Eberl digs deep to win Nykredit Masters

Germany s Martina Eberl overcame a six shot deficit to claim a one stroke victory at the Nykredit Masters in Denmark on Sunday.

The 27-year-old from Munich finished with a final round of seven-under-par 66 with a 54-hole, 14-under-par total, at Simon s Golf Club.

Second round leader Melissa Reid of England was runner up at 13-under-par after closing with a level par 73.

Annika Sorenstam, playing in her last tournament in Europe before stepping away from tournament golf at the end of the year, took third place on nine-under after a closing 71.

Eberl caught Reid after six birdies in her first 15 holes and was two shots ahead of the 20-year-old rookie after further birdies on holes 16 and 17. After a five minute wait on the last tee, Eberl pulled her tee shot into trees on the left and took a further four shots to hit the green.

Reid missed a five foot birdie chance before Eberl sank her bogey putt from five feet for the win and avoided a playoff.

On 18, I found my ball in the trees and I m glad I have a great caddie who tells me that a bogey is enough, said Eberl, who admitted that she had wanted to go for the green, before her caddie Paul Vincent-Fernie advised her to lay-up. I am really happy that Paul kept his head cool because mine was a little bit too hot in that moment. It was a great day and I enjoyed playing with Annika for three rounds.

It was Eberl's third victory on the Ladies European Tour inside 12 months and her second of the 2008 season after winning the BMW Ladies Italian Open in July.

I ll go to America next week and try to qualify for the LPGA, said the sixth year LET player. It is another confidence boost and what I needed. It s a good set for the next few weeks with Arras and Madrid coming up. Eberl will defend her maiden LET title at the Madrid Ladies Masters in a month s time.

Reid accepted her third runner-up spot of the season, after second places in the Netherlands and England. It s a bit annoying but I played really badly today. I hit two of three really good shots and that s it. I m 20 years old and I want to win so badly that I probably need to stay more patient and shoot lower, Reid said.

Sorenstam carded three birdies and one three-putt bogey in her final round but missed multiple opportunities. I played well and hit the ball beautifully but Martina played better today, said Sorenstam. You can only do what you can do and it wasn t enough. The difference was that Martina used her birdie chances. I think it has been a really nice tournament and I m glad that I came here to play with Iben (Tinning).

I wasn t thinking about it being my last tournament in Europe throughout the round as I was focused on my game but at the last hole I was thinking Now it comes to an end.

Sorenstam now returns home to America and will play in her final event at the Dubai Ladies Masters in December.

Denmark s Iben Tinning was fourth on eight-under after closing with a 71, while her compatriot Julie Tvede shared sixth with England s Laura Davies, Beth Allen of the United States and two-time LET winner Lotta Wahlin of Sweden on five-under-par.

Davies will defend at next week s UNIQA Ladies Golf Open, presented by Raiffeisen, in Austria, from September 11-14.

Nykredit Masters Simons Golf Club 5th - 7th September 2008 Final Scoreboard

205 - Martina Eberl (GER) 66 73 66

206 - Melissa Reid (ENG) 67 66 73

210 - Annika Sorenstam (SWE) 71 68 71

211 - Iben Tinning (DEN) 70 70 71

214 - Julie Tvede (DEN) 75 71 68, Laura Davies (ENG) 73 72 69, Lotta Wahlin (SWE) 70 74 70, Beth Allen (USA) 72 70 72

215 - Anja Monke (GER) 72 74 69, Carmen Alonso (ESP) 73 72 70, Denise-Charlotte Becker (GER) 68 76 71, Becky Brewerton (WAL) 72 72 71, Nina Reis (SWE) 71 72 72, Johanna Westerberg (SWE) 72 68 75

216 - Lisa Hall (ENG) 78 69 69, Sofia Renell (SWE) 72 74 70, Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) 73 71 72, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 72 72 72, Miriam Nagl (GER) 70 74 72, Emma Zackrisson (SWE) 69 74 73

217 - Kirsty S Taylor (ENG) 69 80 68, Clare Queen (SCO) 69 78 70, Elisabeth Esterl (GER) 73 74 70, Laura Terebey (USA) 74 70 73

218 - Nikki Garrett (AUS) 68 81 69, Veronica Zorzi (ITA) 70 76 72, Lydia Hall (WAL) 75 71 72

219 - Eva Steinberger (AUT) 79 70 70, Rebecca Hudson (ENG) 72 76 71, Amanda Moltke-Leth (DEN) 76 72 71, Jenna Wilson (SCO) 74 74 71, Mianne Bagger (DEN) 74 72 73, Elena Giraud (FRA) 72 72 75, Frances Bondad (AUS) 72 72 75, Margherita Rigon (ITA) 71 72 76, Georgina Simpson (ENG) 71 71 77, Tania Elosegui (ESP) 72 70 77

220 - Cecilie Lundgreen (NOR) 75 74 71, Felicity Johnson (ENG) 78 71 71, Sarah Nicholson (NZ) 74 75 71, Stacy Lee Bregman (SA) 75 73 72, KM Juul (DEN) 70 77 73

221 - Anna Rawson (AUS) 74 75 72, Sophie Walker (ENG) 73 76 72, Wendy Berger (AUS) 71 76 74, Bettina Hauert (GER) 71 73 77

222 - Lee-Anne Pace (SA) 78 71 73, Nathalie David-Mila (FRA) 75 74 73, Karen Lunn (AUS) 74 74 74

223 - Ludivine Kreutz (FRA) 75 74 74, Laurette Maritz (SA) 77 70 76, Kaisa Ruuttila (FIN) 73 73 77, Lynn Kenny (SCO) 73 73 77

224 - Lynn Brooky (NZ) 76 72 76, Ellen Smets (BEL) 74 74 76

225 - Jade Schaeffer (FRA) 74 75 76, Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) 75 73 77

226 - Jehanne Jail (FRA) 74 75 77, Stephanie Arricau (FRA) 74 74 78

227 - Kate Combes (AUS) 74 74 79