Rosales third, pockets P2.05 million in ANZ

Though she failed in her title bid, Jenny Rosales succeeded in launching her 2004 season on a brilliant note, finishing a strong third in the rich ANZ Ladies Masters with a closing four-under 68 worth $36,612 or P2.05 million at the Royal Pines Golf Club course in Gold Coast, Australia yesterday.

World No. 1 Annika Sorenstam ruled the $800,000 event in a typical Sorenstam fashion – firing a bogey-less, eagle-spiked 65 and running away with the crown with a stirring 269 aggregate. She earned $169,575.

Five down at the start of the round, Rosales tried to give chase with a fiery run of birdies – three – from No. 1 but Sorenstam doused her charge just as quickly, opening with a birdie before making an eagle-3 on the par-5 No. 3.

It was a cruise from there for the Swede ace who coasted to a one-under card at the back en route to beating Karen Stupples by four strokes. The Englishwoman, who led Rosales by two at the halfway mark, finished with a 273 after an eagle-aided 68.

Rosales actually went four-under early on with another birdie on the par-3 No. 5 but she stumbled with a missed-green bogey on No. 10 before closing out with two birdies against another bogey in the last four holes.

She had a 277 to finish in a tie with Anne Marie Pratt, who matched Sorenstam’s seven-under card.

Rosales and Pratt shared the combined third and fourth place prizes worth $73,225. — With report from Dante Navarro