DUBAI: South Korean In-Kyung-Kim never blinked despite a spirited charge from Michelle Wie on the final day to win the 500,000-euro Dubai Ladies Masters by three shots from the American star here Saturday.
Kim, who is ranked one place below Wie at No. 13 in the world, started the day with a three-putt bogey, but was consistency personified thereafter as she closed with a four-under par round of 68 for a four-day total of 18-under par 270.
Wie, who celebrated finishing her final exams early in the morning, charged up the leaderboard with a seven-under par 65, but that was good enough only for second place at 15-under 273.
Sweden’s Maria Hjorth, leader after the first round, was third, a shot behind Wie.
Frenchwoman Virginie Lagoutte-Clement matched Wie’s best round of the day and the 65 catapulted her to tied fourth place at 11-under along with Laura Davies of England, Tania Elosegui of Spain and Swede Anna Nordqvist.
Wie, who was frustrated by her putting for the first three days, suddenly started draining everything.
After a solid front nine of three birdies, she picked up shots in three consecutive holes starting the 11th — all courtesy putts of over 10 feet.
However, her attempt to go for the green in two on the par-5 18th, proved costly as she hit her second shot into the water guarding the front of the green. She did manage a par there, but the pressure as well and truly off Kim.
Despite Wie’s birdie blitz, Kim, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour and Qualifying School medalist in 2006, said she never felt any pressure. Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson won the Ladies European Tour Money List, while compatriot Nordqvist sealed the Rookie of the Year title.
Gustafson finished at 14th place at six-under 282, while her closest rival, Women’s British Open champion Catriona Matthew of Scotland, was 12th at 280. The Swede tallied 281,315 euros for the season, which was 21,444 euros more than Matthew.
Allenby strikes
In Coolum, Australia, three-time champion Robert Allenby stormed home with birdies on the last two holes to seize a one-shot lead after the third round of the Australian PGA golf championship Saturday. Allenby was in a large group trailing Greg Chalmers for most of the day but the 38-year-old took his chances on the closing two holes of the Hyatt Regency course to finish on a five-under-par 66 and to nine under for the tournament. He was one shot ahead of Chalmers, who fired a four-under 67, and Scott Strange, who carded a 68.
Defending champion Geoff Ogilvy and last week’s Australian Open winner Adam Scott were well within striking distance just two shots behind the leader.
However, Allenby will take some catching on the last day around the picturesque course on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
He is currently in a rich vein of form and last week became the first Australian to win the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa.
Although he hasn’t won consecutive tournaments since 2005, Allenby said he was playing well enough to add a fourth PGA title to his collection.
Martin hangs on
Leopard Creek, South Africa, Spaniard Pablo Martin recorded a steady one-under-par 71 to retain his lead in the Dunhill Championship after Saturday’s third round.
Martin is now 14-under-par for the 2010 European Tour opener, two strokes clear of South Africans Ernie Els and Charl Schwartzel.
Els shot an up-and-down 69 on Saturday, while Schwartzel scored 68. Martin will play with Schwartzel in the final round on Sunday.
The 2008 South African amateur champion Jacques Blaauw, who turned professional a year ago and has yet to win on the Sunshine Tour, will face the biggest day of his career on Sunday following his 66 on Saturday.
Blaauw, 23, made seven birdies and a lone bogey to go to 11-under-par and put himself into contention for a European Tour win for the first time.
Northern Ireland’s Gareth Maybin, who lost a playoff to Richard Sterne at the last year’s South African Open, is also at 11-under-par after a 67 on Saturday. Irishman Damien McGrane made it to 11-under-par also following his 68.
Martin showed no sign of early nerves after teeing off in the exalted company of Els. He played measured golf over the front nine, picking up the expected birdies at the par-five second and the short par-four sixth.
A crafty birdie from the greenside bunker at the par-five 13th took him five clear of the pack at 16-under before he had his first reality check at the par-four 14th.
