Women's NSW Open | Wrap | 10 Dec 2006
» Final Round Photo Gallery – 2006 Women’s NSW Open
Joanne Mills has outlasted Sarah Kemp to claim victory at the fifth play-off hole in the final round of the 2006 LG Bing Lee NSW Women’s Open Championship.
Starting the day at 7 under, Mills displayed consistency and patience to finally claim victory with a sharp birdie on the par three 18th hole – on the third time the pair had played it today in their sudden death play off. Mills played straight all day, long on her drive at times, but never at the cost of accuracy. Her victory was warmly received by the large gallery at Oatlands Golf Club.
Sarah Kemp had a more spectacular round. Carding a 5 under for the day, she looked to have the title in her grasp coming down the seventeenth fairway, and when she sunk her birdie putt to go 10 under and equal with Mills, many thought the young Ladies European Tour rookie could clinch it.
From the first play off hole though, Kemp was playing catch up golf. Her drive was wayward, and she had to show some real skill and determination to equal Mills at par for the hole. The next three holes were similar – Kemp just managing to meet the accuracy of Mills, until she left her first shot short of the green on the eighteenth and in no position to equal Mills’ birdie.
Overnight leader Nikki Garrett finished 3rd, and only one shot behind the leaders. Until a double bogey on the par three 12th, she looked the one to beat. But her stumble there, and a bogey on the next, seemed to sap her confidence a little. She did, however, have the shot of the day, with a glorious chip in from off the green for an eagle 3 on the 17th.
Garrett’s form over the tournament is good news for Australia. She heads to South Africa with Lindsey Wright in mid January to compete in the Women’s World Cup of Golf (a team event) at Sun City. After that it’s the $500,000 MFS Australian Open at Royal Sydney – a tournament Garrett is excited about.
Outright fourth today was Wendy Doolan who came unstuck at the 5th and the fourteenth. She didn’t have luck running with her on the greens, and could easily have been up there with the winner if things had gone her way.
Carlie Butler finished tied for fifth along with 3 amateurs – Helen Oh, Haeji Kang and Sarah Oh. This may have been somewhat of a revelation for some – but shows dramatically the depth of talent that exists in the young girls coming through the amateur ranks in Australia. Sarah Oh particularly was impressive with a fine touch to her short irons. All these girls deserve close attention.
This inaugural NSW Open slots into the calendar nicely. It had a festive end of year air about it, saw good crowd attendances and a lot of great golf from a very impressive field. It’s a great warm up for February’s Australian Open and the LET co-sanctioned ANZ Ladies Masters.
For Joanne Mills, she will no doubt long remember her birdie for victory at the eighteenth. But she will probably also long kick herself for missing an easy birdie on the seventeenth which set up the play-off. At the end of the day though she proved herself equal to the challenge.
Photo – Peter Thiel
