South
Africa‘s World Cup pairing Laurette
Maritz and Ashleigh Simon demonstrated just the sort of talent they possess on
the final round of the 2008 Women’s World Cup of Golf, when they carded the day’s
second-best round, a six-under par 66, one shot off tournament champions Philippines.
But it was Friday’s opening betterball four-under par round
of 68 which kept the South Africans out of contention, a day on which the eventual
winning pair of Dorothy Delasin and Jennifer Rosales posted a third-best seven-under
par, and runners-up and perennial favourites South Korea signed for an 11-under
61.
Still, the two will take satisfaction in their best-ever result
in four years of Women’s World Cup of Golf after tying for sixth place with Canada
and Wales, after finishing in 12th position in the event’s first running at the
Links in Fancourt in 2005, and seventh and 16th in Sun City in 2006 and 2007
respectively.
But the day’s honours went to the ecstatic Delasin and Rosales,
who playing together in the tournament for the third time, firing a 65 in the
first round, followed up with a 68 on Saturday in the foursomes, and sealed their
victory with another seven-under par 65 in the final betterball matches, for a
total of 18-under par 198.
They played their final nine holes in six-under-par 30, and
Delasin birdied each of the last four holes, capping a phenomenal week of team
play.
"I had some adrenaline pumping, it was so cool," said the
27-year-old Delasin, a four-time winner on the LPGA Tour. "Like I said all week
we were ham and egging", two-time LPGA winner Rosales adding: "We had fun all
week. It was really good team work today too."
The South Korean team of Ji-Yai Shin and Eun-Hee Lee finished
second on 16-under with a closing 67, Taiwan
(68) and Japan (65) tied for
third place on 13-under, and France
shooting 67 to finish fifth on 11-under par, one shot ahead of South Africa on
10-under.
The Koreans led by one stroke after the first round, and
were tied for the lead with the Philippines
on 11-under-par after the second day’s foursomes.
The Philippines got the best start to the final round when
they pulled one shot ahead with a birdie on the first hole, but they were
quickly overtaken when Korea’s Shin holed out from a bunker for an eagle at the
par-five fifth hole. There was a three-stroke swing when the Philippines made bogey there.
The Koreans pulled two ahead after Shin bombed a six-foot
birdie putt at the sixth hole, but then the Philippines fought back to tie for
the lead on 14-under after birdies on holes 11 and 12.
Korea birdied the 14th hole to move one
ahead before Delasin began her birdie blitz. Delasin rolled in a 10 foot birdie
putt at the 15th hole. She said: "That got me pumped and then I chipped in on
16. I told my caddie Clint: "Take out that flag because I’m going to chip this
in." My blood was pumping and I felt like Superwoman out there."
At the 17th, Delasin rolled in a downhill 15 foot birdie
putt to move two shots ahead, but she flirted with disaster by driving into the
trees on the left of the fairway at the 18th hole.
She hit a brave second shot out onto the fairway. Then, in
dramatic fashion, Korea’s
Shin hit her second shot to the green on the par-five finishing hole. The ball
bounced off some rocks on the right edge of the island green and came to rest
20 feet from the hole. She had a chance to tie for the lead but missed the
eagle putt.
With Delasin’s third shot placed 15 feet long of the pin,
she confidently rolled in the birdie putt to seal the victory and a share in
the US$280,000 first prize.
The Philippines pair finished second to Japan in the 2005
Women’s World Cup of Golf and as a team, the two players proved the perfect
combination.
They giggled their way through three press conferences and
Delasin even joked: "We’re even finishing each other’s sentences!" On a serious
note, they both added that the win would give them a huge confidence boost
ahead of the main 2008 season.
"It’s been a while since we’ve won so it’s nice to get a
win," said Delasin, with Rosales adding: "It’s great to represent your
country."
Defending champions Paraguay
finished in ninth place on nine-under, with Scotland
in joint tenth with the United
States.
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