Pedersen wins first title

Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pedersen in action during the final round of the Women’s Indian Open in Gurgaon on Sunday.

The trio of Cheyenne Woods, Becky Morgan and Malene Jorgensen finished with identical totals of 217, a shot adrift of the victor, to end the tournament in tied second position. After a disappointing first day, she pulled back so well and I know how well she was playing as she was paired with me for first two days.

On a somewhat warm but flawless day for golf with no wind, the 19-year-old Pedersen who turned professional at the start of this year after a stellar amateur career, backed off twice before her final bogey putt from less than three feet on the final hole. She bogeyed the tough 17 and worse was the triple bogey on the closing 18th and that loss of four shots in two holes saw her drop to 75 for the day and 11-over for the week and finish Tied-20th. It began to look as though the victor would be decided only through a play-off, but a folly by her closest challenger Woods on the last hole made it easier for the Dane and even though she herself carded a bogey on the last hole, it was enough for her to pocket the winner’s cheque of $60,000. “It feels unbelievable to win in India”. I hit it pretty straight so I feel like there are a few courses on the European Tour that suit me like Pilsen and here.

“I made a bogey on 17, three-putted and I was kind of getting a flash back and I’m so happy it didn’t happen again and I could win. It’s okay finishing second but I wish I’d have won”.

With Becky Morgan, who also held lead at one stage, missing a 12-footer for par on the 18th, Pedersen realised even a bogey would win the title outright. “I will definitely come back to India next year to defend my title”, concluded the newly crowned Hero Women’s Indian Open victor before heading for the presentation ceremony. The back nine is very tough. With birdies on the 2nd, 4th and 6th holes, the American took sole lead early on.

“It started up and down, didn’t hit my irons well but my chipping and short game was good”.

She carded four birdies on the ninth, 10th, 13th and 16th with a lone blemish on the third to finish with a total of 146 after two rounds.

Smriti Mehra one of the three players yet to finish was four-over with three holes to go. “You can’t win a tournament by dropping a double bogey on the last hole”, said the niece of the U.S. legend Tiger Woods. “That was the only mistake and I lost money on that mistake”, she added.

What a dramatic finish the Hero Women’s Indian Open had.

Pedersen showed early nerves on Sunday, three-putting at the first to surrender her lead to Woods who had registered three birdies in her first six holes.

With her win, Pedersen moved up to seventh on the LET Order of Merit and first on the Rookie of the Year standings, ahead of Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark.

The event which has Hero MotoCorp as the Title Sponsor and DLF as the Presenting Sponsor is Powered by Yes Bank.