Yani Tseng became the youngest woman to win a fifth Major title after capturing the Women’s British Open by four strokes from Brittany Lang on Sunday and immediately declared her intention to win more.
“It’s so great making history on this golf course [Carnoustie] and I feel wonderful right now,” Tseng said. “It feels really good and I hope to keep winning. Next year there are another four Majors and I will try and organise and keep working hard.”
The 22-year-old Taiwanese shot a 3-under 69 to total 16-under 272 after trailing overnight leader Caroline Masson of Germany by two strokes entering the final round.
The top-ranked Tseng claimed her second successive British title, while Masson crashed to a closing 78 to finish in a share of fifth place.
“She will learn from her mistakes and every great player goes through that,” Tseng told the Press Association. “It’s not a big deal. You try your best and I’ve lost lots of times too.”
Tseng dropped a shot at the first with three putts from 9m, missing a three-footer for par. She birdied the third with a pitching wedge to two feet and the long sixth with a chip to 1.5m from just short of the green to be out in 35.
“I was a little nervous before the start but then I hit a good tee shot and I felt good,” Tseng said. “Having been in this position in a Major a few times before, I am getting more mature and can handle the pressure better.”
Dropped shots
Playing alongside Masson, who was out in 39, Tseng had taken a firm grip by the turn. She was just short of the green off the tee at the par four 11th and took two putts for a birdie but then dropped a shot at two successive holes. She hit an 8-iron over the back of the green at 12 and then hit the pin off the tee on the short 13th but her ball came to rest on the edge of a bunker. She had to stand in the sand to play her second.
Tseng birdied the long 14th, where she hit her 4-iron second to 6m, then closed with two birdies, holing from 6m on the 17th and hitting a majestic 9-iron to 90cm at the last.
Masson also finished with two birdies but had fallen into the pack, dropping four shots in the first three holes on the way home.
Lang shot a closing 67 to finish on 276, one ahead of Sweden’s Sophie Gustafson, who had a final round 68. Korean Amy Yang, alone in fourth, also posted a 67.
Masson finished on 9-under alongside home favourite Catriona Matthew, the 2009 champion, who had a double bogey six on the final hole after pulling her second shot to the green out of bounds.
‘Flawless golf’
Lang, who was in a share of sixth overnight — eight behind Masson — picked up just one stroke by the turn but the American bagged four birdies at numbers 11, 12, 14 and 17.
“I played great today,” Lang said. “I made some really big par putts early on and from then on played fairly flawless golf.
Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist finished in a share of seventh place on 280 alongside Koreans Sun Young Yoo, Na Yeon Choi and Inbee Pak.
American Stacy Lewis moved up the leaderboard with a 4-under 68, going from a share of 22nd overnight to a share of eleventh on 7-under 281.
Sweden’s Maria Hjorth was alone in 13th on 282 after a 68 and Americans Katie Futcher and Cristie Kerr were in a group a stroke further back. Futcher — in a share of 64th overnight — equalled the best round of the week with an 8-under 64, including an eagle at the long 14th, followed by three birdies to be back in 29.
Kerr had four birdies and no dropped shots for a 68 to end 5-under.
Paula Creamer went backwards from the start — dropping five strokes in the first five holes to be out in 40 — then dropped three more on the back nine for a closing 79.
Brittany Lincicome shot 73 to finish on 287 as did first round leader Meena Lee, whose closing 74 shots was nine worse than her opening 65 on Thursday. — Sapa-AP