Pedersen wins with a birdie at the first extra hole after Hall faltered down the stretch having led by three shots with only five holes to play in inaugural LET event in Saudi Arabia
Monday 16 November 2020 06:38, UK
Emily Kristine Pedersen captured her second Ladies European Tour title of the year after Georgia Hall let slip a big lead over the closing stages of the Aramco Saudi Ladies International.
Hall was three clear with just five holes to play, but she bogeyed the 16th and missed an eight-foot birdie putt for the win at the last, with Pedersen producing a clutch up-and-down from the rough to force a play-off.
Returning to the par-five 18th, Hall's attempt to reach the green in two came up short and found water, and Pedersen held her nerve to make another birdie which extended her commanding lead at the top of the Race to Costa Del Sol rankings.
The top two had both finished 72 holes on 10 under par, with Pedersen relinquishing her lead when she followed an opening birdie with three bogeys over the next five holes.
The 24-year-old bounced back with three straight birdies only to start the back-nine with a bogey at 10 before getting into further trouble at the 12th, running up a double-bogey six, with Hall's five enough to go two shots ahead having kept a bogey off her card in an outward 34.
Hall's third birdie of the round at the 13th extended her advantage, but Pedersen pulled one back at the next and the deficit was down to one when the English star missed the green at the short 16th and could not salvage par.
She looked favourite to hang on when she clipped a wedge to eight feet at the last with Pedersen in a tricky position right of the green, but a sublime pitch to three feet resulted in a priceless birdie that Hall could not match.
Pedersen and Hall finished two ahead of Caroline Hedwall (68), with Anne Van Dam (68) earning a top-four place on seven under and Charley Hull closing with a 69 to post six under.
Lydia Hall, who was tied for the lead overnight, stayed in contention on 10 under with three birdies and as many bogeys, but her challenge unravelled with a triple-bogey seven at the 14th as she limped in with a 76 to finish four off the pace.
