(28 February 2010 – Pegasus, North Canterbury, New Zealand).jpg)
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In the end it came down to experience. The young lion, Sarah Kemp up against the experience of Laura Davies, in the final round of the Pegasus New Zealand Women&aposs Open. And while the 24-year-old lion was out of the blocks early, 46-year-old Davies showed her years of experience by playing a patient, waiting game. She was ultimately rewarded shooting 9 under par 279 to take a two shot victory over the trio of Kemp, Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord and Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg, who all finished on 7-under par 281.
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Davies, now a winner of 73 titles worldwide, showed today she knows what it takes to win. She didn’t get frustrated when the putts didn’t drop early, nor was she fazed when Kemp lead by two at the turn. “With Kempy’s start you just know good players are going to do that and you have just got to wait your time,” she said.
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“I actually thought everything had swung in her favour when she hit the pin out of the bunker on 13, it was going to be 30 feet past but it stopped stone dead and I nearly three putted. At that point I must admit I thought it was going to go her way, but you just have to hang in there.”
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Davies’ patience hit pay dirt on the very next hole when Kemp bogeyed the 145m par 3 14th, failing to get up and down out of the bunker. This added to an earlier bogey by Kemp on the 11th and now Davies, walking off hole 14, had the lead for the first time all day, 8-under par, one shot ahead of Kemp at 7-under. Kemp, however, had her chance to hit back on the tricky par 4 15th when she had a difficult, but makeable, one metre downhill putt for birdie. Much to Kemp’s dismay, it lipped out and she said, “It was one of those putts either you just hit it firm and go for it, or trickle it down. I hit it firm at the right lip and it just hung out there, I probably hit it too hard for that line.”
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Davies, the ultimate competitor then effectively shut the door on a Kemp comeback with a stunning 6m downhill putt for birdie on 16. “That was crucial. I played that hole really well. I was quite pleased with that,” she said. "To get the two shot lead with those two holes to come, it’s not easy to make birdie on those two holes, and I just had to make two pars, which is what I did.”
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Davies, one of the biggest hitters on tour was taking no chances on the 460m par 5 18th today. With the hole playing downwind an eagle was a real possibility but Davies, who yesterday hit driver, 8 iron into the green, was having none of that today. “At the end of the day you don’t chuck it away with one bad drive, so I hit 5 iron, 6 iron, sand iron,” she said.
rnWhile Kemp acknowledges Davies was “always going to be the one to beat,” she felt she didn’t lose the tournament today; it was a few missed putts earlier in the week that ultimately cost her victory, saying “There are so many shots I left out there yesterday and the day before.”
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“I should have won the tournament by six or seven shots if I had have holed some putts yesterday and Friday.” But Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg had no regrets today after blazing a course record of 9 under 63. At the start of the day, the 23-year-old was in equal 31st place after a round of 75 yesterday, but her score of ten birdies and one bogey jumped her into a share of second place today. “I was looking at the leader board last night and it was so tight,” she said. “I knew I had four shots to make the top ten, so I really was thinking that if I have a good round I could move into the top ten. Second, that’s great.”
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Kemp is also delighted with her second placing. “All in all, to be really honest, I am kind of pleased,” she said. “I haven’t been in this situation too many times and I thought I held myself pretty well. I can’t complain.” With the ANZ Ladies Masters on next week, Kemp is hoping to go one better. "It is such a positive, tied 2nd for my first big tournament of the year, I am really happy,” she said. “The more I am in this situation the better I will get at it, so I am looking forward to that.”
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Davies said her game is coming together and believes she is capable of taking a fourth Masters title at Royal Pines. “Today is my 8th straight round sub par, so it is a decent start to the year,” she said. “I love to play and I love to win, this is what is all about as far as I am concerned.”
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Photos by Paul Melvile – ALPG.
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