CALENDAR-GIRL NATALIE WINS

EVIAN MASTERS AFTER PLAY-OFF

FROM LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

America’ Natalie Gulbis silenced her critics by earning her maiden professional title and a first prize of $450,000 at the Evian Masters at Evian-les-Bains in France today.
The glamorous 24-year-old Californian defeated South Korea’s Jeong Jang with a birdie at the first extra hole of a sudden death play-off after a dramatic final day at the Evian Royal Resort.
A final round of two-under-par saw Natalie take the clubhouse lead with a 72-hole total of four-under-par, but she was forced to head to the driving range to await the arrival of the last three groups.
Jang, the 2005 Women’s British Open champion who was playing in the final match with overnight leader Juli Inkster of the United States, birdied three of her last four holes for a final round 72 which was enough to force the play-off with Gulbis.
But Inkster, who began the day with a two-stroke lead on six-under-par, had a chance to match Gulbis’ total. She faced a birdie putt at the last only to three-putt for a final round of 75 and a share of third position on three-under with Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa (68) and South Korea’s Ji-Yai Shin (72).
The Mexican had made an early push for the lead, with five birdies taking her to four-under for the tournament; but a bogey on the par-five 18th ended her chances.
Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson was also among the day’s contenders, and took a share of the lead before bogeys on the final two holes sent her to two-under for the day, into tied sixth place with five other players including two-time Evian champion Annika Sorenstam.
It was second-time lucky for Gulbis after she was previously defeated at the third hole of a sudden-death play-off by Mi Hyun Kim at the 2006 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic.
Gulbis, who had previously been referred to as the Anna Kournikova of women’s golf due to her calendar girl good looks and lack of victories, could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“What does it mean (to win?) How long do you have?” she said.“This is my sixth year on tour, and obviously the U.S. has been quite a bit of hype on if I would ever win a tournament.”
It only needed one extra hole for the 2007 Evian Masters championship to be decided, with Gulbis two-putting from 25 feet at the par-five 18th for birdie and the victory.
Jang, who hit her second shot long, took a par and could only watch as the American tapped in from a foot to seal the title.
“I was really close last year where I lost a play-off, and coincidently it was right after the match play.“It was like déjà vu,” Gulbis said.
“There was a match play event in the United States. Lost in the first round. Worked really hard on my game. Came over here, was hitting the ball well, and these two events (next week's Ricoh Women's British Open) I really wanted to play well in.
“I had been injured for a lot of the season and was way back on the money list, like 44th, maybe 50th. Probably the lowest I'd ever gotten to. Just tried to stay positive, so that means a lot, that the hard work has paid off.
“I got hurt two months ago. Had a lower back injury and had to take about a month off. I had to change my golf swing because of my injury. I had to work on my posture and I had to do all the things that I had been working on with my father for about four or five years.
“We had been working on these same things and they just weren't happening, and it took an injury to make it work. I was kind of thinking this might be a blessing in disguise with the injury, and I kept working on it and working on my posture and I kept hitting it further and all the things I wanted to happen on my golf swing started happening.”
Gulbis was in tears as she celebrated her win with her mother, while members of the French parachute team landed on the 18th green to drape her in the Stars and Stripes of the United States flag.
Michelle Wie, who had an 84 in the third round, finished tied for 69th place on 16-over 304, after a final round 76.
LEADING TOTALS
Par 288 (4 x 72)

Players from US unless stated.

284 Natalie Gulbis 72 69 73 70, Jeong Jang (SKor) 69 71 72 72 (Gulbis won play-off at first hole).

285 Ji-Yai Shin (Kor) 73 70 70 72, Juli Inkster 73 68 69 75, Lorena Ochoa (Mex) 72 70 75 68
286 Sun Ju Ahn (Kor) 69 73 74 70, Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 71 69 74 72, Momoko Ueda (Jpn) 74 67 74 71, Angela Stanford 73 74 69 70, Sophie Gustafson (Swe) 69 72 72 73, Christina Kim 67 75 74 70
287 Karrie Webb (Aus) 70 72 73 72, Morgan Pressel 73 72 73 69, Laura Diaz 71 71 74 71, Laura Davies (Eng) 71 70 74 72
288 Eun Hee Ji (Kor) 66 76 75 71, Maria Hjorth (Swe) 71 71 74 72, Shi Ahn Hyun (Kor) 73 69 75 71
289 Paula Creamer 75 72 73 69, Nicole Castrale 75 70 74 70
290 Seon Hwa Lee (Kor) 72 74 71 73
291 Ai Miyazato (Jpn) 73 73 73 72, Angela Park 70 74 75 72
292 Virginine Lagoutte (Fra) 76 68 75 73, Ashleigh Simon (Rsa) 70 72 76 74, Catriona Matthew (Sco) 74 70 74 74, Diana D'Alessio 69 68 76 79, Ji-Hee Lee (Jpn) 73 73 75 71, Brittany Lang 73 74 75 70
293 Joo Mi Kim (Kor) 71 72 75 75, Il Mi Chung (Kor) 73 71 70 79, Jin Joo Hong (Kor) 67 70 80 76, Michele Redman 75 69 74 75, Stephanie Arricau (Fra) 73 71 74 75, Rachel Hetherington (Aus) 71 73 75 74, Mi-Hyun Kim (Kor) 69 72 74 78, Meaghan Francella 71 79 73 70
294 Stacy Prammanasudh 73 77 72 72, Young Kim (Kor) 72 75 72 75, Meena Lee (Kor) 71 73 75 75, Pat Hurst 66 76 76 76, Hee Young Park (Kor) 72 75 76 71
295 Jee Young Lee (Kor) 77 73 71 74, In Kyung Kim (Kor) 71 75 76 73, Cristie Kerr 72 73 73 77, Sherri Steinhauer 72 73 75 75, Suzann Pettersen (Nor) 74 72 81 68, Helen Alfredsson (Swe) 77 70 73 75
296 Linda Wessberg (Swe) 69 72 75 80, Na On Min (Jpn) 75 72 76 73, Brittany Lincicome 66 74 82 74, Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 72 76 73 75
297 Lindsey Wright (Aus) 76 72 77 72, Kyeong Eun Bae (Kor) 67 74 82 74, Lisa Hall (Eng) 77 70 76 74, Sarah Lee 71 72 77 77
298 Wendy Doolan (Aus) 73 76 71 78, Lynnette Brooky (Nzl) 75 72 75 76, Sophie Giquel (Fra) 78 70 77 73, Karin Sjodin (Swe) 72 72 77 77, Becky Brewerton (Wal) 72 71 82 73, Candie Kung (Tai) 78 68 79 73
299 Veronica Zorzi (Ita) 77 73 73 76, Amy Yang 73 73 76 77
300 Gloria Park (Kor) 73 77 76 74, Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 80 70 73 77
302 Sung Ah Yim (Kor) 76 74 82 70, Silvia Cavalleri (Ita) 74 76 75 77
304 Michelle Wie 73 71 84 76, Nikki Garrett (Aus) 75 71 83 75
307 Hiroko Fujishima (Jpn) 74 76 77 80
315 Karen-Margreth Juul (Den) 77 73 82 83