Seven birdies in 12 holes give Tseng win in Women’s Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia — Taiwan’s Yani Tseng won the Women’s Australian Open on Sunday, birdieing seven of the last 12 holes for a bogey-free 7-under 66 and a three-stroke victory over 2009 winner Laura Davies. The sixth-ranked Tseng, the 2008 LPGA Championship winner, had a 9-under 283 total on the Commonwealth Golf Club course. She opened with rounds of 74, 71 and 72 to begin the day four strokes behind third-round leader Karrie Webb. “It was very exciting, my whole body is still shaking,” Tseng said before the trophy presentation. “My heart is still at over 200 beats a minute. I just felt I needed to get some more birdies coming home, and it worked out.” She birdied the final two holes and hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation. Davies, the 46-year-old English star who won the New Zealand Women’s Open on Feb. 28 for her 73rd worldwide title, birdied the final hole for a 71. Webb, the four-time winner who won her seventh Australian Ladies Masters title last week with a closing 61 at Royal Pines, had a 74 to finish third at 5 under. The Australian star missed three birdie putts inside 4 feet on the back nine. Webb started the day with a one-shot lead over Italy’s Giulia Sergas and began with two birdies. “I got off to a really great start and was feeling really good,” Webb said. “I played a couple of scrappy holes on five and seven and really lost a lot of momentum. “I just didn’t hit it as good after that for some reason. I didn’t trust myself as much as I would have liked and then the putts just weren’t going in. Seven under is an incredible score around here today.” Australia’s Katherine Hull (72) and Sergas (74) tied for fourth at 4 under. Alexis Thompson, the 15-year-old U.S. amateur star, closed with a 74 to tie for 16th at 3 over.