Sherri Steinhauer of the U.S. kisses the trophy after winning the Women's British Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes golf course in north-west England yesterday. - REUTERS
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England (AP):
Sherri Steinhauer won her third Women's British Open title, her first as a major, by three strokes yesterday with an even-par 72 at Royal Lytham.
Winner on the same links in 1998 and then at Woburn a year later, the 43-year-old American went to the last having gone 48 holes without a bogey. Although she found a greenside bunker to finish the tournament with a bogey five, Steinhauer finished at 7-under 281 for her second major title, the first being at the now discontinued Du Maurier Classic in Canada in 1992.
She will defend the title next year at St. Andrew's as the Women's British Open goes to the venue known as the home of golf for the first time.
"That is the biggest thrill for me that I've done it now as a major," Steinhauer said. "I'm on cloud nine right now and feel like I'm in a dream. I am so excited to play St. Andrew's. I cannot wait to go there and play at the home of golf."
She was three strokes clear of Cristie Kerr (71) and Sophie Gustafson (72), the 2000 Women's British Open champion. A stroke behind them at 3 under came halfway leader Juli Inkster (73) and Lorena Ochoa (74).
Slump
Having been in a slump during the past three years, Steinhauer mastered the Lytham links while Michelle Wie and Annika Sorenstam, two of the leading contenders coming into the tournament, finished way back.
Wie shot her third 2-over 74 in a row to finish at 6-over 294 and has failed to break par in her last seven rounds in majors. Sorenstam, winner of last month's U.S. Open among her 10 majors, had a back nine of 44 and finished with a 79 for a 7-over 295.
Steinhauer, who defied torrential showers in a short-sleeved shirt and white Bermuda shorts, played almost flawless golf in her final round at Lytham. She found almost every fairway and only went into a bunker at the last.
Kerr came within a stroke of the leader after 15, but lost her chance when her second shot went through the green at the 16th and she made a bogey. She also finished with a double-bogey six after taking two to get out of a fairway bunker.
"I had a lapse of concentration of the 16th hole," Kerr said. "Sometimes you know where you are aiming but sometimes, at the last minute, you move it mentally. I ended up blocking it and getting a bad kick and making bogey."
Gustafson also cut Steinhauer's lead to one with birdies at the first and fourth holes only for the American to respond with a 6-foot birdie putt to restore her two-stroke advantage.
