Taiwan's Yani Tseng confirmed she is the best player in the world by staging a successful defence of the Women's British Open at Carnoustie with a four-shot triumph.
The 22-year-old collected her fifth major - the youngest player to achieve the feat - with a final round 69 and a 16-under-par 272 total.
She won by a comfortable four shots from American Brittany Lang, who closed with a 67.
Sweden's Sophie Gstafson, the 2000 champion, claimed third place on 11-under after a 68 and South Korea's Amy Yang was fourth on 11 under with a closing 67.
Karrie Webb was the best-placed Australian, a distant 13 shots behind Tseng after a final-round 72.
It was Tseng's second major of the season - she won the LPGA Championship by 10 shots last month - and extended her lead at the head of the world rankings.
"I feel so good," a smiling Tseng said.
"This is a great place to win my second British Open because there is so much history attached to the course.
"I started out feeling a little nervous, but it was much easier than last year. I knew I could trust myself.
"I think the key was the 10-foot putt I made to save par at the 15th. I had been struggling a bit with my putter but that made me feel comfortable."
Tseng started the final round two shots behind Caroline Masson, but with the young German succumbing to the pressure, she took the lead by the time she had made her second birdie of the day at the long sixth.
She was four ahead at the turn and only made a slight stumble with bogeys at the 12th, where she hit her approach through the green, and at the short 13th, when she was unlucky to hit the pin with her tee shot and ricocheted into a horrible lie on the egde of a bunker.
But with no one else mounting a serious threat, the powerful Tseng regained control with birdies at the long 14th and 17th and a five-foot putt for birdie at the 18th was the icing on the cake that earned the 239,000 pounds first prize.
Tseng is three years younger than when Patty Berg won her fifth major in 1943 and she is now halfway to matching former world number one Annika Sorenstam's total of 10.
The Swede captured her tenth when she was 35.
Sherri Steinhauer was the last player to retain the British Open title, which became a major in 2001.
The only other player to win the title two years in a row was American Debbie Massey in 1980 and 1981.
Masson had a horror day, especially with the putter. The 22-year-old, who had led by one at halfway and two after 54-holes, was out in 39 and dropped more shots at the tenth and 11th and then double-bogeyed the 12th.
But the second-year professional did manage a brave finish.
She birdied the final two holes to rescue a 78 and finished in a tie for fifth place with the 2009 champion, Scotland's Catriona Matthew (72).
AFP
Tags: golf, sport, scotland, united-kingdom First posted August 01, 2011 14:43:33
No comments:
Post a Comment