Tinning Ends Career in Dubai High

Martina Gillen ended the last event of the season with seven over par final round at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters finishing in share of 59th place on 13 over par – and 24 shots off the winner, Iben Tinning of Denmark. 

As the only Irish player to make the cut at the Emirates Golf Club, Gillen had a tough last day on the Majlis course after opening with a double-bogey and then adding a second at the fourth – with two more dropped shots to follow – to make the halfway in 41 strokes. 

The turn for home saw only one loss at the 14th to finish with a 79 and the thought of the Final Qualifying at La Manga next week – where she will be joined by Daniel McVeigh. 

Iben Tinning enjoyed the perfect end to her career on Saturday when she won the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, her farewell event on the Ladies European Tour. 

She earned a two stroke victory over Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, with Melissa Reid a stroke further back in third place. Tinning earned a first prize of €75,000 and was presented with her trophy by HRH Princess Haya, wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. 

Tinning, who has a hip injury, signed off with a round of three-under par 69 for a total of 277, 11-under par. She now hopes to spend more time at home with her husband and four-and-a-half year old son, Mads.  

Tied for the lead with Melissa Reid overnight, she held her nerve under intense pressure to post just one bogey and four birdies on the final day, holing a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole. 

“It is going through my head now but I still can't believe I won and it's just amazing. I really tried to keep strong out there and it was tough sometimes but I cannot believe this,” said the 2005 European No.1 from Denmark, who had her husband Lasse on caddie duties. 

“I really didn't think I had it in the bag until I got to 18. Obviously when I hit the third shot and it was close, I knew this is really good and that that would put some pressure on Mel, as well.” 

Reid broke away from the pack with two birdies in her first eight holes but dropped a shot at the ninth and was tied with Tinning at the turn. 

There was a two shot swing at the 10th which Tinning birdied and Reid bogeyed and then Tinning pulled two clear with another birdie on the par-three 11th. Reid birdied the 13th and Tinning bogeyed the 15th but the Dane was still a stroke ahead with a hole to play. 

Reid found trouble from the tee on 18 and could only lay up to the fairway short of the lake. Her third shot came to rest near a drain resulting in a bogey. Sweden’s Nordqvist, who had a clean card with two birdies, moved up to second place. 

Tinning, who now hopes to study for a diploma in psychotherapy, kept calm through breathing techniques and held her emotions in check until her English coach, James Petts, ran on to the green to congratulate her. 

“When my coach came in, he started crying and then I started crying and it was just unbearable. You know, I was really happy that they took the time because I could breathe a little bit and try to calm myself,” she said. 

She had banned her coach from coming on the course. “I told my coach, you can't come out. Because he came out yesterday on 8 and 9 and I made two bogeys, I told him: ‘You jinxed me.’ He said, ‘I've been here for ten years, I want to watch,’ and I said, ‘sorry, stay in there.’” 

Although the six-time tournament winner is retiring, she plans to return to competitive action to represent Denmark at the Comunitat Valenciana European Nations Cup in Spain, which is a team event as a one-off. 

Lee-Anne Pace, who was leading the race for the LET’s Henderson Money List title coming into the event, held off England’s Laura Davies to become the first South African to be crowned European No.1 on the Ladies European Tour. 

South Korean In-Kyung Kim, the winner of last year’s Omega Dubai Ladies Masters missed out on a successful title defence but won the Ryder Cup Wales Rookie of the Year award as the leading first year member of the Ladies European Tour.

Omega Dubai Ladies Masters Results

Melissa Reid and Iben Tinning Lead

Martina Gillen signed for a third round 76 at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters to finish in share of 43rd place at the Emirates Golf Club after a four over par round on the Majlis Course – fourteen shots behind the joint leaders, Melissa Reid of England and Iben Tinning of Denmark. 

Gillen carded 2 double bogeys and three bogeys on the back nine with the only birdie coming at the 18th hole. 

Denmark’s Iben Tinning and England’s Melissa Reid share a one-stroke lead heading into the final round with the pair tied on eight under par after Reid carded a third round of 68 and Tinning went round in 69. 

Tinning, the 2005 European No.1, is hoping for a fairytale ending to her farewell tournament as the five-time tournament winner has a serious hip injury and is stepping away from competition on Saturday after 15 years on the Ladies European Tour. 

With three top ten finishes from four appearances in Dubai, the tournament holds a special place in her heart and she will remember the tearful ending to her 2007 campaign when she tied for second behind Annika Sorenstam – when her title hopes drowned in the lake after her ball found the water in front of the 18th green. 

However Tinning still believes in fairytale endings. 

“I'm actually a little bit of a romantic. Probably doesn't look like that, but I am,” said Tinning, who has her husband Lasse Tinning-Degn on her bag for the week. 

“This morning, when I went out to play, I had my stomach… I was really nervous the first few holes. And it was funny and I said to my husband, I said, "Well, this is actually what I'm going to miss." So I've just got to enjoy it, even though it was a bit terrifying.” 

Reid, who captured her maiden LET title at the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open in May, will be hoping to spoil Tinning’s farewell party. She carded five birdies and one bogey to share the low round of the day with course record holder Louise Stahle. 

“I was really pleased. 68 is the best I've shot around here. So all in all quite happy, and it was a good finish to finish with a couple of birdies,” Reid said. 

“It would be a nice little Christmas present, wouldn't it, to win this week. But there are 18 more holes. There's a long way to go. But I've put myself now in a good position so we'll see if I'm in the final group, or second final group; so I know what's going to be happening in front of me. Yeah, another 68 tomorrow would be really nice.” 

A stroke behind the leaders, Anna Nordqvist of Sweden shared third place with the Welsh halfway leader Lydia Hall, who started with a one stroke lead but double bogeyed the second after finding the water. She then three-putted the ninth for a front nine of three-over but rallied with four birdies and one bogey on the back nine to remain level for the day. 

Hall, who has added 10 yards to her drives over the past 10 weeks as a result of intensive swing and strength coaching, still has a chance to capture her maiden victory as a professional. 

She said: “It was a bit disappointing but I hung in there the back nine. I struggled on the front nine; a couple of mistakes here and there on putting. I struggled with the pace today. I'm glad I'm still in the same position I was in yesterday. So I haven't dropped any shots, and hopefully I can have a good day tomorrow and see what happens really.” 

Nordqvist, the 2009 LPGA Major and Tour Championship winner, also fought hard, mixing five birdies with four bogeys for a 71. 

She jostled for the lead for most of the day but said: “I didn't hit my irons very well, but hung in there with a good short game. I made a couple easy mistakes coming in, but it is what it is. I had a good chance for birdie on 18 but I didn't make it. But I'm only one shot out and I look forward to tomorrow. I have nothing to lose, just going to go out there fire at it.” 

The first round leader Florentyna Parker ended the day in a share of seventh on two-under par. 

American Michelle Wie, struggling with a back injury, finished the day eight shots off the pace in a tie for 17th after a round of 73 that included a double bogey on the par-five last hole.

Omega Dubai Ladies Masters leader board

Martina Gillen Only Dubai Finalist

Martina Gillen of Team Ireland was the only one of the four Irish players to make the cut at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters on Thursday, after a two under par round proved enough to stay three shots inside the cut of 3 over par – albeit nine shots behind the new tournament leader, Lydia Hall of Wales. 

Gillen carded three birdies on reaching the ninth and dropped the only shot of the day on the 6th - on the homeward leg - to end the day with a 70. Facing a trip to the Ladies European Tour Final Qualifying School next week, at La Manga, Gillen should gain from playing the extra two rounds at the Emirates Golf Club this weekend. 

Hazel Kavanagh saw her level par start fizzle out at the season finale with a second round 78 to end with 6 over par total and will be joined on the early flight home by Rebecca Coakley, who signed for a one over par 73, for a 9 over par total. The struggling form of Tara Delaney continued after the Carlow native finished the day with a 77 for a 145 over par total. 

New Leader Lydia Hall completed her second round in a five-under par 67 to take a one-shot lead at the halfway stage with 22-year-old from South Wales recording seven birdies and two bogeys to climb from eighth to first. 

Anna Nordqvist of Sweden finished in second place after a second round of 68 with Denmark’s Iben Tinning in third, one shot further back after a 69. 

Russian Maria Verchenova, Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord and England’s Melissa Reid ended the day tied for fourth. 

Hall started out with a hat-trick of birdies and turned in a four under 31 after picking up two more shots on the sixth and the eighth holes and then came home in a one-under 36 after a bogey at the 10th and two closing birdies. 

“I just played really solid. Tee to green was really, really good; approach shots within 15 feet on the front nine,” said Hall, the third year Ladies European Tour player, who this season posted a career best tie for sixth at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco. 

“I just played really solid and the putts, got them rolling. I was really pleased. I made a couple of mistakes on nine and 10 with a three putt on 10, but I just refocused and gained concentration.” 

Although Hall hasn’t played competitively for 10 weeks she has been working on her game at Machynys Peninsula Golf and Country Club with her coach John Peters, who is acting as her caddie this week. 

Overnight leader Florentyna Parker of England carded a 75 and ended the day five shots back in 10th with American Michelle Wie signing for a level-par 72 to finish in a tie for 16th position. 

In the race for the Henderson Money List title, Lee-Anne Pace’s only challenger Laura Davies effectively conceded defeat in her battle to claim Europe’s number one crown as she needed a top three finish to overtake the South African. However, a 73 left Davies tied 48th on four-over, while Pace was three shots better, in a tie for 26th after carding a 72. 

Davies said: “The tournament is over for me as far as I'm concerned. It's now just a matter of playing and trying to get a couple of really good under par rounds on the weekend.” 

“She's going to win the Money List. She's won more money than me and imagine she'll have a decent round today and go clear and win the Money List in style now so good luck to her. She's had a great year,” Laura Davies said.

Omega Dubai Ladies Masters Leader board

Kavanagh Best in Dubai Day 1

Hazel Kavanagh of Grange Golf Club was the leading Irish player at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters on Wednesday with a level par round of 72 to finish five shots off the leader, Florentyna Parker of England. 

Martina Gillen of Team Ireland ended the opening day on 4 over par after a round of 76 with Rebecca Coakley four shots further adrift - after a triple bogey and five bogeys - left her on 8 over following a round of 80. Tara Delaney signed for a nine over par round of 81. 

Parker shot a five under 67 to lead by a stroke after the first round and set a blistering pace with five birdies in seven holes on the Majlis course at the Emirates Golf Club. The Hamburg-based player, who has been a member at Royal Birkdale in Lancashire for nine years, started with consecutive birdies at the long 10th and the short 11th holes. 

She then picked up another shot at the 540-yard par-five 13th and then made a fantastic save on 14. 

“I hit it really close and made the putts. It was really fun,” said Parker, who captured her maiden title on the Ladies European Tour in Holland in June and has recorded six additional top ten finishes this season. 

“Then I had a par spell, and it was getting a bit boring and I wanted a few more birdies. But made birdie on six, which was nice. Dropped a shot on eight but was a tricky hole today. No, I'm really happy with my round.” 

Conditions in the desert sun were a far cry from the freezing temperatures at home in Germany but Parker had been acclimatising over the last fortnight. She had been practising at nearby Al Badia Golf Club where her cousin Matthew Parker is the club professional. 

“I love Dubai and I love the course and yeah, I got off to a great start. That's what I struggled with last year. I always struggled the first round and was always a few shots behind and now I'm absolutely delighted that I gave myself a good chance,” she said. 

Russian Maria Verchenova, fighting for her Ladies European Tour card, fired a 68 and was a stroke behind Parker. 

American Michelle Wie signed for a one-under 71 after an eventful round that included three birdies, a bogey, an eagle at the par-five third hole and a triple bogey at the par-four eighth. 

Wie got into trouble on the eighth, which she played as her 17th hole, after hitting her driver left into a sandy area by a tree and took an unplayable. After she dropped, the ball plugged in the sand and she hit a 52 degree wedge out, followed by a pitching wedge left of the green but didn't make it up and down. 

“I'm just happy to be done,” said the 21-year-old Hawaiian. “I thought that I played pretty good, hopefully make a couple more putts out there tomorrow and not have a seven on the card.” 

In-Kyung Kim’s defence of the tournament also started with a one-under 71. 

Laura Davies struggled in her battle with Lee-Anne Pace for the 2010 Henderson Money List. Davies was tied for 58th after a three over 75 and blamed a lack of sleep after receiving a late night phone call. 

“We felt a bit rough yesterday; I didn't play particularly well, and so I was hoping for a good night's sleep. And then get a phone call at one o'clock this morning and unfortunately could not go back to sleep,” she said. 

“You do not like to make excuses, but from the word go, we were in trouble here. And did really well to shoot level on the front, and then made a ridiculous double bogey on 10 and then it was a real struggle. And to be honest, 3 over is not a bad effort.” 

Pace opened with a one-over 73 and said: “A lot of putts were short or missing the holes. I hit 13 greens which was okay, but I didn’t hit anything really close except for 16. The rest was just some bad decision making; too many bogeys unfortunately. I think I played okay and I’ve been working on a couple of things with my swing so it’s natural on the first day to struggle a bit. I’m looking forward to going low tomorrow and hopefully the putts will drop.” 

Play resumes on Thursday with the field cut to the leading 50 players and those tied at the end of the second round.

Omega Dubai Ladies Masters leader board

First round under way in Dubai

First round action under way in Dubai

Pace Looking for Dubai Title Win

Lee-Anne Pace is poised to make golfing history on Saturday by becoming the first South African to win the Ladies European Tour’s Henderson Money List (formerly known as the order of merit). 

Only veteran Laura Davies of England can stop the Mossel Bay 29-year-old. Both players have won five tournaments each this season, tying Gwladys Nocera for second position behind Marie-Laure de Lorenzi with seven in 1988. 

Pace is determined not to let Davies steal the title as she could become the first South African to top the European rankings in the 32-year history of the LET. 

She is not fazed by Davies, the 79-time tournament champion, who has finished in the top five spots in all of her three appearances at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai. 

“Of course, she is a great player. She's won so many tournaments and she's got all of the experience in the world,” said Pace, who won tournaments in Switzerland, Wales, Finland and two in China. “At the same time, I'm still on form and playing really well. I don't see myself worrying about her simply because I have to do what I have to do. I can't think of how she's going to play. In order for me to win the tournament, I have to do the same things that I have been doing, so that's my goal for the week.

“She's an amazing player. I think she's been… my golf this year has been really good, because of course to compete against somebody like her and to be able to compete successfully against her, means a lot to me, and obviously the competition has pushed me to a different level to win tournaments when I had to. So I'm thankful for that and look forward to it.”

Pace, who has won €337,567 from 24 tournaments this season, has her coach James Petts, who is based in Denmark, with her in Dubai this week. 

“We came down early to work on a couple of things that wasn't quite right that's now back in form,” she said. “Just the same things all year, turning a little bit more, getting the club a little bit more, it's been shut, since India, just getting the club I'm playing a bit more in an open position where I can hit it harder and stronger.

“I always like playing in Dubai. It's a good course and a good test that you can also score quite well. I'm very confident. The way I see it, I'm ahead.”

Pace is €32,444 ahead of Davies - who requires a top-three position in Dubai to stand any chance of grabbing the European No.1 crown. 

Davies said: “If the book makers were laying odds she’d be 1 to 20 on to win it because I have to finish first or second to have any chance and also she has to have a week where she’s not in the top 10 - so everything considered it’s a long shot - but the long shots come in now and again.”

Pace won’t be leaving anything open to chance when she begins pursuit of the €75,000 first prize and €20,000 Henderson Money List bonus as well as a 10-year exemption to the Ladies European Tour. 

“I'm here to this week to make sure it goes through and I do get it. It’s definitely one of the best, one of the strongest fields and one of the greatest courses we play all year.”

Omega Challenge Match Dubai

A sizzling star-cast, spearheaded by world number seven In-Kyung Kim, will feature in the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters Challenge Match on Wednesday, December 8, at the Emirates Golf Club's Par-3 course, starting at 6.30pm.

The South Korean ace will be joined seasoned Laura Davies, Michelle Wie, Christina Kim, Melissa Reid and Carling Coffing in the six-player field that offers fans a rare opportunity to watch the marquee players up close and personal as they deliver a 'clinic' in wedge play.

Players practicing ahead of the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters at the Emirates Golf Club

The Challenge Match, one of the highlights of the tournament week, will be followed an official dinner reception which golf in DUBAi is hosting for all players featuring the field.

The six players will be split into three teams, each comprising two stars. In this greensomes format, both players play their drives and then select the best-positioned ball. Thereafter, they hit alternate shots with the same ball until the hole is completed.

The par-27 course, measuring 1,239 yards from blue tees, has been designed such a way that it tests the skills of all. The longest hole on the course is the 194-yard third hole while the shortest hole (the fourth) measures 96 yards."

The six players have been selected for the challenge match on the basis of their rankings and, of course, for their star value on the tour," said Mohamed Juma Buamaim, vice-chairman and CEO of 'golf in DUBAi,' the promoters and organisers of the event.

The Challenge Match will be preceded by a pro am, the traditional curtain-raiser to the event, on Tuesday, starting at 7.30 am. The second shot gun is at 12.45pm.

Davies and Pace Battle for Omega

Team Ireland trio of Rebecca Coakley, Martina Gillen and Tara Delaney join Hazel Kavanagh of Grange Golf Club for the Ladies European Tour season finale this week, in the United Arab Emirates, for the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters - which tees off on December 8^th.

Laura Davies of England, a 79 time winner, hopes to kick up add another title in her chase for the top spot in the Henderson Money – which is currently led by five time winner this season, Lee-Anne Pace of Mossel Bay in South Africa.

Davies needs a top-two finish at the season ending tournament to have any chance of taking  the 2010 European No.1, provided that Pace doesn’t finish in the top five. 

Both players have won five titles this season but Davies is determined to finish on a high note after victories this year in New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Spain and India.  Although she arrives having missed the cut at the LPGA Tour Championship in Orlando last weekend, after signing for an 84 in round 2.

“Obviously, it’s been a cracking year: five wins, a couple of near misses as well. Not so good in America but on the European front, it’s been a fantastic year: probably my most successful,” said Davies, the seven-time European No.1 who first topped the Order of Merit 25 years ago in 1985.

“There are so many good young players now and at the age of 47 it would just be nice to think that I can still mix it up, not just on the odd week, but for a whole season and I think I’ve played eight tournaments less than Lee-Anne which would make it even more special for the fact that I’ve played in a lot less events than her and still come out on top. 

“Having said that, if the book makers were laying odds she’d be 1 to 20 on to win it because I have to finish first or second to have any chance and also she has to have a week where she’s not in the top 10 - so everything considered it’s a long shot - but the long shots come in now and again.”

As a winner of 79 career titles in 21 different countries, Davies will be targeting her 80th victory on the Majlis Course at the Emirates Golf Club. She has finished equal second, third and tied for fourth in her three appearances in Dubai. 

However, Pace is determined not to let Davies steal the title. The 29-year-old is in line to become the first South African in the 32-year history of the LET to claim the No.1 spot and she has skipped LPGA Qualifying School in favour of playing at the tournament. 

Pace was red hot with five victories in five months from June to October, in Switzerland, Wales, Finland and then twice in China. Since teaming up with caddie Craig Barber-Ball at the S4C Wales Ladies Championship of Europe in August, she has won four events, tied for second in Scotland and had two top-10 finishes. Now brimming with confidence, she hopes to round off the year in style. 

She will face a stern challenge from a formidable line-up. The field includes the 2009 champion In-Kyung Kim of South Korea, who is on target to earn Ryder Cup Wales Rookie of the Year honours, Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist, England’s Melissa Reid and the American pair of Christina Kim and Michelle Wie among others. 

American teen sensation Alexis Thompson, who tied for second in July’s Evian Masters, will be making her tournament debut. The 15-year-old professional will be one to watch having earned more than $300,000 from six starts earlier this year.