As you walk out on to Centre Court at Wimbledon, a small timber sign above the doorway reads "If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same" – Rudyard Kipling.
Rarely has a phrase been more appropriate than for Golf Australia Rookie Squad member Stacey Keating, who triumphed in Spain at the Tenerife Open, winning her first Ladies European Tour title in a play-off against German Caroline Masson
"It was a tough day out there and Caroline and I both played well," Keating told ladieseuropeantour.com.
Keating holed a five-footer for birdie on the 494-yard / 452-metre par five 18th hole at Golf Las Américas after she tied on nine under par with Germany’s Caroline Masson.
"It was nice to take it to a play-off and then get over the line."
The victory came just a week after what Keating had what she described as "the worst week of [her] life" when she was disqualified from the RICOH Women’s British Open at Royal Liverpool for signing an incorrect scorecard.
The disqualification was even tougher to bear given Keating was in touch with the leaders. But the former Australian Amateur champion’s recent form has been good and it came to fruition in Tenerife – a tournament Australia’s Nikki Garrett has also won.
“I’ve probably had the worst week of my life and the best week of my life in two weeks. It was very disappointing last week but this makes up for it, I can tell you. It will be all forgotten, last week,” she said, paying tribute to her caddie, Darren Peters, who is also her boyfriend and the support of her mentor, Karrie Webb.
“After the disappointment of last week she’s [Webb] been great. Her and Karen Lunn, I have to mention her as well. They’ve been unbelievable. I don’t like to say, the veterans out here, but they’ve been great and they really have helped me and Kaz has been great out here this week,” Keating said.
"All day it was very close and Caroline holed some putts when she needed to so it was nice and it’s always nice to birdie the play-off hole."
The Victoria Golf Club and Sanctuary Lakes Golf Club member won on the first extra hole.
Masson paid tribute to Keating’s ability to play her way out of trouble.
“You have to scramble and I think she did that really well,” Masson said. “A few more putts could have dropped but it’s always like that. I did it pretty similar to her when I won in South Africa, didn’t make many mistakes, a few good putts for par and that’s what she did today,” Masson said.
By: Hamish Jones (Golf Australia)