(28 May 2012 – Munich, Germany)
rn
Frenchwoman Anne-Lise Caudal defeated Englishwoman Laura Davies with a birdie at the second extra hole of a sudden-death play-off to capture the UniCredit Ladies German Open presented by Audi in Munich on Sunday. Second round leader Rebecca Hudson finished in outright third while Australia’s Bree Arthur tied for fourth with the English duo of Trish Johnson and Felicity Johnson.
rn
rnOn a day full of sunshine, a record number of spectators visited Golfpark Gut Häusern to witness an enthralling final round. Both Caudal and Davies started the day two strokes behind a trio of leaders and carded matching final rounds of 5-under par 67 to finish on 13-under par 275 after regulation play.
rn
rnThe duo headed back to the tee at the 475 metre par-five 18th, both making pars on the first extra hole.
rn
rnAt the second time of asking, Davies’ birdie putt from four metres dived just below the hole, clearing the way for Caudal to roll in her birdie putt from around three metres and secure the double first prize of €52,500 and an Audi A5 cabriolet car. “I can’t believe it yet. It was an amazing week, a lot of emotion right now,” said Caudal, who claimed her second Ladies European Tour title following the 2008 Portugal Ladies Open.
rn
rnThis was her second play-off experience after she was defeated by Hudson at the Tenerife Ladies Open, the week after her victory in 2008 and she explained how she kept her composure by focusing on her breathing. “I was pretty confident with my wedge. I had a wedge in my hand and I just breathed a lot and tried to calm down because my heart was pretty fast. I just breathed and believed in what I’m doing,” she said.
rn
rnCaudal began her final round with a 3-under par outward nine with birdies at the 1st, 2nd, 6th and 8th holes. Her only blemish was a bogey on the 7th. She the added birdies at the 10th and 11th and had a long birdie chance on 18 to win in regulation.
rn
rnDavies carded seven birdies and added two bogeys, the most crucial on the 16th. Having carded back-to back birdies at 14 and 15, she three-putted the 16th to drop one behind the leader. She then sank an eight-footer for birdie on 18 to keep her title hopes alive.
rn
rn“I played really well and I spoke to my mum this morning and said if I shoot 66 I think I’ll win and I was one short of that and Anne-Lise beat me in the play-off, so at least we knew what we had to do and nearly did it,” Davies said.
rn
rn“I played great. The only downside was that three-putt on 16: I think if I just two-putted 16 I might have won but who knows? If Anne-Lise had to birdie the last to make the play-off she would have done.”
rn
rn“It’s a cruel playoff to lose really, because not only do you lose the money, you lose the sub prize of a car which is very unusual on the European Tour so for whoever wins this tournament, it’s a really special win. It’s like a double hit, but Anne-Lise deserves it.”
rn
rnIt was a better week for the ALPG contingent with 9 of 13 players making the cut. Arthur’s tie for 4th was her best finish on the European Tour and the experience of playing in the last group in the final round bodes well for her continued development. In just her second year on the international scene she has posted four Top-20 results (including two Top-10’s) from just 8 starts this year. Rebecca Artis and Nikki Garrett were the next best of the Aussies in a tie for 17th while Rachel Bailey (T29), Stephanie Na (T39), Stacey Keating (T41), Frances Bondad (T55), Karen Lunn (61st) and Alison Whitaker (62nd) also made the cut.