Marta Prieto Hole in One in Austria

A three under par second round by Rebecca Coakley of Team Ireland kept her three shots off the lead in a share of fourth place – with Australian Nikki Garrett - at the UNIQA Ladies Open Presented by Raiffeisen in Austria following birdies on the 5th, 9th and 12th holes. 

Melissa Reid shot a second successive 67 to take a one stroke lead into the final round carding seven birdies and two bogeys at Golf Club Foehrenwald in Wiener Neustadt on Saturday. 

She finished on 10-under-par after two rounds ahead of fellow Englishwoman Laura Davies, who equalled her own course record from 2007 with a 65. Reid made four birdies and two bogeys on the back nine before picking up three shots over the front nine to edge ahead of Davies. 

“I feel like I’m not swinging it how I’d like but I’m going to do a bit of work on the range and chat to my coach a little bit and hopefully we’ll get it a bit more in the slot tomorrow and hit some better iron shots and drivers,” Reid said. 

“My bad shots aren’t horrendous; I still get it in play and still somehow managed to hit 15 greens today, so all in all, five-under, I would have taken that definitely today.” 

Davies is seeking her third victory at the event after winning on the same golf course in 2007 and 2008. She was second last year after losing a play-off to Sweden’s Linda Wessberg. 

Davies carded three birdies over the front nine and reeled off five successive birdies from the 11th hole. At the par-five 15th, she smashed two drives, one from the fairway, to 25 feet past the flag but narrowly missed the eagle putt and finished with a bogey on 18 after hitting her second shot into the water right of the green. 

“On the 15th green I hit that eagle putt and it was in for all money and that would have been nine-under with three to go and then you’re thinking of all sorts of numbers,” said the 74-time tournament champion. 

“I putted so well. That’s one of my best putting rounds of my whole life. I had 24 putts which for me, I mean, yesterday I had 32, which is way too many.” 

Christel Boeljon from the Netherlands was a stroke back on eight under par after a 69 while Ireland’s Rebecca Coakley (69) and Australian Nikki Garrett (71) were tied for fourth on seven under. 

Coakley has the chance to become the first Irishwoman to win in the 32-year history of the Ladies European Tour and she said: “I was pretty happy because I felt like I didn’t hit the ball that well.” 

Spain’s Marta Prieto made the best possible start to her second round when she used a five-iron to ace the 161-yard par-three 10th-hole. The 31-year-old from Seville won a €10,000 shopping spree sponsored by fashion brand AKRIS for her sixth hole-in-one and her second as a professional. 

Hazel Kavanagh signed for a 70 after picking up two birdies and dropping no shots to finish on three under. 

Martina Gillen carded a round of 73 to remain level par for the tournament along with Tara Delaney who signed for a two under par 70.

Finnair Masters for Team Ireland

Rebecca Coakley of Team Ireland will look for improvement in her fortunes at the Finnair Masters this week after her disappointment of the final day of the Aberdeen Ladies Scottish Open where she lost the lead to allow Virginie Lagoutte-Clement secure her third career victory on the Ladies European Tour. 

In Finland Coakley joins the rest of the Team Ireland contingent of Tara Delaney, Martina Gillen and Hazel Kavanagh. 

Minea Blomqvist, Virginie Lagoutte-Clement and Lisa Holm Sorensen, the 2008, 2006 and 2005 champions are seeking to win the event for the second time. 

The 2008 champion, Minea Blomqvist, would be a popular home winner and she held off the challenge of fellow Finn Ursula Wikstrom two years ago to claim her second Ladies European Tour victory, before the birth of her first child, a son called Elmeri Aku Mikael Kakko, in late March. 

The 2005 champion Sorensen, from Denmark, recorded a season best tie for ninth in Germany this year and is searching for her second LET title, having come closest with a tie for third in Norway last year. Other former event champions not competing are Bettina Hauert (2007) and Beatriz Recari (2009). 

The previous winners of the Finnair Masters are joined by five of this season’s champions, led by South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace, who has won twice on Tour this year, at the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open and S4C Wales Ladies Championship of Europe a fortnight ago. 

Pace just missed out on another Ladies European Tour victory with a share of second place at last week’s Aberdeen Ladies Scottish Open. However, the 29-year-old Mossel Bay professional moved to the top of the Tour’s Henderson Money List for the season with earnings to €218,529.93 from 16 tournaments. 

Germany’s Anja Monke, the 2010 Lalla Meryem Cup champion in Morocco, did not play in the 2009 Finnair Masters but from 2005 to 2008 she made significant year-on-year improvements, with a tie for 7th at the 2008 event. 

Australian Karen Lunn, the 2010 Portugal Ladies Open winner, will tee up in Finland for the sixth time hoping to earn the winner’s cheque for €30,000 from the €200,000 prize fund. 

England’s Trish Johnson, who shared runner-up spot last week in Scotland, will be targeting her second title of the season following her 19th career win last month in Tenerife. 

There are 11 Finnish players in the field of 108 competitors and the five amateurs include Caroline Hedwall of Sweden, who won the Smyth Salver as the leading amateur at the recent Ricoh Women’s British Open. 

In total, 22 nations are represented in the field and India’s Sharmila Nicollet and the Japanese duo of Asuka Tsujimura and Mayumi Nakajima are among those players invited to compete by the event sponsor. 

The sixth edition of the Finnair Masters takes place over 54 holes from Friday to Sunday, with a cut to the leading 50 professionals and ties after 36 holes.

Coakley and Gillen in Scotland

Alan Hansen in Action at Scottish Ladies

Only Rebecca Coakley and Martina Gillen of Team Ireland are confirmed entries for the Aberdeen Ladies Scottish Open Presented by EventScotland which will staged at Archerfield Links in East Lothian, Scotland from August 18th - 20th 

The tournament is being hosted on the par 72 Fidra course which is a traditional Scottish Links course designed by European Senior Tour professional, DJ Russell and is a unique event featuring a Pro Am format with 60 professionals and 60 amateurs. 

Played in teams of two, comprising one pro and one amateur, the professionals will play over three rounds with no cut for a prize fund of €200,000. Two competitions run concurrently: an individual tournament for the professionals and a team event for the amateurs and pros. Only the top 15 amateurs in the team competition will make the cut after 36 holes and play the final round on Friday alongside their professional. 

South African Lee-Anne Pace, who is ranked second on the LET’s Henderson Money List following her win at the S4C Wales Ladies Championship of Europe on Sunday, leads the star studded line-up. She claimed her second LET title of the season last week at Conwy and loves the challenge of links courses. 

Among the ten Scottish professionals competing is Lynn Kenny from nearby Stirling, who is attached to Archerfield Links. The 30-year-old is enjoying a solid season on the Ladies European Tour, currently lying in 61st position on the Henderson Money List. She is hoping that her local knowledge will be an advantage this week and said: “If I could win it here, it would be amazing. Words can’t explain how I’d feel. It would mean the world to me. 

Solheim Cup star Mhairi McKay makes a return to Scotland from America and the 35-year-old, who tied for 17th in the 2008 event at The Carrick on Loch Lomond, will be aiming to please the home galleries. 

Vikki Laing from nearby Musselburgh is the leading Scot on the LET’s Henderson Money List in 18th place having played in 14 tournaments and lives just 30 minutes’ from the golf course. 

Rising star Carly Booth, 18, from Comrie, also features along with Krystle Caithness, Pamela Feggans, Kathryn Imrie, Heather MacRae and Clare Queen, who hopes to kick-start a slow season. 

Among the amateurs is 20-year-old Eve Muirhead, skipper of the British women’s Olympic curling team, who is also a keen golfer and plays off a handicap of two. She will team up with Scottish professional Kylie Walker playing in the first group at 9am on Wednesday, alongside Australian professional Kate Combes and top Scottish amateur Sally Watson. 

Football’s Alan Hansen will partner the Tenerife Ladies Open champion Trish Johnson from England while supermodel Jodie Kidd will play with Italian Veronica Zorzi as part of the same four-ball playing at 10.10am. 

Aberdeen Asset Management is the sponsor with EventScotland acting as presenting sponsor. The event is also supported by East Lothian Council and British Airways. 

 

Johnson Wins Number 19

(Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

Trish Johnson of England captured her 19th career victory as she edged Frenchwoman Virginie Lagoutte-Clement by a shot at the Tenerife Ladies Open. The 44-year-old started the final round with a three shot lead and fired a final round of 70 to complete 72 holes on the Buenavista Golf course in 14 under 274. 

It was Johnson’s first win since the 2007 BMW Ladies Italian Open and followed a tie for second at the previous week’s Portugal Ladies Open. It was her 16th title on the Ladies European Tour, as she also has three victories on the LPGA. 

“It’s fantastic. I’d like to say I thoroughly enjoyed the day but I’ve got to be honest: I didn’t really,” said Johnson, who went out in level par 36 after two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine. 

“The first five or six holes I played great tee to green but my putting was very suspect and I was just trying to trust it. Really I was pretty lucky, because the back nine: ten I played so badly, putting it out of bounds. I holed a fantastic bunker shot; (then) holed a putt from off the green on 11 for a par. I was hanging in a little bit.” 

Tied for the lead with Lagoutte-Clement at the turn, Johnson slipped a stroke behind Anne-Lise Caudal after 13 holes, but regained her advantage with back to back birdies on the 14th and 15th holes. 

At the par-four 16th, she hit her tee shot over a low wall, out of bounds, but the ball pitched on a footpath, bounced twice and returned over the wall. Making the most of her good fortune, Johnson took two pars on the 16th and 17th holes and had a two stroke lead with a hole to play. 

Lagoutte-Clement had a chance to tie for the lead with an eagle putt at the par-five last, but her ball slipped past the hole. 

Despite hitting her tee shot into a fairway bunker, Johnson holed a six-footer for par and took the €41,250 first prize. 

“They say it’s the luckiest one that wins and that was me today,” said Johnson, who earned a place at this month’s Evian Masters. 

It was only her sixth start on the Tour this year, after she took the first four months of 2010 off, with tendonitis in both elbows. 

“When something like that happens you always think on the bad side but in all honesty in 23 or 24 years I don’t think I’ve ever had four months off, certainly not out of choice, and perhaps it’s not a bad thing at this stage of my career to have a bit of rest,” she said. “The arms felt pretty good today, very good, obviously, and I just keep my fingers crossed that they stay that way.” 

Lagoutte-Clement shot 68 and took second place at 11 under par, with her compatriot Anne-Lise Caudal (67) a stroke back in third. 

Italian Veronica Zorzi, who shared fourth place with Germany’s Anja Monke, was one of the three players to qualify for the Ricoh Women’s British Open as the leading three players not otherwise exempt for the Major Championship. 

Sweden’s Nina Reis, who tied for seventh with the halfway leader Melissa Reid, also earned a place at Royal Birkdale, as did Frenchwoman Caroline Afonso, who tied for ninth with Australian Karen Lunn and Scotland’s Vikki Laing. 

The four Team Ireland players – Rebecca Coakley, Tara Delaney, Martina Gillen and Hazel Kavanagh - failed to make the cut on Friday.

Interview with Trish Johnson

Tenerife for Team Ireland Ladies

Beatriz Recari of Spain

The Ladies European Tour is in the Canary Islands this week for the Tenerife Ladies Open, which returns to Buenavista Golf on the north coast of the island. Team Ireland will be represented by Rebecca Coakley, who returns this year after finishing 30th last year, along Tara Delaney, Martina Gillen and Hazel Kavanagh.

Now in its eighth year on the LET schedule, the event boasts one of the strongest fields in its history with four previous winners of the title in the field, hoping for repeat success. 

Finland’s Riikka Hakkarainen, the 2006 champion, is joined by the 2007 winner Australian Nikki Garrett and the English duo of Rebecca Hudson and Felicity Johnson who won the title in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

There are also five of this year’s tournament winners in the field, with Germany’s Anja Monke who won her third LET title in March at the Lalla Meryem Cup; Melissa Reid who won her maiden title at the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open, her compatriot Florentyna Parker who claimed her first LET trophy at the ABN AMRO Ladies Open in Holland, South African Lee-Anne Pace who broke into the winners’ circle at the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open and Australian Karen Lunn, who just claimed her ninth LET victory at the Portugal Ladies Open. 

In addition to the nine players already mentioned, there are a number of other names who are likely to feature on the leader boards including last week’s joint runner-up Trish Johnson of England, Australian Frances Bondad, Italian Sophie Sandolo and Virginie Lagoutte-Clement of France, all of whom are enjoying a rich vein of form. 

The top three finishing players not otherwise exempt will earn their place at this year’s final Major championship, taking place at Royal Birkdale from 29th July to 1st August.

The winner will also earn a place at the prestigious Evian Masters presented by Société Générale. 

Lunn Wins in Portugal and Johnson is Second

Trish Johnson

Australian Karen Lunn shot a superb final round of seven under par 65 to claim her first Ladies European Tour title in 13 years at the Portugal Ladies Open. 

The key to her final round was a fast start at Campo Real near Lisbon, with an eagle and three birdies over the first five holes. She played the front nine in just 30 strokes for a six under par outward total, before coming home in one under par, sinking a crucial birdie putt at the last hole. 

Lunn, the 1993 Women’s British Open champion, finished on 12 under par after three rounds, one shot ahead of England’s Trish Johnson, who also shot 65, and Iben Tinning of Denmark (68). 

The experienced LET player, in her 26th season on Tour, was on fire from the start of her final round, making a 30 foot eagle putt at the first hole to get within a stroke of the overnight leader Italian Stefania Croce. 

She said: “It was a real roller coaster ride. I was nervous but I knew that I was playing well.

“I played really well the first two days but didn’t make anything and felt quite disappointed I was only five under. I knew that I had to get off to a quick start and I did that. I holed a nice 30 footer at the first for an eagle and a nice ten footer at the second. I played great the front nine, holed a couple of putts and then hung on the back nine. I had a couple of three putts and got a little bit nervous but I managed somehow to finish it off.” 

She credited Karrie Webb, whom she partnered at the Comunitat Valenciana European Nations Cup in Spain in April, as an inspiration. The Australian pair tied for second place behind Sweden after a three-hole sudden death play-off. 

“I think I took a lot away from the (Comunitat Valenciana European) Nations Cup, playing with Karrie and I played really well that week. She was really encouraging and she said to me, ‘You should take a lot away from this week and go and play well.’

She said, ‘You should be winning tournaments,’ and that was great. I think I took a lot of confidence from that. I took a lot away from that week and I’m not sure I’d be standing here if I didn’t have that experience.” 

Trish Johnson, a 15-time tournament winner playing a group ahead of Lunn, chipped in from the back of the 18th green for birdie to set the target and Tinning had a chance to catch the leader with a long eagle putt on the last hole. 

England’s Florentyna Parker, the recent ABN AMRO Ladies Open champion, finished alone in fourth place on 10 under par, followed by Lee-Anne Pace, the Deutsche Bank Ladies Open champion, Mollie Fankhauser from the USA and first round leader Sophie Sandolo in equal fifth on eight under par. 

The 2009 champion Johanna Westerberg finished a stroke back in a share of eighth place along with Australian Frances Bondad and Kim Welch of the United States, while the second round leader Croce finished in a tie for 15th.

Lunn, who earned a first prize of €30,000, will now head to Buenavista Golf for the Tenerife Ladies Open but she has also secured her place at this summer’s major events: the Ricoh Women’s British Open and the Evian Masters presented by Societe Generale.

Rebecca Coakley of Team Ireland shot a third consecutive 70 to finish in a tie for 11th place.

Martina Gillen was six shots back on 216 after a final 71.