Date: February 17, 2009
Author: Angus Morgan at Metropolitan GC, Sportal

Davies: Win a ‘privilege’

The simple fact that it was achieved at Metropolitan makes Sunday&aposs win at the 2009 Australian Open extra special for veteran golfer Laura Davies. The 45-year-old Briton, who was equal 41st in the field at the halfway mark of the tournament, fired rounds of 67 and 68 over the weekend to surge to victory by one shot from Spaniard Tania Elosegui. Davies, who was recently awarded honorary life membership of the Australian Tour, said it was a pleasure and a privilege to be able to contest the event on one of Melbourne&aposs famed sandbelt tracks which she rates among the most testing she&aposs ever played. “I&aposm really pleased because of the course, because of the style of course it is,” said Davies. “You&aposve just got to have every part of your game (perfect).” “That&aposs what makes this a good win, because it&aposs such a good course.” “Being sat here now is fabulous, because it certainly wasn&apost expected yesterday morning – there&aposs no way I thought I&aposd be sat here.” Davies said she felt for Elosegui who went to the 72nd under the impression that she needed a par to force a play-off when a bogey would have done. The Spaniard, who admitted later she didn t look at the leaderboard, double-bogeyed to miss out on what would or could have been a maiden tour victory. Davies, who&aposs renowned for enjoying a beer and a bet, said the bookies got it wrong in framing the market ahead of Sunday&aposs final round. “Someone told me I was 16/1 and I would have said that was a generous price because I knew how well I was hitting it,” she said. “I didn t have a bet on myself obviously but I think 16/1, if someone had said, &aposwhat do you think&apos I would have said &aposI&aposd get some on&apos. While her eagle and birdie at the back-to-back par fives at 14 and 15 helped her to grab the lead for the first time, Davies said the pivotal hole of the day was the 10th. “Everyone was bogeying that hole and I hit a two-iron and a four-iron to about six feet and made it,” she said. “The goal was to shoot 12-under on the weekend – that&aposs what we said on Saturday morning, &aposlet&aposs try and shoot 12-under&apos.” “At the time you say that and you go and shoot two 78s normally, but this time it actually happened.” Pumped up after a birdie at 17, Davies said she was relieved to get away with a poor tee shot at the last which prefaced the bogey that left the door ajar for Elosegui. “I felt the pressure I must admit, because they were messing around in front a little bit and I wanted to get on with it and by the time I came to hit it, it was a very poor effort,” she said. “But as it stands now, it doesn&apost really matter.”