LET - LUNN CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY WITH WIN IN MOROCCO

(26 March, 2012 – Agadir, Morocco)

Australian Karen Lunn claimed her tenth Ladies European Tour title after a tight final round battle at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco overnight. After turning 46 last Wednesday, she couldn&apost have hoped for a better birthday present. A stroke back going into the final round, Lunn post a 5-under-par 66 to earn a three stroke victory over Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord and South African Tandi Cuningham.

Lunn didn’t get off to the best start, posting three birdies and three bogeys on the front nine. However, a flawless display of five birdies on the back nine saw her capture the title and collect the €48,750 winner’s cheque.

It was Lunn’s second victory of the year after capturing the ACTEWAGL Royal Canberra Ladies Classic in January and she joins fellow Australian Lindsey Wright as winners on the Ladies European Tour this year; Wright having won the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women’s Open in February.

While it was close all day, it really was the ‘back nine on Sunday’ that sorted out the field. By the time they made the turn, Skarpnord held a one shot lead at 8-under par with Lunn and overnight leader Jade Schaeffer a shot back on 7-under.

It was over the next six holes where the tournament was decided, with Lunn using her all experience and some fantastic putting to run away with it. Both Lunn and Schaeffer made back-to-back birdies to start the back nine but a key moment was the 12th hole with Lunn sinking a long-bomb in making birdie to Schaeffer’s double-bogey, a three shot swing in that mini-contest.

Meanwhile, Skarpnord made her own pair of birdies on the 12th and 13th holes to rejoin Lunn in the lead. She had a chance to go to the front on the 14th hole but missed her makeable chance, Lunn nailing a tricky downhiller for par. The next key moment came on the very next hole, Lunn making a long-bomb for birdie against Skarpnord’s par, leaving the Aussie two shots in front. She put the final nail in the coffin with her fifth birdie of the back nine on the 16th hole and safely parred the last two holes for a three shot win.

After the win, a very happy Lunn said, “It hasn’t really sunk in yet. It’s just a relief, and a great thrill to win again.” Commenting on the key to her victory, she said, “I made a couple of bombs on 12 and 15 and that was really the difference today.”

It was a great week for the rest of the ALPG contingent as well; Bree Arthur secured her best finish in an LET event tying for 9th, Rebecca Flood finished tied 14th after a superb final round of 66 and Stacey Keating finished in a share for 20th position. Stephanie Na and Rebecca Codd were both tied 30th, while Alison Whitaker finished in a share of 67th.

The next event on the LET schedule is in Scotland in the first week of May.