News from Ladies European Tour
Swiss wash-out leaves Suzann
winner by six strokes
FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Suzann Pettersen was crowned Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open champion today after the fourth and final round of the competition was cancelled due to a waterlogged course at Golf Gerre Losone.
Tournament organisers took the decision to reduce the event from 72 to 54 holes at 11am as many of the fairways and greens were flooded after heavy rainfall, making the course unplayable.
Andy Lott, director of tournament operations, said: “Unfortunately we find the course is unplayable. We have too much water out there to make it safe for people to play and to be fair.”
With the fourth round cancelled, the results at the end of round three were final.
Pettersen’s winning total of 194, 22-under-par, broke the Ladies European Tour’s record for the lowest winning 54-hole aggregate. This previously stood at 190 (-17), having been set by French woman Karine Icher at the 2004 Catalonia Ladies Masters.
Pettersen revealed that she had been aiming to go much lower than that and beat Laura Davies’ record of 25-under for 72 holes, set at the 1995 Guardian Holidays Irish Open at St Margaret’s.
“I was going to try to get to 30; that was my aim from the last couple of days: get to 30 under so who knows. I would have had to have played really well today if that was the case but I think it was possible,” she said.
“If it’s not playable it’s not playable and there is not much you can do. That’s what happens when you play outdoor sport every now and again. I was kind of looking forward to keeping going, throwing some birdies on the board and seeing how low I could go.”
With the results standing as they were at the end of the third round, Pettersen took her third Ladies European Tour title, and her eighth overall, by a six stroke margin with South Korean teenager Amy Yang taking second on 16-under-par. Gwladys Nocera, who broke her own course record with a ten-under 62 in the third round, finished third on 15-under, with Lotta Wahlin three shots further back in fourth. Pettersen, the world number three, led the way with rounds of 67, 63 and 64 to earn the first prize of €78,500. She dedicated her prize to a 24-year-old family friend who passed away on Monday. “I would like to dedicate this victory to Karolyn,” said a tearful Pettersen at the prize giving. “She is a dear family friend of ours. We went to see her in the hospital at the end of last week and we pretty much knew she wasn’t going to make it. Of course it’s tough to see a friend of yours like that, who is only 24 years old. She had a blood clot on her leg.” Pettersen will take increased confidence back to America ahead of her defense of the McDonald’s LPGA Championship in a fortnight. “I’m really glad McDonalds is only two weeks away. Everything is about trying to prepare for the big ones. I’ve been working hard over the last couple of weeks and now everything is starting to fall together,” she said. “I will bring all the good feelings and the confidence back to the US. I will try to have a good week next week and go into McDonalds with a clean mind and just play my heart out again.”
In finishing second, Yang posted her career best finish since winning the 2006 ANZ Ladies Masters as a 16-year-old amateur. She earned €53,287.50 to move into the lead on the New Star Money List and also collected an Omega watch for her hole-in-one at the seventh in the third round.
“Suzann is a great player and with a six shot difference it would have been really difficult to beat her,” said Yang. “I’m a little disappointed but still pretty happy. My putting was better this week so I’m looking forward to next week too.”
Alexandra Armas, executive director of the Ladies European Tour, added: “I think it’s been a fantastic week of scoring. There are a lot of birdies out there and I think a lot of players would have gone out strong to try and move up the leader board. We can’t help the weather. It is a golf tournament and it is about the golf.”
Hanns Michael Hölz, head of corporate sports at Deutsche Bank, the title sponsor of the tournament, added: “Normally the Ticino region is known as the sunny terrace of Switzerland but sometimes maybe because of climate change, it has become more like the rain terrace. These things happen. In my view, I think it was a great sports event and we had some spectacular golf.”
HOW THEY FINISHED
Par 216 (3 x 72)
194 Suzann Pettersen (Nor) 67 63 64
200 Amy Yang (USA) 67 68 65
201 Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 70 69 62
204 Lotta Maria Wahlin (Swe) 71 67 66
205 Laura Davies 69 68 68
206 Paula Marti (Spa) 67 70 69, Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 71 66 69, Ludivine Kreutz (Fra) 67 70 69
208 Krista Ursula Wikstrom (Fin) 68 70 70, Ellen Smets (Bel) 71 66 71
209 Rebecca Coakley 63 74 72, Veronica Zorzi (Ita) 69 71 69, Maria Verchenova (Rus) 70 71 68, Lisa Hall 67 69 73, Cecillia Ekelundh (Swe) 72 67 70
210 Marina Arruti (Spa) 67 76 67
211 Caroline Afonso (Fra) 72 71 68, Marta Prieto (Spa) 71 70 70, Nicole Gergely (Aut) 68 73 70, Becky Brewerton 71 73 67, Emma Cabrera Bello (Spa) 71 72 68
212 Joanne Mills (Aus) 72 70 70, Dana Lacey (Aus) 70 70 72, Lydia Hall 70 72 70, Anais Maggetti (Swi) 67 72 73, Trish Johnson (USA) 74 71 67, Rebecca Hudson 70 74 68
213 Laura Terebey (USA) 72 69 72, Ana Sanchez (Spa) 68 75 70, Marjet Van Der Graaff (Ned) 69 71 73
214 Kiran Matharu 70 73 71, Iben Tinning (Den) 69 74 71, Martina Gillen 74 67 73, Georgina Simpson 69 73 72, Samantha Head 71 72 71, Johanna Westerberg (Swe) 72 70 72
215 Felicity Johnson 71 75 69, Henrietta Zuel 73 73 69, Lee-Anne Pace (Rsa) 71 70 74, Tania Elosegui (Spa) 72 72 71, Amanda Moltke-Leth (Den) 71 75 69, Fame More 72 69 74, Kaisa Ruuttila (Fin) 75 69 71
216 Rachel Bell 71 75 70, Kirsty S Taylor 69 74 73, Lynn Kenny 71 74 71, Anna-Lise Caudal (Fra) 71 72 73, Lynn t Brooky (Nzl) 73 72 71, Stefania Croce (Ita) 74 69 73, Anna Knutsson (Swe) 74 68 74, Anna Tybring (Swe) 70 71 75
217 Martina Eberl (Ger) 71 72 74, Lara Tadiotto (Bel) 75 70 72, Clare Queen 73 72 72
218 Anja Monke (Ger) 70 74 74, Kate Combes (Aus) 73 70 75, Jenna Wilson 74 71 73, Bronwyn Mullins-Lane (Aus) 70 76 72
219 Laura Cabanillas Gomez (Spa) 72 72 75, Katharina Schallenberg (Ger) 69 76 74, Maria Boden (Swe) 76 70 73, Sophie Sandolo (Ita) 70 74 75
220 Bettina Hauert (Ger) 72 74 74
222 Nikki Garrett (Aus) 68 76 78
223 Denise Becker (Ger) 73 73 77
winner by six strokes
FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Suzann Pettersen was crowned Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open champion today after the fourth and final round of the competition was cancelled due to a waterlogged course at Golf Gerre Losone.
Tournament organisers took the decision to reduce the event from 72 to 54 holes at 11am as many of the fairways and greens were flooded after heavy rainfall, making the course unplayable.
Andy Lott, director of tournament operations, said: “Unfortunately we find the course is unplayable. We have too much water out there to make it safe for people to play and to be fair.”
With the fourth round cancelled, the results at the end of round three were final.
Pettersen’s winning total of 194, 22-under-par, broke the Ladies European Tour’s record for the lowest winning 54-hole aggregate. This previously stood at 190 (-17), having been set by French woman Karine Icher at the 2004 Catalonia Ladies Masters.
Pettersen revealed that she had been aiming to go much lower than that and beat Laura Davies’ record of 25-under for 72 holes, set at the 1995 Guardian Holidays Irish Open at St Margaret’s.
“I was going to try to get to 30; that was my aim from the last couple of days: get to 30 under so who knows. I would have had to have played really well today if that was the case but I think it was possible,” she said.
“If it’s not playable it’s not playable and there is not much you can do. That’s what happens when you play outdoor sport every now and again. I was kind of looking forward to keeping going, throwing some birdies on the board and seeing how low I could go.”
With the results standing as they were at the end of the third round, Pettersen took her third Ladies European Tour title, and her eighth overall, by a six stroke margin with South Korean teenager Amy Yang taking second on 16-under-par. Gwladys Nocera, who broke her own course record with a ten-under 62 in the third round, finished third on 15-under, with Lotta Wahlin three shots further back in fourth. Pettersen, the world number three, led the way with rounds of 67, 63 and 64 to earn the first prize of €78,500. She dedicated her prize to a 24-year-old family friend who passed away on Monday. “I would like to dedicate this victory to Karolyn,” said a tearful Pettersen at the prize giving. “She is a dear family friend of ours. We went to see her in the hospital at the end of last week and we pretty much knew she wasn’t going to make it. Of course it’s tough to see a friend of yours like that, who is only 24 years old. She had a blood clot on her leg.” Pettersen will take increased confidence back to America ahead of her defense of the McDonald’s LPGA Championship in a fortnight. “I’m really glad McDonalds is only two weeks away. Everything is about trying to prepare for the big ones. I’ve been working hard over the last couple of weeks and now everything is starting to fall together,” she said. “I will bring all the good feelings and the confidence back to the US. I will try to have a good week next week and go into McDonalds with a clean mind and just play my heart out again.”
In finishing second, Yang posted her career best finish since winning the 2006 ANZ Ladies Masters as a 16-year-old amateur. She earned €53,287.50 to move into the lead on the New Star Money List and also collected an Omega watch for her hole-in-one at the seventh in the third round.
“Suzann is a great player and with a six shot difference it would have been really difficult to beat her,” said Yang. “I’m a little disappointed but still pretty happy. My putting was better this week so I’m looking forward to next week too.”
Alexandra Armas, executive director of the Ladies European Tour, added: “I think it’s been a fantastic week of scoring. There are a lot of birdies out there and I think a lot of players would have gone out strong to try and move up the leader board. We can’t help the weather. It is a golf tournament and it is about the golf.”
Hanns Michael Hölz, head of corporate sports at Deutsche Bank, the title sponsor of the tournament, added: “Normally the Ticino region is known as the sunny terrace of Switzerland but sometimes maybe because of climate change, it has become more like the rain terrace. These things happen. In my view, I think it was a great sports event and we had some spectacular golf.”
HOW THEY FINISHED
Par 216 (3 x 72)
194 Suzann Pettersen (Nor) 67 63 64
200 Amy Yang (USA) 67 68 65
201 Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 70 69 62
204 Lotta Maria Wahlin (Swe) 71 67 66
205 Laura Davies 69 68 68
206 Paula Marti (Spa) 67 70 69, Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 71 66 69, Ludivine Kreutz (Fra) 67 70 69
208 Krista Ursula Wikstrom (Fin) 68 70 70, Ellen Smets (Bel) 71 66 71
209 Rebecca Coakley 63 74 72, Veronica Zorzi (Ita) 69 71 69, Maria Verchenova (Rus) 70 71 68, Lisa Hall 67 69 73, Cecillia Ekelundh (Swe) 72 67 70
210 Marina Arruti (Spa) 67 76 67
211 Caroline Afonso (Fra) 72 71 68, Marta Prieto (Spa) 71 70 70, Nicole Gergely (Aut) 68 73 70, Becky Brewerton 71 73 67, Emma Cabrera Bello (Spa) 71 72 68
212 Joanne Mills (Aus) 72 70 70, Dana Lacey (Aus) 70 70 72, Lydia Hall 70 72 70, Anais Maggetti (Swi) 67 72 73, Trish Johnson (USA) 74 71 67, Rebecca Hudson 70 74 68
213 Laura Terebey (USA) 72 69 72, Ana Sanchez (Spa) 68 75 70, Marjet Van Der Graaff (Ned) 69 71 73
214 Kiran Matharu 70 73 71, Iben Tinning (Den) 69 74 71, Martina Gillen 74 67 73, Georgina Simpson 69 73 72, Samantha Head 71 72 71, Johanna Westerberg (Swe) 72 70 72
215 Felicity Johnson 71 75 69, Henrietta Zuel 73 73 69, Lee-Anne Pace (Rsa) 71 70 74, Tania Elosegui (Spa) 72 72 71, Amanda Moltke-Leth (Den) 71 75 69, Fame More 72 69 74, Kaisa Ruuttila (Fin) 75 69 71
216 Rachel Bell 71 75 70, Kirsty S Taylor 69 74 73, Lynn Kenny 71 74 71, Anna-Lise Caudal (Fra) 71 72 73, Lynn t Brooky (Nzl) 73 72 71, Stefania Croce (Ita) 74 69 73, Anna Knutsson (Swe) 74 68 74, Anna Tybring (Swe) 70 71 75
217 Martina Eberl (Ger) 71 72 74, Lara Tadiotto (Bel) 75 70 72, Clare Queen 73 72 72
218 Anja Monke (Ger) 70 74 74, Kate Combes (Aus) 73 70 75, Jenna Wilson 74 71 73, Bronwyn Mullins-Lane (Aus) 70 76 72
219 Laura Cabanillas Gomez (Spa) 72 72 75, Katharina Schallenberg (Ger) 69 76 74, Maria Boden (Swe) 76 70 73, Sophie Sandolo (Ita) 70 74 75
220 Bettina Hauert (Ger) 72 74 74
222 Nikki Garrett (Aus) 68 76 78
223 Denise Becker (Ger) 73 73 77
Labels: LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | 11:58:00 pm
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