Smilla Tarning Sønderby.
FOR THE SECOND YEAR in a row, it took a three way play-off to determine the winner of the Dromoland Castle hosted KPMG Women’s Irish Open.
Denmark’s Smilla Tarning Sønderby claimed what is the biggest honour of her career to date by winning the Women’s Irish Open which has a total prize fund of €400,000.
In her second year as a professional, Smilla has experience from Dromoland and came out on the wrong side of the play-off at the Newmarket-on-Fergus venue last year.
With eleven birdies and an eagle, she produced a remarkable final round of 62 (-10). In the play-off on Dromoland’s eighteenth hold she edged past Sweden’s Lisa Petterson and Anne Van Dam of the Netherlands.
Adding to the drama was the fact that Van Dam’s driver broke in a freak accident while travelling on the buggy to tee off.
Sun shone on the beautiful Dromoland Castle for the final day of the four-day event which returned to the European Tour last year following a ten year hiatus and the Co Clare venue certainly added to it returning with a bang.
Home favourite Leona Maguire finished on -8 and missed out on a top ten finish. Narrowly avoiding the play-off were Kristin Rudgley (-15), Annabel Dimmock (-14), Sara Kjellker (-14) and Diksha Dargar (-13) who was leading heading into the weekend.
