(14 September 2009 – Wiener-Neustadt, Austria)
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It took two extra holes but Sweden&aposs Linda Wessberg finally returned to the winner&aposs circle with a playoff victory over England&aposs Laura Davies at the UNIQA Ladies Golf Open Presented by Raiffeisen. Both players finished the regulation 72-holes at 9-under par, one shot ahead of a trio of players; Frenchwoman Gwladys Nocera, Germany’s Bettina Hauert and Ireland’s Hazel Kavanagh.
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rnAt one stage during the final round there were seven players tied for the lead at 7-under par. Wessberg had played 12 holes at that stage, birdiing the 12th to join the lead and then making another three birdies on the next three holes to go out to a two shot lead. However, a three-putt bogey on the 16th saw her slip back to 9-under and a one-shot lead. Davies, playing ahead of Wessberg went to 8-under par with a birdie at the 16th and within striking distance. She then made birdie at the 18th to tie Wessberg.
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rnWessberg walked up the last needing a birdie on the par-5 for the outright victory but could only manage a par. Extra time was called with both Wessberg and Davies making regulation pars at the short par-4 16th. The players then moved to the 18th where Davies found the left rough off the tee. In the pouring rain, Wessberg was safely on the fairway on a hole where the water hazard is a big factor. Davies, self-admittedly “going for it” tried to blast out of the rough and unfortunately found the water. After taking a drop, she repeated the dose and the title was effectively Wessberg’s, who made bogey. Afterwards she said, “I thought I’d lost it on number 10 when I made double, I told mum (her caddy) ‘whatever, just forget about it,’ and we made four birdies in a row. I’m just so happy that I can actually show myself that I am able to win again.” It was the Swede’s third career LET title and her first since the Vediorbis Open de France Dames in 2007.
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rnIn her usual laconic manner, a disappointed Davies said, “I played well but at the end of the day second is the best loser. I’m very disappointed. If I’d hit the fairway I would have had a nice easy five iron into the green. It’s just one of those things. I had a 50/50 lie in the rough and I went for it, because you go for it in a playoff. It came out a little bit right and went into the water because it was wet, I suppose. The next shot was a shocker. What can you do?”
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rnFrances Bondad was again the best of the ALPG contingent, finishing in a tie for 8th, just four strokes behind the winner. It was her third Top-10 finish this year and she moved up to 40th on the Henderson Money List with €34,986.78 in season earnings. Dana Lacey returned her best performance of the year, finishing in a tie for 12th at 2-under par total 286. She jumped 13 places on the Money List to 67th. Rebecca Coakley and Joanne Mills also posted Top-20 finishes finishing in a tie for 19th at even par 288. Lynnette Brooky (T27), Nikki Garrett (T50), Bronwyn Mullins-Lane (T68) and Mianne Bagger (T70) all made the cut but finished well back.