Pettersen romps to six shot Ladies Irish Open win
Norway’s Suzann Pettersen fired an stunning final round 64 to romp to a six stroke win at the Ladies Irish Open supported by Fáilte Ireland at Killeen Castle.
The world No 3 finished ahead of Spain’s Azahara Munoz on 18 under par as she followed her course record 63 on Saturday and eight under par closing effort.
It was her second Irish Open victory after a five stroke win at Portmarnock Links in 2008
“It’s been a great week; it’s been a short week,” said Pettersen, who flew in from Norway on the eve on the event. “I just really like the way this course is playing, a little bit firmer. I played great with my putter and it was really nice and hot.”
Had Pettersen holed from inside 10 feet on the 18th she could have tied her own course record, but she finished with a par in front of a packed gallery, collecting her 12th worldwide career victory and a €60,000 first prize.
“I didn’t think I had to go 17 under but I tried to take my own, I think it was a course record yesterday and on the last there I tried to at least give myself a chance to tie it,” Pettersen said.
“You’ve just got to set your own goals when you feel like you are stretching to the field. It’s nice if you have everything under control with two or three holes to play.
“This is my second win in the Irish Open. Last year I was very disappointed with the way I performed so it was nice to come back and perform to my standard.
“I definitely like what I see right now. It won’t be long before we come back. It just shows that there’s going to be a lot of birdies made out there in The Solheim. I think it will be a great match overall.”
Irish born American Alison Walshe, who shared the first round lead, finished tied for third with Reid on 11 under par, but would have claimed second but for a double bogey on 17.
Italian Giulia Sergas finished fifth on nine under, followed by a group of five players in joint sixth place.
They were South African Ashleigh Simon, Scotland’s Catriona Matthew, Australian Karen Lunn, Paraguay’s Julieta Granada and Swede Maria Hjorth.
Stacey Lewis finished best of the American Solheim contingents on four under while crowd favourite Christina Kim had a disappointing end to her tournament with a final round 77 to finish on two over.
Amateur stars, the Maguire twins, finished best of the Irish, with Leona on one over and Lisa one shot further back on two over, giving the sisters a top 50 finish.
Leona’s round of 72 included a hole in one on the par three sixth using a six iron. Ireland’s only other player to make the cut, Martina Gillen, was unfortunately disqualified for an incorrect drop on the par three 16th.
The players will be back at Killeen Castle in late September as the top 12 Europeans take on their American counterparts in the 12th edition of The Solheim Cup.
Ladies Irish Open supported by Fáilte Ireland, Killeen Castle, Co Meath, Ireland 5 7 August 2011
Final scores:
198 Suzann Pettersen (NOR) 71 63 64
204 Azahara Munoz Guijarro (ESP) 67 68 69
205 Melissa Reid (ENG) 70 66 69, Alison Walshe (USA) 66 70 69
207 Giulia Sergas (ITA) 70 68 69
208 Ashleigh Simon (SA) 68 72 68, Catriona Matthew (SCO) 71 68 69, Karen Lunn (AUS) 68 69 71, Julieta Granada (PAR) 70 66 72, Maria Hjorth (SWE) 67 69 72
209 Anna Nordqvist (SWE) 74 67 68, Laura Davies (ENG) 69 68 72
210 Sophie Gustafson (SWE) 69 74 67, Karen Stupples (ENG) 69 72 69, Lee Anne Pace (SA) 67 69 74
211 Becky Brewerton (WAL) 72 67 72, Caroline Hedwall (SWE) 68 70 73, Dewi Claire Schreefel (NL) 68 66 77
212 Stacy Lewis (USA) 72 69 71, Tania Elosegui (ESP) 72 69 71
213 Sandra Gal (GER) 73 72 68, Lynnette Brooky (NZ) 70 71 72, Lisa Holm Sorensen (DEN) 75 66 72
214 Christel Boeljon (NL) 69 77 68, Belen Mozo (ESP) 73 71 70, Alexis Thompson (USA) 70 71 73, Mollie Fankhauser (USA) 68 73 73
215 Beatriz Recari (ESP) 69 74 72
216 Caroline Masson (GER) 71 75 70, Sophie Giquel Bettan (FRA) 71 72 73, Nikki Garrett (AUS) 74 68 74, Florentyna Parker (ENG) 70 71 75
217 Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) 72 73 72, Leona Maguire (Am) (IRE) 73 72 72, Beth Allen (USA) 74 71 72, Minea Blomqvist (FIN) 72 73 72, Sara Brown (USA) 78 67 72, Charlie Douglass (ENG) 71 73 73, Anne Lise Caudal (FRA) 66 75 76
218 Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 74 71 73, Anja Monke (GER) 72 72 74, Margherita Rigon (ITA) 68 75 75, Joanna Klatten (FRA) 73 69 76, Virginie Lagoutte Clement (FRA) 69 73 76, Christina Kim (USA) 73 68 77, Lisa Maguire (Am) (IRE) 71 68 79
219 Pernilla Lindberg (SWE) 79 67 73, Elizabeth Bennett (ENG) 73 73 73, Veronica Zorzi (ITA) 74 71 74
220 Georgina Simpson (ENG) 74 72 74, Line Vedel (DEN) 75 71 74, Danah Bordner (USA) 72 73 75, Linda Wessberg (SWE) 69 76 75
221 Lynn Kenny (SCO) 70 76 75, Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) 70 76 75, Diana D’Alessio (USA) 73 72 76, Kylie Walker (SCO) 73 70 78
222 Becky Morgan (WAL) 76 70 76, Trish Johnson (ENG) 74 71 77, Danielle Montgomery (ENG) 71 74 77, Jaclyn Sweeney (USA) 72 73 77
223 Kaisa Ruuttila (FIN) 72 72 79
224 Felicity Johnson (ENG) 72 74 78, Tandi Cuningham (SA) 75 70 79
226 Henrietta Zuel (ENG) 72 71 83
DSQ Martina Gillen (IRE) 76 70 DSQ