Anna Nordqvist ended a 1,435 day winless run and secured a third major win with a one-shot victory over Georgia Hall, Lizette Salas and Madelene Sagstrom at Carnoustie; Scottish amateur Louise Duncan holds on for top-10 finish
Monday 23 August 2021 06:18, UK
Anna Nordqvist ended her four-year winless run and snatched a third major title with a dramatic victory at the AIG Women’s Open.
The Swede mixed four birdies with a lone bogey during a final-round 69 at Carnoustie, seeing her end the week on 12 under and a shot ahead of a three-way tie for second.
A thrilling Sunday saw over a dozen players in contention at various points of the final day, with 2018 champion Georgia Hall finishing one behind alongside Lizette Salas and Madelene Sagstrom.
Nanna Koerstz Madsen held a share of the lead until a double-bogey at the par-four last dropped her into a share of fifth with Evian Championship winner Minjee Lee, who jumped up the leaderboard with a round-of-the-day 66, while Scottish amateur Louise Duncan posted a level-par 72 to end the week in tied-tenth on seven under.
Starting the day tied for the lead with Madsen, Nordqvist opened with five straight pars before following a tap-in birdie at the par-five sixth with back-to-back birdies from the eight to reach the turn in 33 and one ahead of a congested leaderboard.
Madsen birdied the third and cancelled out a bogey at the fourth by picking up a shot at the next, before ending a run of pars by birdieing the 11th to move back within one of Nordqvist.
A two-shot swing at the driveable 12th hole saw Nordqvist hit her tee shot into a ditch and card her first bogey of the day, as Madsen two-putted for birdie to move ahead, with both players then taking advantage of the par-five 14th and moving to 12 under.
Madsen lost her lead with a bogey at the 15th, while Sagstrom followed four birdies in a five-hole stretch by adding another at the par-four 17th to temporarily make it a three-way tie at the top.
Sagstrom bogeyed the last to slip back to 11 under alongside Salas - who posted a bogey-free 69 - and Hall, who eagled two of the par-fives on her way to a five-under 67, leaving Madsen and Nordqvist one ahead of that trio heading to the par-four last.
Madsen pushed her approach from the fairway into a greenside bunker and shanked her next effort almost out of bounds on her to a closing double-bogey six, as Nordqvist found the green in two and two-putted for a winning par.
Germany's Leonie Harm posted a five-under 67 to finish tied-seventh with ANA Inspiration champion Patty Tavatanakit on nine under, while Duncan was one off the lead at various points during the final day before ending the week five strokes back.
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