Kym caps awesome experience with high-flying finish
KIBWORTH’S Kym Larratt finished third in the Australian Ladies’ Professional Golf Tour tournament, the Royal Canberra Classic.
This is the highest finish of her two-year career as a playing professional.
She was out in the final group as the 54-holes championship reached its climax on the testing course.
She opened with two 3-under-par-70 rounds, then added 1-under-72 for her 7-under 212 finish.
Larratt shared third with Australian Stacey Keating. The champion was former British women’s titleholder Karen Lunn (New South Wales) who shot 71-66-70-207 to win by four strokes. She had won 14 titles around the world in her professional career before moving into the winner’s circle again.
But Larratt fought hard to the finish. After she was level par for the opening nine holes of her last round, she birdied 15 and 16, so stayed in touch with Lunn, with whom she had played in Finland last year.
When their group came to the par 3 17th hole, they heard that Vicky Thomas (Victoria) had posted the clubhouse lead on 8-under-211. Larratt caught the trees at the right of the green from the tee.
But despite facing a difficult 60-yard chip she played it magnificently and holed her tap-in par-saving putt. Lunn found the bunker from the tee, but also managed to save par.
Then at the 18th Lunn made an eagle for the second successive round on the par 5, which saw her clinch victory.
Larratt described the Royal Canberra course as “awesome.” She added: “It was a tremendous experience, but the crowd was very supportive and I really enjoyed being in that position.”
Her father, Bob, a senior tour professional for many years, and her regular Ladies’ European Tour caddie, said: “Despite receiving many offers of help to caddie, Kym decided as she explained to make her own decisions during the last round.
“But she did extremely well and I am thrilled for her. It was a fine achievement from which she will be able to take a lot into the remainder of her time competing on the ALPG tour and for the 2012 season in Europe.
“She will have learned a great deal from being out in the last group and in contention in a big event on a world-famous course so far away from home in such a big tournament.”
Laura Davies was also in the field in Canberra. She ended on 225 after he 80-75-70 cards.
CRAIG Shave (Whetstone), a former Lutterworth GC assistant professional, dominated the field in the county golf Alliance tournament at Western Park GC.
He shot 9-under-par-63 to win by no fewer than four strokes playing from the white tees, when he had an eagle, eight birdies and only one dropped stroke.
After only eight holes, Shave was 6-under with two sets of three birdies in a row. They came at the 2nd, 3rd and 4th holes of the course, and at 6, 7, 8, but he 3-putted the 11th, before his eagle at the par 5 12th hole.
He hit driver, 8-iron to 20ft and holed his putt, before going on to birdie two more holes – the 13th and the 16th to move into the winner’s circle for the sixth time of the 2011/12 Alliance season – three times outright pro medal winner and three times sharing the victory.
Josh Thornton (Forest Hill), on 67, was runner-up, with Lee Challinor (Lutterworth), 68, third, and Matthew Cort (Rothley Park) 69 in fourth position.
Cort managed to hold on to his lead over Shave in the professional order of merit. But only just – by half-a-point. So their battle for supremacy continues.
Overall winners of the better-ball Stableford were Mick Remington and Steve Hemmings (both Glen Gorse) with 48pts. There was a three-way tie on 47pts.which saw Thornton and Tim Linnell (Forest Hill) second on Alliance rule from Graham Cross and Mick Graham (both Kirby Muxloe), with Challinor and Alan Milburn (Lutterworth) fourth.
The pro/am section prize went to Ollie Whitehead and P. Sparsis (both Forest Hill) with 45pts, and the am/am award to Keith Springham and Eric Vitols (both Scraptoft).
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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