MACAU LADIES OPEN RELATED STORIES Macau Ladies Open home page Macau Ladies Open Preview Round 1: Kimura goes under par for two shot lead Round 2: Kimura maintains two shot lead Round 3: Tucker becomes first non-Asian winner Final Scores & Prize Money Current LAGT Order of Merit US & Europe out to break LAGT's Asian monopoly Porani tries for back-to-back victories in Macau About the Macau Golf & Country Club Five city Tour for Asian Ladies 2007 Ladies Asian Golf Tour schedule Final 2006 LAGT Order of Merit ASIAN GOLF TODAY TOP STORIES Open: Pain for Choi as Harrington defends Open: Closing 74 gives Liang more major hopes Open: Tough Open makes Lam eye Asian success Open: Angelo Que means to learn and return Open: Late bogies mean early exit for Prayad IGF forms Olympic Committee with eye to 2016 Mission Hills to host AP Summit GOLF TODAY TOP STORIES Padraig Harrington hungry for more success Michelle Wie to play on PGA Tour again IGF forms 2016 Olympic Committee Greg Norman proud of achievement Ian Poulter impressive with second place Henrik Stenson happy with his best ever finish

Natalie Tucker becomes first non-Asian winner

American Natalie Tucker became the first winner from outside Asia on the Ladies Asian Golf Tour when she won the inaugural US80,000 Macau Ladies Open at the Macau Golf and Country Club.

Tucker and overnight leader Mika Kimura looked headed for a playoff, but Kimura missed a short putt to drop a stroke while Tucker holed in for a par and pumped her fist in the air with joy.

Tucker carded one-over 72 for a three-round total of 217, while Kimura signed out with a four-over 75 for a 218 total. Chinese Taipei's Tseng Hsiu Feng finished third with a score of 219.

The 28-year-old Tucker from Florida who holds a conditional card on the US LPGA Tour, had before the start of the tournament said she hoped to end the Asian women's monopoly on the LAGT. "I'm happy to be the first winner from outside Asia," she said.

"I need a break now and perhaps will spend some time in the casino this evening. I never really knew that Macau is bigger and has lot more casinos than Las Vegas in the US," said Tucker adding that it was her first visit to Macau.

She now looks forward to next week's Hong Kong Ladies Masters at the Discovery Bay Golf Club hope to score back-to-back wins.

"I was playing well this week. The course is beautiful. The greens are fast and long putts just kept rolling in," said Tucker.

For Kimura, it was a sad ending, having had a chance to win her maiden title until the final hole, especially after leading the first two round.

"I felt a little pressure when Tucker holed a long putt for a par. I just couldn't control my nerves and I missed the putt from a shorter length to make a bogey. I'm not sad but very disappointed," said Kimura, adding that her defeat today will make her more determined to win in Hong Kong next week.

Leading Round 3 scores (par 71) - click here for full final scoreboard

217: Natalie Tucker (USA) 73-72-72

218: Mika Kimura (Jpn) 70-73-75

219: Tseng Hsiu Feng (Tpe) 77-68-74

220: Teresa Lu (Tpe) 73-76-71, Rie Shiraki (Jpn 73-76-71, Zhang Na (Chn) 76-71-73

221: Wang Chun (Chn) 76-72-73, Fame More (Eng) 75-71-75, Yeo Ji-yae 74-73-74

January 26, 2007