England's Joanne Morley has won the Stilwerk Ladies German Open after birdiing the last hole to finish with a three under par 69. Raquel Carriedo of Spain had the fourth second placing of her career and Valerie Van Ryckeghem came third.
There is no doubt in Morley's mind which is her favourite tournament in the world. The 33-year-old won her first professional tournament at Treudelberg in 1996 and has now added a second title to her name.
"I love this course," she said after picking up her £15,000 winner's cheque at a rainswept prizegiving. "I have really good vibes when I come here and I always really enjoy it."
Morley led the 2000 tournament from start to finish. She started with a course record equalling 64 and lost her lead for only five minutes when Belgium's Valerie Van Ryckeghem birdied the last hole of round three to lead briefly before Morley also birdied it to catch up.
Tied on 11 under going into the final day, Morley and Van Ryckeghem were neck and neck until the 24-year-old Belgian failed to get up and down from a bunker and ended up with a bogey at the par four fourth.
Morley didn't get off to as good a start as she would have hoped for, pushing her drive into knee high rough at the first. But after she holed a 60 foot putt to salvage her par, she said she knew that lady luck was on her side and the tournament was hers for the taking.
"It was definitely a case of getting out of jail at the first. I have had problems with that tee-shot all week and it was important for me to hole that putt. I was never worried that I would not win."
Birdies for the English player at the par five fifth and the sixth when she holed an 18 foot putt took her three shots clear of the Belgian after 60 holes. When no-one made any headway over the next three holes Morley had a three shot lead going into the back nine.
Carriedo began to make a challenge on the back nine when she put a five wood to 12 feet at the par four 10th to go to 10 under, level with Van Ryckeghem.A bogey by Morley at the 11th made it closer at the top of the leaderbord, but the leader broke back at the next, putting a nine iron to 15 feet for a birdie three to go back to 13 under.
Van Ryckeghem's challenge waned at the par three 13th when she had a double bogey to drop back to eight under. The Belgian split up with her boyfriend Manoel, who also coached and caddied for her, last week and had Gottlieb Wendehals who is famous for his German version of the Conga, caddying for her in Treudelberg.
But there would be no singing and dancing for the 24-year-old this week. Five shots adrift of Morley with five holes left meant that birdies at the 15th, 16th and 18th were not enough to do any serious damage.
In the end the tournament was Morley's for the taking. Carriedo picked up one more shot at the par four 15th whilst Morley plodded on with pars, giving her a two shot lead from the Spaniard going down the last.
When Carriedo drove into the bunker at the 440 yard par five 18th she lost any chance of making the green in two and Morley took the sensible option and laid up short of the water with her second. Carriedo made a very good attempt at holing out from 120 yards but had to settle with a birdie four, leaving Morley with two putts for the title.
The champion didn't need them though and punched her fist in the air as she holed out from 10 feet for birdie and the title.
For Carriedo it was yet another missed opportunity to get her first professional victory but she said for the moment she is happy coming second.
"I am happy with second. I played good golf and was three under today. It is just unfortunate that another player did better. It helped having my fiancee Javier caddying for me. It is not easy to finish second two weeks in a row."
Carriedo now lies fourth in the moneylist and having risen to fourth in the Solheim Cup rankings she is also on course for an automatic place in the European team. Third place for Van Ryckeghem also moved her back into contention for a place in the team as she now lies sixth when seven get automatic selection.
Amateur, Becky Morgan, got some good practice in for when she turns professional next month, finishing the tournament winner of the amateur prize on three over par.
Joanne Morley (ENG)6470716914 under
Raquel Carriedo (ESP)6772686912 under
Valerie Van Ryckeghem (BEL)7466657211 under
Marlene Hedblom (SWE)71726571 9 under
Patricia Meunier Lebouc (FRA)70746868 8 under
Iben Tinning (DEN) 69707269
Asa Gottmo (SWE) 70707071 7 under
Lisa Hed (SWE) 72706871
Gina Scott (NZ)71696873
Marine Monnet (FRA)68697074
Aideen Rogers (IRE)70737069 6 under
Johanna Head (ENG) 69727170
Lynnette Brooky (NZ) 69697372 5 under
Trish Johnson (ENG)71716873
Alison Munt (AUS)68727074 4 under
Giulia Sergas (ITA)72717072 3 under
Linda Ericsson (SWE) 69727471 2 under
Pernilla Sterner (SWE) 72707272
Anne-Marie Knight (AUS)72747269 1 under
Anna Berg (SWE)72697373
Barbara Pestana (SA) 75726773
Samantha Head (ENG)73687175
Sara Forster (ENG) 72737370 Even
Natascha Fink (AUT)72717372
Lora Fairclough (ENG)74727271 1 over
Ludivine Kreutz (FRA)74717272
Federica Dassu (ITA) 73687573
Joanne Mills (AUS) 72737173
Wendy Daden (ENG)74736973
Judith Van Hagen (NL)71707474
Jane Leary (AUS) 70687576
Karen Lunn (AUS) 69787172 2 over
Lara Tadiotto (BEL)72717473
Sandrine Mendiburu (FRA) 72737472 3 over
Elisabeth Esterl (GER) 73747173
Riikka Hakkarainen (FIN) 74737074
+Becky Morgan (Am) (WAL) 73697376
Deni Booker (ENG)72707376
Nicola Moult (ENG) 72757471 4 over
+Pia Odefey (Am) (GER) 74707672
Marie-Laure de Lorenzi (FRA) 71737573
Erica Steen (SWE)73747273
Sofia Gronberg Whitmore (SWE)73737175
Mandy Adamson (SA) 73746976
Marina Arruti (ESP)69757177
Stephanie Dallongeville (FRA)72747473 5 over
Stephanie Arricau (FRA)71727377
Ana Belen Sanchez (ESP)71698074 6 over
Laura Navarro (ESP)72757275
Malin Burstrom (SWE) 75727077
Claire Duffy (ENG) 72757672 7 over
Julie Forbes (SCO) 75727573
Christina Kuld (DEN) 69787276
+Marcella Neggers (Am) (NL)70747378
Isabella Maconi (ITA)73747376 8 over
Eva-Lotta Stromlid (SWE) 75727277
Stephanie Martin (USA) 73737576 9 over
Sara Eklund (SWE)75727476
Rachel Kirkwood (ENG)7669747910 over
Pamela Wright (SCO)7571777712 over
+Lesley Nicholson (Am) (SCO) 72717978
Kate MacIntosh (AUS) 73737678
Kerrin Starr (NZ)7665798113 over
Lilia Maaref (TUN) 7275777814 over
Helen Hopkins (AUS)73747679
Filippa Helmersson (SWE) 7571818120 over
