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Johannesburg - South African golfer Lee-Anne Pace ended a three year trophy drought with a one-stroke victory at the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open at the National Golf Club in Belek, Antalya, in Turkey on Sunday.
Pace fired a final round one under 72 to end the Ladies European Tour (LET) event on three under par 289, one shot ahead the trio of Minea Blomqvist of Finland, Charley Hull of England and Carlota Ciganda of Spain.
Playing in the second last group, Pace had a nervous wait to see if a playoff would be forced.
“My heart stopped for a while, for a beat, but you know, if it happens, it happens," Pace told the LET after her round.
"We may have had to go to a play-off but I was just hitting some putts and trying not to look.
The win also came as a welcome relief for Pace.
“It's so nice to win again. It's been a while and to do it again is fantastic.”
The Turkish course provided a stern test for the entire field according to Pace.
"It's definitely one of the toughest golf courses, also because the greens get quite a lot harder at the end of the week, and quicker.
"It's a very tight golf course so of course you have to keep the ball in play.”
Pace last tasted victory on the LET in 2010 in October at the Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open in China.
In 2010 Pace won a total of five tournaments and finished as the leader in earnings at the end of the season to claim the Order of Merit title.
The win also signifies Pace's sixth on tour.
After rounds of 70, 77 and 70 Pace began the last day two behind the leaders.
In difficult scoring conditions on the par 73 layout, the 32-year-old Pace was off to the perfect start with a birdie two on her second hole.
Pace picked up another shot at the par four fourth hole, before churning out the pars up to the turn - which she made in a bogey free two under.
Pace dropped her first shot at the par three 11th but struck straight back with a birdie on the par five 12th.
Another bogey followed at the par-five 14th, but Pace was able to hold her nerve with four pars in a row to take the title.
Final scores:
289 - Lee-Anne Pace (RSA) 70 77 70 72
290 - Charley Hull (ENG) 75 71 69 75, Carlota Ciganda (ESP) 69 74 72 75, Minea Blomqvist (FIN) 75 75 70 70
291 - Christel Boeljon (NED) 71 78 67 75
292 - Holly Clyburn (ENG) 74 71 75 72, Eleanor Givens (ENG) 72 73 74 73, Florentyna Parker (ENG) 74 71 72 75, Trish Johnson (ENG) 71 71 75 75
293 - Linda Wessberg (SWE) 72 77 70 74, Vikki Laing (SCO) 77 73 68 75
294 - Line Vedel (DEN) 76 76 71 71, Laura Davies (ENG) 72 70 78 74, Sarah Kemp (AUS) 70 79 71 74, Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 81 71 70 72
296 - Carmen Alonso (ESP) 70 72 79 75
303 - Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA) 77 73 78 75
307 - Morgana Robbertze (RSA) 75 76 81 75
Pace fired a final round one under 72 to end the Ladies European Tour (LET) event on three under par 289, one shot ahead the trio of Minea Blomqvist of Finland, Charley Hull of England and Carlota Ciganda of Spain.
Playing in the second last group, Pace had a nervous wait to see if a playoff would be forced.
“My heart stopped for a while, for a beat, but you know, if it happens, it happens," Pace told the LET after her round.
"We may have had to go to a play-off but I was just hitting some putts and trying not to look.
The win also came as a welcome relief for Pace.
“It's so nice to win again. It's been a while and to do it again is fantastic.”
The Turkish course provided a stern test for the entire field according to Pace.
"It's definitely one of the toughest golf courses, also because the greens get quite a lot harder at the end of the week, and quicker.
"It's a very tight golf course so of course you have to keep the ball in play.”
Pace last tasted victory on the LET in 2010 in October at the Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open in China.
In 2010 Pace won a total of five tournaments and finished as the leader in earnings at the end of the season to claim the Order of Merit title.
The win also signifies Pace's sixth on tour.
After rounds of 70, 77 and 70 Pace began the last day two behind the leaders.
In difficult scoring conditions on the par 73 layout, the 32-year-old Pace was off to the perfect start with a birdie two on her second hole.
Pace picked up another shot at the par four fourth hole, before churning out the pars up to the turn - which she made in a bogey free two under.
Pace dropped her first shot at the par three 11th but struck straight back with a birdie on the par five 12th.
Another bogey followed at the par-five 14th, but Pace was able to hold her nerve with four pars in a row to take the title.
Final scores:
289 - Lee-Anne Pace (RSA) 70 77 70 72
290 - Charley Hull (ENG) 75 71 69 75, Carlota Ciganda (ESP) 69 74 72 75, Minea Blomqvist (FIN) 75 75 70 70
291 - Christel Boeljon (NED) 71 78 67 75
292 - Holly Clyburn (ENG) 74 71 75 72, Eleanor Givens (ENG) 72 73 74 73, Florentyna Parker (ENG) 74 71 72 75, Trish Johnson (ENG) 71 71 75 75
293 - Linda Wessberg (SWE) 72 77 70 74, Vikki Laing (SCO) 77 73 68 75
294 - Line Vedel (DEN) 76 76 71 71, Laura Davies (ENG) 72 70 78 74, Sarah Kemp (AUS) 70 79 71 74, Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 81 71 70 72
296 - Carmen Alonso (ESP) 70 72 79 75
303 - Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA) 77 73 78 75
307 - Morgana Robbertze (RSA) 75 76 81 75
