Catriona Matthew Queen of Killeen Castle
Scotland's Solheim Cup star Catriona Matthew continued her love affair with Killeen Castle as she recorded a one stroke victory in the Ladies Irish Open supported by Fáilte Ireland. Matthew could afford a bogey five on the final hole to seal the win with a three round total of 209, seven under par, after a second successive round of 71. Her European Solheim Cup teammate Suzann Pettersen of Norway ended a stroke back after her second straight round of 69, with another Solheim Cup star, Laura Davies, three shots further behind in third. Pettersen, began the final round three shots behind Matthew but was tied for the lead after 15, where she found the bunker left of the green with her second shot but made a crucial birdie putt from 20 feet. After Matthew birdied the same hole, Pettersen made an eight foot birdie putt on the par-three 16th to stay level with Matthew, but she then dropped a shot on 17 after hitting her second shot into the bunker short of the green and missed a 20-foot putt. There was a two shot swing when Matthew, playing in the last group behind Pettersen, holed a tricky five-footer to reach eight under with a hole to play. Pettersen missed her downhill birdie putt on 18 and although Matthew dropped a shot, finding the bunker right, behind the green, two putts were enough to seal the win and the €52,500 first prize. "I'm absolutely delighted," said Matthew, claiming her fifth victory on the Ladies European Tour and her ninth in total. "It's always difficult going out in the lead. I was just kind of trotting along there at seven under and saw Suzann making some birdies. I think she thought she was in The Solheim Cup again. England's Curtis Cup winner Charley Hull is another player to watch and she ended in a share of 18th place, taking home the Philomena Garvey trophy as the leading amateur. FINAL SCORES 209 Catriona Matthew (SCO) 67 71 71 210 Suzann Pettersen (NOR) 72 69 69 213 Laura Davies (ENG) 74 71 68 215 Joanna Klatten (FRA) 72 73 70, Pernilla Lindberg (SWE) 68 72 75, Nikki Garrett (AUS) 73 72 70 216 Carly Booth (SCO) 71 69 76, Felicity Johnson (ENG) 69 75 72 217 Jodi Ewart (ENG) 73 72 72, Dewi Claire Schreefel (NLD) 73 73 71, Carlota Ciganda (ESP) 74 75 68, Elizabeth Bennett (ENG) 70 73 74, Alison Walshe (USA) 73 71 73 218 Becky Morgan (WAL) 77 70 71 219 Amelia Lewis (USA) 75 71 73, Holly Aitchison (ENG) 76 73 70, Sophie Gustafson (SWE) 70 75 74 220 Caroline Afonso (FRA) 74 75 71, Anais Maggetti (CHE) 75 75 70, Stacey Keating (AUS) 75 74 71, Diana Luna (ITA) 75 76 69, Charley Hull (ENG) 71 76 73, Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 73 73 74, Celine Palomar (FRA) 76 71 73, Miriam Nagl (DEU) 74 72 74, Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA) 73 74 73, Giulia Sergas (ITA) 72 74 74 221 Florentyna Parker (ENG) 77 69 75, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 78 69 74, Jade Schaeffer (FRA) 75 75 71, Minea Blomqvist (FIN) 78 73 70, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 73 75 73, Meaghan Francella (USA) 74 73 74 222 Anja Monke (DEU) 70 76 76, Caroline Westrup (SWE) 70 77 75, Linda Wessberg (SWE) 75 71 76, Jennie Lee (USA) 73 73 76, Frances Bondad (AUS) 81 70 71, Margherita Rigon (ITA) 74 72 76, Eleanor Givens (ENG) 77 74 71, Julieta Granada (PAR) 74 75 73 223 Alison Whitaker (AUS) 74 72 77, Lisa Holm Sorensen (DNK) 78 71 74, Karen Stupples (ENG) 74 75 74, Esther Choe (USA) 74 75 74, Carin Koch (SWE) 75 73 75, Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) 72 76 75 224 Steffi Kirchmayr (DEU) 75 70 79, Lydia Hall (WAL) 80 69 75, Kylie Walker (SCO) 72 72 80, Stacy Lee Bregman (ZAF) 77 70 77 225 Caroline Masson (DEU) 74 77 74, Marieke Nivard (NLD) 74 75 76, Klara Spilkova (CZE) 76 73 76, Hannah Burke (ENG) 74 75 76, Rachel Bailey (AUS) 70 76 79 226 Sahra Hassan (WAL) 76 75 75, Lindsey Wright (AUS) 74 74 78, Beth Allen (USA) 74 73 79 227 Virginie Lagoutte-clement (FRA) 75 75 77, Stefanie Michl (AUT) 77 71 79 228 Lucy Williams (ENG) 73 74 81, Line Vedel (DNK) 75 72 81 229 Connie Chen (ZAF) 74 76 79 231 Liebelei Lawrence (LUX) 75 76 80 232 Clare Queen (SCO) 76 75 81