Stupples returns to the winners' enclosure

LET TOUR: ENGLAND'S Karen Stupples capped a frustrating year with victory at the S4C Wales Ladies Championship of Europe yesterday.

The 36-year-old from Deal in Kent secured a one-stroke win at Royal St David’s Golf Club in Harlech, North Wales.

Rounds of 69, 71, 66 and 70 saw her finish at 12-under-par 276, one ahead of the overnight leader, South Korean Amy Yang.

It was Stupples’ first win since the 2004 Women’s British Open at Sunningdale and her third title in 11 years as a professional.

She felt she had a point to prove having missed seven of 14 cuts this year on the US-based LPGA Tour. Her troubles started in March, when she had surgery to remove her appendix and took four weeks off from golf.

“It’s been quite a traumatic year, physically and mentally,” she said. She also had ongoing problems with the veins in her legs, which restricted the amount of time she could spend practising.

Her pedigree shone through over the tough, sea-side links course, when she birdied her opening two holes to catch Yang, adding further birdies at the fourth and eighth holes.

Three strokes clear at the turn, she dropped a shot at the tough par-four 10th, but recovered with a birdie on the 13th. Having not won for five years, her nerves started to show over the last few holes and she bogeyed the 16th and 18th; just enough to hang on to the win and the €60,375 first prize.

“I tried to let it go on the last few holes there but fortunately I managed to hold on with all the nails I had,” said Stupples.

Third-placed Katherine Hull of Australia will fly home after a strong showing. She fired a final round of 69 to finish at nine-under-par 279 and said: “I’m really pleased with the front nine but I couldn’t get anything going on the back so it’s kind of bitter-sweet right now.”

Becky Brewerton of Wales carded a final round of 71 and finished at eight-under-par in fourth place, with England’s Melissa Reid and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist a stroke further back in a share of fifth.

Rebecca Coakley finished in a tie for 15th place on two-under-par 286 after rounds of 74, 69, 71 and a level-par 72 while Martina Gillen, after rounds of 75, 72 and 75, failed to build on an eagle at the first hole in a final round of 73 for a seven-over-par total of 295.