Sweden's Helen Alfredsson fired a battling final round 71 for a 16-under total
to win the £60,000 winners prize at the WPGA Championship of Europe. The
36-year-old from Gothenburg won by four shots from Norwegian Tour rookie Suzann
Pettersen at Royal Porthcawl GC.
Sweden's Asa Gottmo took sole possession of third place on nine under par after
a final round five under par 68, finishing one shot clear of Wales' Becky Morgan,
France's Karine Icher and fellow Swede Lisa Hed.
Although delayed two hours by the sea mist rolling in from the Bristol channel,
Alfredsson, winner of this Championship in 1997, began the day a shot ahead of
the young Norwegian and immediately went two ahead as Pettersen bogeyed the opening
hole.
But the 20-year-old from Oslo fought back valiantly, firing an eagle at the
par five fifth, adding a birdie at the next while Alfredsson dropped shots at
the third and sixth to fall three shots behind by the turn.
But the fighting spirit in the Swede emerged as she rattled off a hat trick
of birdies to claw her way back into contention. The Solheim Cup star fired an
eight iron close enough at the 161-yard par three 11th for her first, and with
a deft pitch and putt at the 12th, she drew within one.
At the 13th, Pettersen bogeyed while Alfredsson made the last of her birdies,
firing a six iron to four feet, moving back into the lead by one.
And when Pettersen, last months French Open winner, compounded her error with
two further bogies on the 14th, 15th and 18th, the second title of her rookie
year slipped from her grasp.
"I forgot how it was to win," said Alfredsson, whose last win in
Europe came at the 1998 Evian Masters. "Everything was perfect this week,
the weather, the course and when you really care about the game, it is great to
win.
"I started horribly and came back and it was so nice to make some putts
when it mattered. With the wind getting up today, it took a little time to get
used to it, we hadn't played in it all week, it was so calm.
"So much has been said about the youngsters this week and it was great
to see them playing so well, but there is life in this old bag yet!" she
laughed.
Pettersen fought hard all the way, but the putts didn't drop when it mattered.
But playing with Alfredsson, she learned a lot and the cheque for £40,600,
her largest in a sparkling season so far, will ease the pain.
"I am happy with my performance overall," said Pettersen. "Naturally,
I am disappointed with the end result. I made a couple of mistakes, but Helen
played some fabulous golf out there and I learned from that - 12 under par, I
can't really complain too much."
Gottmo fired her lowest round of the year to move into third spot, giving her
an exemption into next week's Weetabix Women's British Open at Sunningdale. The
31-year-old from Kalmar picked up her biggest ever paycheque, £28,000 with
halves of 32 and 36.
The Swede would have shared third place with Icher, but the winner of last
years qualifying school, four putted from the edge of the 18th green.
Morgan tried desperately to raise the local Welsh hopes, but a final round
level par 73 would not be enough to mount any kind of challenge.
But the 27-year-old from Abergavenny is secure for another year on Tour, picking
up £17,520 for her first professional event on home soil.
"It was a tough day out there," said Morgan. "The wind got up
a little bit and it was tricky to score. Overall, I am a little disappointed,
but I have had a great week, especially in front of my home fans."
276 H Alfredsson (Swe) 67 70 68 71
280 S Pettersen (Nor) 70 68 68 74
283 A Gottmo (Sweden) 71 73 71 68
284 L Hed (Swe) 74 68 72 70, B Morgan 73 67 71 73, K Icher (Fra) 70 69 70 75
285 S Waugh (Aus) 73 71 68 73
286 S Gustafson (Swe) 71 74 73 68, T Johnson 73 74 68 71, P Marti (Spa) 72
72 68 74
287 J Morley 71 71 74 71
289 J Head 71 75 72 71, A Munt (Aus) 77 66 73 73
290 C Koch (Swe) 74 72 76 68, G Sergas (Ita) 76 75 70 69
291 K Marshall 76 70 74 71, A Nicholas 72 75 72 72, S Eklund (Swe) 75 74 69
73, N Moult 71 75 71 74, A-B Sanchez (Spa) 72 71 73 75
292 L Davies 75 76 71 70, S Strudwick 74 77 70 71, V van Ryckeghem (Bel) 71
73 75 73, S Cavalleri (Ita) 71 70 77 74, E Esterl (Ger) 71 72 75 74, M Arruti
(Spa) 73 72 70 77
293 K Pearce (Aus) 73 76 74 70, M Monnet (Fra) 77 71 73 72, L Maritz (Rsa)
70 77 73 73, R Hakkairenen (Fin) 71 73 73 76, R Carriedo (Spa) 74 74 69 76
294 C Dibnah (Aus) 70 74 75 75, I Rosberg (Swe) 73 73 71 77, A Larraneta (Spa)
72 70 74 78
295 A-M Knight (Aus) 77 74 73 71, M Hedblom (Swe) 72 74 75 74, K Derdenger
(USA) 71 72 78 74, J Forbes 72 72 78 73, N Stillig (Ger) 77 72 72 74, L Ericsson
(Swe) 71 72 77 75
296 C Hall 75 76 77 68, V Stensrud (Norway) 78 70 76 72, L Fairclough 73 75
75 73, L Lambert (Aus) 76 71 73 76, C Nilsmark (Swe) 73 75 70 78
297 S Elliott 74 75 76 72
298 J Leary (Aus) 77 74 77 70, C Byrnes (Aus) 72 74 79 73, K Taylor 75 73 75
75, M Cosenza (Ita) 76 70 74 78<
299 D Reid 78 73 76 72
300 A Berg (Swe) 74 76 77 73, S Head 73 77 75 75, R Lautens (Swi) 79 72 74
75
301 M Burstrom (Swe) 73 76 78 74, D Barnard 74 77 76 74, M Hedberg (Swe) 77
73 75 76, C Kuld (Den) 78 70 74 79, G Scott (Nzl) 74 72 76 79
302 L Wen-Lin (Tpe) 75 74 77 76
303 C Lundgreen (Nor) 70 81 79 73, M De Boer (Ned) 76 74 78 75, M Adamson (Rsa)
75 74 77 77, L Navarro (Spa) 77 73 76 77, H Dobson 72 78 72 81
