Golf: Pak leads Korean 1-2 finish at women's British Open

South Korean Se-ri Pak came from five shots behind to win the women's British Open golf championship at Sunningdale yesterday.

Pak, who notched up her third victory in a major, fired a 66 for an 11-under-par winning total of 277 and the first prize of £155,000 ($537,820).

She led a Korean one-two for the first time in a major, finishing two strokes in front of Kim Mi-hyun.

Briton Catriona Matthew, the overnight leader, carded a disappointing final round one-over-par 73 to drop back into third place on eight under. Matthew tied with fellow Scot Janice Moodie, Denmark's Iben Tinning and American Laura Diaz, who set a scorching pace earlier in the day when she birdied the first six holes.

World No 1 Karrie Webb of Australia finished five under par after a disappointing final round of 74. No 2 Annika Sorenstam of Sweden went round in 69 yesterday, but her improved form came too late; she finished only one under par.

Pak, who won both the LPGA championship and US Open in 1998, made a perfect start with an eagle at the par five opening hole, hitting a three wood to 10 feet, but eight pars followed to turn in 34.

The 23-year-old from Daejeon got a lucky break at the 455-yard par five 10th.

A drive into the thick heather could have cost Pak her fourth win of the year. Instead, she negotiated a seven wood into the greenside bunker, splashed out to five feet and rolled the putt home for a birdie.

Despite three putting the 14th for a par, birdies from three and four feet on the 17th and 18th respectively - two of the most treacherous holes on the course - saw her post the lead five groups ahead of Matthew.

The 24-year-old Kim had birdies at the tenth and 14th in a flawless back nine, closing with a one under par 71.

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Colin Montgomerie won his third Scandinavian Masters title after a nail-biting finale at Barseback, Malmo, yesterday, keeping out fellow Britons Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter by a stroke.

Montgomerie bogeyed the last two holes, but Westwood failed to find the birdie on the last that would have taken the pair into a playoff and Montgomerie's two-under-par 70 for a 14-under-par 274 total was just enough to claim the $US262,000 ($633,922) first prize.

The Scot's win also earned him 300,000 Ryder Cup points and ended any lingering doubts about his Ryder Cup place.

New Zealand pair Michael Campbell and Stephen Scahill had contrasting final rounds. Campbell shot a 69 to finish in a share of the 13th spot, at 278, four strokes behind Montgomerie. Scahill fell over with a disastrous 78 to finish on 289.

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A spectacular final three holes by Australian Noel Ratcliffe yesterday denied New Zealand's Simon Owen any chance of his first European Seniors Tour victory.

Ratcliffe came from three shots behind with as many holes to go to win the De Vere Hotels Seniors Classic at Slayley Hall in Northumberland, England.

Hawkes Bay's Barry Vivian turned in a last round 68 to climb into a tie for 10th on 211, five-under-par.

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Tom Pernice jun won his second career US PGA Tour golf title, steadying himself after successive bogeys on the back nine to win The International at Castle Rock, Colorado, yesterday.

- AGENCIES