Kirk to miss a ’home event’
IN-FORM Katherine Kirk has no Queensland tournament to play this summer now top women’s golf has sadly vanished from the Gold Coast.
The worst fears about last year’s clumsy termination of the Australian Ladies Masters has come to pass with a stop at Royal Pines dropping off the calendar altogether for 2018.
The Australian Ladies Professional Golf body talked up staging a $400,000-plus event in the February, 2017 slot after ties were cut with Masters chairman Bob Tuohy and his storied event.
A $150,000 Gold Coast Challenge was whistled up with no television partner and no Ladies European Tour status but plenty of goodwill from top players last February.
The loyal Kirk still flew home from the US to play in it, finished fourth and spoke openly that it would be a sad day if her home state ever lost its showcase event.
“It’s a shame,” ALPG boss Karen Lunn said.
“We worked really hard to create an event but the timing close to the Commonwealth Games fed into a lack of support generally.”
Kirk (66-69-70) has rediscovered superb form and yesterday finished in a close tie for third in the rain at the Evian Championship, the major staged in France.
She crowned her run with a super hybrid to 1.5m at the last for a birdie to finish one shot behind playoff victor Anna Nordqvist.
Nordqvist beat unheralded American Brittany Altomare in a playoff under driving rain and hail at the first extra hole to win. Kirk and New Zealander Lydia Ko were tied for third with Moriya Jutanugarn, one shot back at eight-under.
Nordqvist sank a four-foot putt for bogey five on the soaked 18th hole while 102ndranked Altomare had a six.
The 30-year-old Swede earned $547,500 for winning her first major since the 2009 LPGA Championship.
Nordqvist and Altomare both shot five-under-par 66 in their final round for nineunder totals of 204. It was a 54hole event after weatheraffected play.
KIRK will have a new Aussie face with her on next season’s LPGA Tour after Perth’s Hannah Green won the second-tier El Dorado Shootout in Arkansas with a fine closing 64.