PHOTO GALLERY 2009                                                                              SCORESHEET
PHOTO GALLERY 2008 
PHOTO GALLERY 2007                                                    

Gurgaon, February 27: Pornanong Phatlum overcame a stiff challenge from Korea’s Hae Jung Kim to successfully defend her title at the DLF Women’s Indian Open 2009 which concluded at the par-72 DLF Golf & Country Club here today. Pornanong fired in a round of four-under 68 and with a tournament tally of eight-under 208, romped home to her third title win on the Ladies Asian Golf Tour and her first of 2009. For her efforts, the winner was richer by USD 12,750.

After missing out on defending the Thailand Ladies Open last week, Pornanong succeeded in defending the title at DLF Women’s Indian Open.

Kim Hae Jung, it was a near miss for the second week in succession after she lost in a play-off to Onnarin Sattayabanphot last week at the Thailand Ladies Open. Hae Jung who shot her third straight round of 70, finished two strokes behind the winner at six-under 210. Thailand’s Titiya Plucksataporn finished third at 219 while Korea’s Mi Ri Joo occupied the fourth place at 220.

Nalini Singh emerged the best Indian player, finishing tied-11th at six-over 222.
Smriti Mehra finished tied-26 at 228 while Saaniya Sharma finished tied-37th at 233.

Pornanong’s round commenced with a birdie but she gave that shot back on the fifth. A birdie on the eighth saw her turn in one-under and another birdie on the tenth made it two-under for her. Birdies on the 15th and 17th and rest pars saw her end the final day at four-under and romp home a comfortable winner in eight-under 208, two shots clear of Kim, who shot 70 on each of the three days.

Kim birdied the first, eighth, 12th and 16th and she dropped shots on ninth and 14th.

Nalini Singh, who won a Hero Honda scooty for finishing as the top ranked Indian in the field, didn’t play too adventurous a brand of golf today. The 19-year old began with a couple of pars before birdying the third. This was undone by a bogey on the seventh but Nalini held on and made the turn at even par. “I had decided to play percentage golf today and this is what I attempted to do even in the back-nine,” said the second ranked golfer on the 2008-09 DLA Women’s Professional Golf Tour. But for a bogey on the 16th, Nalini’s would have finished far higher than the tied 11th position she came to settle at.

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