VIKKI LAING EARNS 13,249 EUROS FOR TIED SIXTH FINISH

 

 SOUTH KOREAN I K KIM WINS LADIES 

 

EUROPEAN MASTERS BY FIVE STROKES

 

 

 NEWS RELEASE FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR

  REPORT BY BETHAN CUTLER, LET MEDIA MANAGER

 South Korean I K Kim improved on her overnight lead to claim a commanding five-stroke victory at the ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters today.

Four birdies on the front nine in a round of 68 at Buckinghamshire Golf Club saw the 26-year-old post a four-round total of 18-under-par 270, holding off the challenge of Australian Nikki Campbell, who had two eagles and a birdie in her closing 67.

Rising star Stephanie Meadow from Northern Ireland, playing in her second event as a professional after finishing third two weeks earlier at the US Women’s Open, equalled the course record with nine birdies in a 63. 

The former GB and I Curtis Cup player and US college circuit star as an Alabama University student earned a share of third on 11-under-par, alongside South African Lee-Anne Pace and Germany’s Caroline Masson.

In bright and breezy conditions, Kim collected her fifth victory as a professional and her first since the 2010 Lorena Ochoa Invitational. She said that caddie, Gerald Adams, whose nose was broken by a stray golf ball during the Pro-Am on Wednesday, had inspired her to win the event.

“It’s amazing that he was caddying for me on Thursday because he got hit by a golf ball on Wednesday and was bleeding everywhere. 

"His attitude towards living and daily life is inspiring to me and many people on the tour,” said Kim. Adams recovered from prostate cancer last year.

The World No.24 continued: “I just had a great time. It’s great to win the tournament and this is my first time playing the course so I’m really honoured to win the championship. I feel like I’ve been hitting the ball really well and putting really well so I just had to go out there and enjoy myself.”

Campbell, who played with Kim for the first three rounds, commented: “I played really well but couldn’t catch IK. I’m happy with second.”

Meadow, who had her best ever round, added: “It’s been a dream start but it’s also a dream to play in this environment. US Open and here: the bigger the better! It’s more fun. Being out here playing for a crowd is what I love to do.”

As Meadow was heading up to Lancashire for Monday's Final Qualifying at Southport and Ainsdale GC for the coming week’s Ricoh Women’s British Open at Royal Birkdale, Hannah Jun of the United States and Ladies European Tour rookies Amy Boulden and Sally Watson could celebrate qualifying for the major championship, as the leading three Ladies European Tour members not otherwise exempt.

This was Boulden’s second qualification for a major championship at Buckinghamshire Golf Club in the space of seven weeks, as she also qualified for the US Women’s Open at the same golf course. 

“It suits my eye, I like the greens and I feel like I can hole a lot of putts but to be honest I didn’t hole too many putts this week I just hit it quite close,” said Boulden.

Local player Annabel Dimmock, who played for GB and I in the Curtis Cup match last month, also gave the galleries reason to cheer as she eagled the ninth and holed her bunker shot at the last green for a 67 to end in a share of 27^th place on her Ladies European Tour debut. 

The 17-year-old amateur from Wentworth has just joined the Ladies European Tour Access Series and is now heading north in her attempt to earn her major championship debut this week.

FINAL TOTALS

Par 288 (4x72) Prizemoney in Euros

270 I K Kim (SKor) 71 68 63 68 (75,000)

275 Nikki Campbell (Aus) 72 68 68 67 (50,750)

277 Stephanie Meadow (NIre) 73 71 70 63, Lee-Anne Pace (SAfr) 70 69 70 68, Caroline Masson (Ger) 68 74 66 69 (27,733 each)
278 Ariya Jutanugarn (Thai) 72 73 66 67, Stacy Lee Bregman (SAfr) 70 71 68 69, Vikki Laing (Scot) 69 72 69 68, Amelia Lewis (USA) 68 71 68 71, Sarah Kemp (Aus) 67 68 71 71 (T6) (13,240 each)

279 Hannah Jun (USA) 71 71 70 67, Amy Boulden (Wal) 69 69 72 69 (8,900 each); Minjee Lee (Aus) (am) 71 68 67 73

280 Charley Hull (ENG)  70 74 68 68, Sarah-Jane Smith (AUS)  72 70 67 71, Gwladys Nocera (FRA)  69 70 71 70

281 Sophie Giquel-Bettan (FRA)  74 71 67 69

282 Katie Burnett (USA)  70 71 72 69, Sally Watson (SCO)  67 73 69 73 (6,000 Euros each)

283 Karrie Webb (AUS)  73 70 70 70, Diana Luna (ITA)  69 72 72 70

284  Liz Young (ENG)  75 70 70 69

285 Maria Balikoeva (RUS)  73 71 72 69

286 Becky Morgan (WAL)  68 72 73 73, Su-Hyun Oh (AUS) (am) 70 75 66 75, Stephanie Na (AUS)  71 70 72 73

287 Connie Chen (RSA)  73 74 73 67, Cheyenne Woods (USA)  70 75 71 71, Annabel Dimmock (ENG) (am)  72 74 74 67, Holly Clyburn (ENG)  76 71 68 72

288  Sophie Gustafson (SWE)  72 72 73 71, Malene Jorgensen (DEN)  77 67 72 72

289 Pamela Pretswell (SCO)  70 77 71 71, Cassandra Kirkland (FRA)  76 70 76 67, Maria Hernandez (ESP)  74 74 69 72, Celine Herbin (FRA)  67 71 74 77, Tania Elosegui (ESP)  73 74 73 69, Valentine Derrey (FRA)  69 76 70 74, Camilla Lennarth (SWE)  73 76 70 70, Felicity Johnson (ENG)  74 75 68 72, Ursula Wikstrom (FIN)  70 75 71 73, Nontaya Srisawang (THA)  77 73 71 68, Patricia Sanz Barrio (ESP)  74 73 76 66, Georgia Hall (ENG)  72 73 70 74, Klara Spilkova (CZE)  71 76 72 70 (3,483 euros each)

290 Florentyna Parker (ENG)  74 74 72 70, Caroline Afonso (FRA)  74 70 75 71

291 Linda Wessberg (SWE)  74 76 70 71, Rebecca Artis (AUS)  73 74 73 71, Lydia Hall (WAL)  75 74 73 69

292 Veronica Zorzi (ITA)  77 71 72 72, Margherita Rigon (ITA)  74 73 71 74, Mikaela Parmlid (SWE)  73 75 67 77, Fabienne In-Albon (SWI)  73 76 73 70, Jia Yun Li (CHN)  72 73 77 70, Nicole Broch Larsen (DEN)  74 76 71 71, Hannah Burke (ENG)  73 73 77 69

293 Daniela Holmqvist (SWE)  75 74 74 70, Noora Tamminen (FIN)  73 77 74 69, Sophie Walker (ENG)  70 78 74 71, Rebecca Hudson (ENG)  70 72 74 77, Laura Davies (ENG)  74 74 72 73

294 Jing Yan (CHN) (am) 71 78 76 69

295 Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA)  72 73 74 76, Nikki Garrett (AUS)  78 71 73 73, Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ)  75 75 73 72, Lucie Andre (FRA)  78 70 75 72, Bree Arthur (AUS)  73 75 75 72

296 Mathilda Cappeliez (FRA)  (am)74 75 77 70, Mireia Prat (ESP)  74 76 71 75, Lorie Kane (CAN)  73 76 76 71

297 Ariane Provot (FRA)  72 78 76 71, Isabell Gabsa (GER)  71 74 75 77

299 Louise Larsson (SWE)  73 76 79 71, Julie Greciet (FRA)  77 72 78 72

301 Anais Maggetti (SUI)  73 76 80 72

303 Elisabeth Esterl (GER)  73 77 78 75