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Hauert and Rawson both had eagle putts to take the outright lead at the 72nd hole but neither managed to get them to drop.
All three players birdied the first extra hole. Rawson hit her approach shot wide but was on the green in three and was the first to roll in her long birdie putt. Hauert then rolled in her 15 footer before Marti responded by converting hers.
All three headed back to the 18th tee for the second extra hole. Rawson reached the back of the green in two but left her chip shot short and then two putted for par. Hauert played an excellent bunker shot to two feet and sank the birdie putt. Marti, who had nearly hit the pin with her third shot, then holed her 20 foot birdie putt. With Rawson out of the competition, Hauert and Marti both birdied the third extra hole. Marti chipped her third shot stone dead while Hauert rolled in a long 12 foot putt to rapturous applause.
At the fourth extra hole, Marti found trouble off the tee and was forced to lay up in front of the water protecting the front of the green. However she hit her third shot to five feet. Hauert was on in two and missed her eagle putt. Marti, the more experienced player, then missed her birdie putt and Hauert holed her birdie putt from four feet.
“I’m okay. I’m very happy,” said Marti, who won both of the previous two play-offs in which she had competed, at the 2001 La Perla Italian Open and the 2002 ALPG Championship.
“I haven’t played in a year and my expectations weren’t high. You never know where you’re going to be in a play-off. I played three very good holes and then just made a par but she played very well and was very consistent. It’s good for my confidence. I know I can win again and I know it will come one day soon.” Marti gave birth to her son Izan not 11 months ago, in July 2006.
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| Paula Marti |
Following her victory, Hauert seized the outright lead in the New Star Money List with total earnings of €93,256.10 from five events. She also earned 60 Solheim Cup points and moved into fifth place on The 2007 European Solheim Cup Team standings, just inside the cut-off point for automatic qualification. The top five players from the standings qualify for the European Team, followed by the next four players on the Rolex World Rankings and three Captain’s Selections.
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