Irish edging closer to victory as Davies claims 75th title
Laura Davies claimed her 75th career victory in Austria but it doesn’t seem likely that Ireland will have to wait much longer for its first tournament winner.
While an Irishwoman has yet to lay her hands on some silverware in the 32-year history of the Ladies European Tour, Galway-born Alison Walshe finished joint third and Carlow’s Rebecca Coakley tied sixth behind Davies in the UNIQA Ladies Golf Open at Golf Club Foehrenwald in Wiener Neustadt.
Earning a place in the Solheim Cup team to face the USA at Killeen Castle in Co Meath next year no longer appears to be such a long shot for Ireland’s tour players.
Coakley has now recorded three top-10 finishes in a row to move up from 26th to 23rd in the 2011 Solheim Cup rankings from which the top four will qualify automatically for Alison Nicholas’ European team.
Davies became the LET’s oldest winner aged 46 years and 11 months when she fired a closing 70 thanks to a birdie at the last to win by a shot on 11-under 205 from Virginie Lagoutte-Clement.
Coakley, who was three shots behind overnight leader Melissa Reid starting the day, closed with a level par 72 to finish four behind on seven under.
US citizen Walshe, who is eligible for Europe’s Solheim Cup side as she was born in Galway, stormed up the leaderboard when she covered her final 11 holes in a blistering five under par for a 67 that gave her a share of third with Reid (73).
Winning is a habit that’s hard to lose but Davies confessed that she was nervous coming down the stretch, explaining: “I was shaking. It’s your legs; your legs go. If your hands and your arms go then you’re in trouble but you feel your legs getting a bit shaky.”
The English legend got up and down from greenside sand for a winning birdie at the last by holing a six footer.
“Over that bunker shot, with all the water behind, my legs were a bit shaky on that and over the putt but I guess that’s just the adrenaline and you’re just excited about trying to win a golf tournament. If you didn’t have that then you wouldn’t win.”
UNIQA Ladies Open Presented by Raiffeisen Golf Club Foehrenwald, Wiener Neustadt
205 - Laura Davies (ENG) 70 65 70
206 - Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (FRA) 71 67 68
207 - Alison Walshe (IRE) 71 69 67, Melissa Reid (ENG) 67 67 73
208 - Nikki Garrett (AUS) 66 71 71
209 - Karen Lunn (AUS) 69 72 68, Rebecca Coakley (IRE) 68 69 72, Christel Boeljon (NL) 67 69 73
210 - Carin Koch (SWE) 71 71 68, Beth Allen (USA) 69 69 72
211 - Trish Johnson (ENG) 69 71 71, Federica Piovano (ITA) 67 72 72, Tania Elosegui (ESP) 70 68 73, Sophie Walker (ENG) 69 69 73
212 - Mallory Blackwelder (USA) 70 74 68, Veronica Zorzi (ITA) 70 72 70, Mollie Fankhauser (USA) 71 70 71, Lee-Anne Pace (SA) 72 68 72, Marina Stutz (Am) (AUT) 66 72 74
213 - Linda Wessberg (SWE) 71 71 71, Lisa Holm Sorensen (DEN) 71 70 72, Stefanie Michl (AUT) 70 70 73
214 - Maria Boden (SWE) 74 69 71, Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) 72 70 72, Rebecca Hudson (ENG) 66 74 74, Marta Prieto (ESP) 67 72 75, Becky Brewerton (WAL) 70 69 75
215 - Martina Gillen (IRE) 71 73 71, Johanna W Johansson (SWE) 71 73 71, Jeehae Lee (KOR) 70 71 74
216 - Tandi Cuningham (SA) 70 75 71, Lydia Hall (WAL) 75 69 72, Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) 72 71 73, Elizabeth Bennett (ENG) 68 74 74
217 - Kylie Walker (SCO) 74 71 72, Georgina Simpson (ENG) 70 75 72, Anja Monke (GER) 70 73 74, Morgana Robbertze (SA) 70 73 74, Claire Aitken (ENG) 68 74 75, Sophie Sandolo (ITA) 72 70 75, Holly Aitchison (ENG) 68 72 77, Caroline Masson (GER) 68 71 78
218 - Caroline Afonso (FRA) 72 73 73, Elin Emanuelsson (SWE) 70 73 75, Camille Fallay (FRA) 70 72 76
219 - Carmen Alonso (ESP) 71 74 74, Carly Booth (SCO) 70 73 76, Pamela Feggans (SCO) 70 73 76, Jo Pritchard (WAL) 73 69 77, Julie Greciet (FRA) 66 76 77
220 - Denise-Charlotte Becker (GER) 71 74 75, Tara Delaney (IRE) 74 70 76, Lisa Hall (ENG) 72 72 76, Hazel Kavanagh (IRE) 71 70 79
221 - Stacy Lee Bregman (SA) 75 70 76, Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) 69 73 79
222 - Lynnette Brooky (NZ) 78 67 77, Hanna-Leena Salonen (FIN) 70 75 77