Davies wins Women's Australian Open

An unusual mixture of confusion and inaccuracy conspired to deliver English golf
star Laura Davies her second Women's Australian Open on Sunday.
Davies duelled with young Spaniard Tania Elosegui over the back nine at Melbourne's
Metropolitan Course and admitted she thought she had "blown it" after stumbling to a
bogey five at the last hole.
Luckily - for her - a confused Elosegui thought she needed to sink a six-metre putt
on the last to make a play-off and hit the shot too aggressively.
The ball sailed past and she missed the return putt and the next, handing Davies the
victory.
It was the 45-year-old's second Australian Open title after she won at Concord in
Sydney in 2004.
Davies, who opened with rounds of 74-76, stormed through the weekend shooting 67-68,
her final round producing a jumble of birdies, bogeys and a sparkling eagle.
The Briton, a winner of four majors and 74 tournaments worldwide, picked up three
shots in two holes with an eagle at the 14th and a birdie at the 15th to shoot clear
on the leaderboard.
But as quickly as she had claimed the outright lead, she handed it back as the
Spanish girl birdied the 17th hole.
Davies was convinced Elosegui would make a regulation par and win.
"At the time I must admit I thought I'd blown it - I pretty much knew it was (Tania)
who made the putt on 17," Davies said.
Elosegui said confusion towards the end of the round caused her to over-reach on the
last hole and play aggressively when she had two putts to spare.
"I looked at the leaderboard on the 16th green and I saw that I was seven under - so
she (Davies) was tied with me and then I looked again on the 17th hole and she was
eight under," she said.
"I made my putt for birdie so at that moment I thought we were tied and on the last
I said to myself, just try to make another birdie."
She miscalculated with her approach shot and found a greenside trap then when she
stood over the first putt she was under the impression she needed it to tie.
"I thought I had to make that putt for par to go to a play-off," she said. "So I
really hit it and it went too long."
As the ball sailed past the hole, Elosegui had in her own mind conceded the tournament.
"In the second putt I was not really thinking I have to make this to go to a
play-off because I was like, okay, shit, I'm second and that's it.
"Then my caddie told me Laura finished seven under, she bogeyed the last and I was,
no, I can't believe that.
"I didn't look at the leaderboard and I was almost certain she was going to have a
par on 18," she said.
Davies said it was a basic mistake not to keep a check on the leaderboard.
"I never understand the leaderboard thing, not looking, you have to know where you
stand but I'm not criticising her in any way, shape or form, it's just I like to
look at leaderboards," she said.
England's Melissa Reid finished in a tie for third at five under the card along with
Koreans He Yong Choi and Chang-Hee Lee.
Defending champion Australia's Karrie Webb, who had been aiming for her third
straight title and her fifth overall, trudged around the course for the third
successive day, finishing two under par.
Webb had opened with a sparkling seven under par 66 but followed with rounds of
75-75-74.