Golf: De Lorenzi delight

MARIE-LAURE de Lorenzi, who turned down a reserve place in Europe's Solheim Cup side because she had lost her confidence, regained it in style by winning the Spanish Open at La Manga yesterday.

The French golfer beat Sweden's Sofia Gronberg- Whitmore at the second play- off hole. De Lorenzi, two strokes behind with only six holes to play, rallied to catch the Swede at six under par on 282, two strokes clear of Denmark's Karina Orum.

De Lorenzi reduced her deficit with a birdie at the long 13th and then drew level at the 16th, where Gronberg- Whitmore three-putted. After halving the 443-yard 18th, the first play-off hole, they returned to the tee and De Lorenzi completed her 15th Tour victory with a bogey six after Gronberg-Whitmore, in a hazard off the tee, then hit her third shot into the water.

It was another errant shot into the water which cost the Swede a two-stroke penalty in the third round, when she grounded her club. 'I am terrified of snakes and I was banging my club in front of me as I walked down the bank. It was a stupid mistake,' said Gronberg-Whitmore, who called the penalty on herself.

Britain's Trish Johnson was the best finisher of the five Solheim Cup players in the field, when a closing round of 70 left her in fourth place.

SPANISH WOMEN'S OPEN (La Manga) Leading final-round scores (GB or Irl unless stated): 282 M-L de Lorenzi (Fr) 71 72 68 71; S Gronberg-Whitmore (Swe) 68 69 73 72 (De Lorenzi won at second extra hole). 284 K Orum (Den) 70 72 70 72. 285 T Johnson 72 70 73 70. 286 D Dowling 72 73 71 70; L Lambert 72 76 69 69. 287 D Reid 73 70 73 71; L Tadiotto (Bel) 72 70 73 72. 288 L Fairclough 77 72 69 70; L Hackney 73 73 71 71; A Arruti (Sp) 73 72 71 72. 289 L Navarro (Sp) 78 72 69 70; P Meunier (Fr) 70 75 71 73; K Parker (US) 72 74 69 74. 290 P Rigby (Swe) 71 77 71 71; S Mendiburu (Fr) 69 74 72 75; N Moult 75 72 71 72. 291 C Matthew 71 77 74 69; J Arnold (NZ) 75 69 74 73; J Forbes 77 73 66 75. 292 C Panton-Lewis 75 72 74 71; S Prosser 73 73 74 72; P Grice-Whittaker 75 74 73 70. 293 A Radford 76 71 74 72; D Petrizzi (US) 75 75 72 71; I Maconi (It) 70 76 76 71; M Hageman (Neth) 72 72 75 74; C Nilsmark (Swe) 70 80 69 74. 294 D Barnard 74 73 74 73; C Dibnah (Aus) 77 74 70 73; S Hodge 71 77 72 74; A Nicholas 75 74 73 72. 295 T Yarwood 72 79 71 73; B Pestana (SA) 75 74 73 73; M McKinlay 77 74 69 75; S Moon (US) 72 79 69 75; W Doolan 76 74 73 72; F Dassu (It) 71 75 73 76.