HANNAH BURKE CHASES HOME VICTORIAN OPEN WINNER KEATING

       STACEY KEATING with her latest trophy. Image from the Ladies European Tour website


FROM THE AGE.COM.AU WEBSITE
IT COULD not have meant more to Stacey Keating. She has won twice on the European Tour, but never claimed any of the big events in Australia.
Today, she finally gained the victory salute. Fittingly, she did it in the Victorian Open, played at Thirteenth Beach Golf Links at Barwon Heads - about an hour from her home town of Cressy, where she honed her game on the makeshift course constructed on her family's farm.
For Keating, 26, it was worth the wait.
''I just thought I would put too much expectations on myself. And that was something I was trying to keep down,'' she said of winning in front of friends and family.
''But then when you look around and see so many people you know and so many people you want to talk to - I tried my hardest to avoid that. It just means everything this win, it's just the best.''
There could hardly have been a more popular winner.
As she triumphantly raised her arms in the air after rolling in her final putt to finish 18 under 278 and secure a two-shot win from England's Hannah Burke, pictured right (66-280) and Kristie Smith (68-280), she was drenched in champagne and mobbed by well-wishers.
On a day that attracted strong crowds, the biggest gallery was following the leaders of the women's tournament rather than the men, and the Queen of Cressy was the star attraction and sentimental favourite.
Keating estimated ''about 98 per cent'' of Cressy's total population was walking the fairways with her.
''It was awesome. I can't believe how many people were here. I am very lucky,'' she said.
On the par-three 12th hole, Keating's drive hit a female spectator and then bounced within six feet of the hole to set up a birdie.
Keating wondered whether her grandmother had picked up the ball and rolled it back on the green.
''When things like that happen, you just know it's your day,'' she conceded.
While more of the crowd was with the women, there was plenty of excitement and unpredictability following the men's groups.
In a roller-coaster final round, there was never more than one shot between a clutch of players who threatened to take out the title, but it was a five-under-par 67 that clinched it for Matthew Giles.
The NSW professional simply showed more nerve than the rest down the stretch, coming up with two birdies in the final four holes to finish at 13 under - one shot ahead of Ryan Lynch and amateur Nathan Holman.

LEADING WOMEN'S VICTORIAN OPEN 
FINAL TOTALS
Par 296 (4x74)
Players from Australia unless stated
278 Stacey Keating 71 68 68 71
280 Hannah Burke (England) 73 70 71 66, Kristie Smith 66 74 72 68
281 Nikki Campbell 70 72 71 68.

SELECTED TOTALS
283 Laura Davies (England) 67 75 71 70 (T7)
293 Felicity Johnson (England) 76 76 73 68 (T31)
294 Sophie Walker (England) 77 71 77 69 (T33).
300 Holly Aitchison (England) 77 75 73 75 (48th).     

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE