It was a perfect swansong for Denmark’s Iben Tinning who reserved her best for last. The former European champion, playing her last competitive event, made a solid charge down the stretch to win the 2010 Omega Dubai Ladies Masters at the Emirates Golf Club on Saturday.
The genial Dane, 36, couldn’t have asked for a better finish to a career spanning 15 years when she sunk a 20-footer for a birdie for a back-to-back 69 to go 11-under for the tournament, a good two shots ahead of second-placed Anna Nordqvist of Sweden and three of England’s Melissa Reid, who gave her good fight before fading away in the closing stages.
“It was just great. When my coach came in, he started crying and then I started crying and it was just unbearable. You know, I was really happy that they took the time because I could breathe a little bit and try to calm myself,” said Tinning.
“I don’t really know how I made that putt but I just tried to get it somewhere down there and it was just fantastic to make it and know for sure, this is the end of it, and I finished with a holed put, it’s just great.”
First round leader Florentyna Parker of England and Christina Kim of the United States were tied for the fourth on six under 282.
The tournament’s top-draw Michelle Wie made a stunning charge up the leaderboard with a bogey-free 67 – the final day’s best score – but still came up short and had to settle for tied fifth place along with defending champion In-Kyung Kim of South Korea.
Yeah, I’m just happy to be done. I’m happy I made it through. It’s been a little bit of a struggle this week but I was really happy to end on a really good note,” said Wie after shooting her best round of the tournament.
“I just didn’t feel as healthy as I wanted to this year. I feel like I’ve been struggling with a lot of injuries this year, so one of my main goals for next year is to be healthy and to be strong and to be able to try and show my best ability,” said the American who will take some positives from her performances in Dubai after returning from injury.
“I think I can take a lot of confidence and enjoy my time off a little bit and get back really into it, train hard and practice harder so I can become a way better putter next year.”
Kim did not leave Dubai empty handed, winning The Ryder Cup Wales Rookie of the Year.
“I’m really excited to win the Rookie of the Year, because I’ve tried on the LPGA Tour once a couple of years ago, and I’m not really rookie, but it’s really there’s only one chance you get, all your career, and then I won here, so it’s kind of like, lucky me,” said the Korean who is targeting a Major next year.
“It’s always been my kind of top of the list, win a Major, but mostly I’m happy with my life and hopefully I learned something on the way towards the Majors and then if I went I mean, you know, that would be great. But any win, any tournament I think it has its own meaning. This tournament (Omega Dubai Ladies Masters) is one of my favourites, and the Majors,” she said.
Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, presented the elegant trophy to Tinning. Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Vice Chairman and CEO of ‘golf in Dubai’, Raynald Aeschlimann, Vice President, OMEGA, and Mohamed Yahya of Dubal were also present.
It was a fairytale ending to Tinning’s career that held the spotlight. With her husband Lasse in the bag, Tinning made the turn tied for the lead with Melissa Reid at nine under, but back-to-back birdies on the 10th and 11th saw her establish a clear three-shot lead as Reid bogeyed the 10th.
Reid, the winner of the Turkish Airlines Open, however, refused to give up. She birdied the 13th to narrow the gap to two and then a bogey on the 15th by Tinning further reduced her lead to just one shot with three holes to play. Tinning held firm when it mattered most to seal the title in style while Reid dropped three shots in the back nine for a closing 72.
That mistake-laden back nine by Reid allowed Nordqvist, who shot a 70 with a birdie in each half, to move to the second place. But, in the end, it was Tinning who came out with a grin of pride lighting up her face.
“I just can’t believe it that I have won. The feeling is just amazing,” said Tinning who is stepping out of competitive golf to what she called “balance life and family” after spending so many years on the tour. “I really tried to keep strong out there and it was tough sometimes.
“Winning my last tournament is kind of a great gift for all those who helped me in shaping my career – my parents, my husband, everybody. I have no plans to reconsider my decision of retiring. It’s really not an option. I am on so many painkillers and playing golf is no more fun,” who received a cheque for euro 75,000 for her efforts.
“Winning in Dubai had been my main goal and that has been accomplished. My next goal is get a diploma in psychotherapy. That’s main thing at the moment.”
With three top ten finishes from four previous appearances in Dubai, the tournament holds a special place in her heart and she will remember the tearful ending to her 2007 campaign when she tied for second behind Annika Sorenstam.
“I would say, Dubai 2007 that was pretty hard to get over. It took me a while to get over. That was one of the worst experiences, but also a great one, because I was really there and I could have taken that trophy at the time. This is definitely a big, big thing for me on my favourite golf course and one of my favourite destinations and it’s just amazing,” said Tinning.
Her title hopes drowned in the lake as her ball found the water in front of the 18th green resulting in a double bogey, but, as she said on Friday, that she believed in fairytale endings.
“I’m still going to retire. My hip has not been any better this week. I’m going to see a guy back home who I hope can fix me but I can’t really see myself playing that much golf anymore. I’m really happy with the finish, and I don’t want to play that many tournaments anymore,” said Tinning when asked whether she would change her mind about calling it a day.
“I want to have a more normal life with my family and my son really has a hard time when I leave, so, you know, I want to be with him and I want to try something else in my life. So I’m pretty happy with it to be honest.”
Indeed, winning the last event of her career and that too in a field which comprised big guns like Michelle Wie, In-Kyung Kim and Laura Davies was nothing short of a fairytale.
Lee-Anne Pace won the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit, fending off a challenge from England’s Laura Davies.
The 29-year-old Pace is the first South African to top the women’s money list and is targeting the Majors next season.
“I’m thinking of a little bit bigger, not a lot…I want to go and really work hard for a Major. Next year I think I’m very capable of doing it. If I win five tournaments, I think it’s possible to do that,” she said
Although she struggled to an 11-over total of 299 in Dubai on Saturday, the 56th-ranked Pace won her first tournament on the tour in Switzerland in June and then four more to take the money lead.
“Five wins is much more than I expected from me. I really wanted to start off winning in the year, and then to get close to the Money List in the middle of the year just spurred me on a little bit more. To have a different goal in mind and then to do it is an amazing feeling,” she said although disappointed not to finish well in Dubai.
“It’s been a long season. Obviously today to finish not so well, it wasn’t very good for me. But I’m glad the year is done and I’m relaxed and can go home and go on a holiday.”
Davies, who stood second in the money list coming into Dubai, needed a top-two finish to overtake Pace. But she shot a 3-over 75 on the first day to effectively end the title race.
“The first day killed me. I shot 3 over and could have been 10 over. I did really well to hang onto anything like a score, and the last three days I did really well. Barring the triple bogey on eight on the second round, I would have shot under par every round; if I had just shot 1 or 2 under the first day, that’s not too far off the leaders at the moment,” said Davies, 47, arguably one of the all-time greats from Great Britain.
Davies finished with a 1-over total of 289 which puts her in a tie for 19th with 12 players still out on the course.
“Absolutely, yeah, you know, she’s the one that when I went ahead of her after Spain, she hit back with two wins and you just can’t say enough about that. That’s worthy of being the Money List being this year and all well done to her,” said Davies congratulating Pace on her meteoric rise.
Final round scores in the 500,000 euro Dubai Ladies Masters tournament at the Majlis course of Emirates Golf Club on Saturday (par 72):
277 - Iben Tinning (DEN) 70-69-69-69
279 - Anna Nordqvist (SWE) 70-68-71-70
280 - Melissa Reid (ENG) 70-70-68-72
282 - Florentyna Parker (ENG) 67-75-72-68, Christina Kim (USA) 73-68-72-69
283 - Michelle Wie (USA) 71-72-73-67, In Kyung Kim (KOR) 69-75-71-68
284 - Lydia Hall (WAL) 70-67-72-75
285 - Julieta Granada (PAR) 69-74-72-70
286 - Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 73-69-73-71, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 69-71-74-72, Stefanie Michl (AUT) 71-73-70-72, Louise Stahle (SWE) 73-72-68-73
287 - Caroline Masson (GER) 75-69-71-72
288 - Becky Morgan (WAL) 74-71-72-71, Georgina Simpson (ENG) 74-71-72-71, Maria Hernandez (ESP) 70-72-72-74, Rebecca Flood (AUS) 73-72-69-74
289 - Linda Wessberg (SWE) 74-72-74-69, Kaura Davies (ENG) 75-73-71-70, Morgana Robbertze (RSA) 69-72-75-73
290 - Carin Koch (SWE) 73-74-73-70, Alexi Thompson (USA) 73-74-72-71, Bo-Mi Suh (KOR) 69-73-76-72, Julie Greciet (FRA) 70-73-75-72, Carling Coffing (USA) 70-71-75-74, Emma Cabrera-Bello (ESP) 71-73-72-74, Felicity Johnson (ENG) 70-73-72-75.
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