South African star Retief Goosen ended a frustrating 21-month title drought with a magnificent two-stroke victory at the Iskandar Johor Open on Sunday. The two-time Major champion fired a superb final round of six-under-par 66, overcoming an overnight four-shot deficit at Royal Johor Country Club to triumph at the $500,000 Asian Tour event. Thai veteran Thaworn Wiratchant and Australian Kane Webber challenged Goosen all the way before settling for second and third place after a 71 and 70 respectively. Iain Steel was Malaysia's best finisher after a 72 earned him tied fourth place with overnight leader Niclas Fasth of Sweden and Australian trio Andrew Dodt, Richard Moir and Mitchell Brown. Sorenstam wins crown World number three Annika Sorenstam won her 89th career title when she clinched the Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open in a tense play-off with China's Ye Liying here on Sunday. Sorenstam shot a seven-under 65 at the Suzhou Taihu International Golf Club for a three-round total of 13-under 203 to tie with Ye at the end of regulation play. Both Ye and Sorenstam birdied the first play-off hole but the Swede prevailed at the second playoff hole when Ye missed a close putt. Asked what she whispered to Ye while they hugged after the second playoff hole, Sorenstam said: “I told her, ‘you had a good game. This time it's mine and yours will come too.'” Tied in third place were Thailand's Porani Chutichai, Amanda Moltke-Leth of Denmark and Australia's Karen Lunn, who is also chairwoman of the Ladies European Tour (LET). Karlsson is Europe's No. 1, Kjeldsen wins Robert Karlsson became Europe's number one on Sunday, even though the Swede trailed in 17 strokes adrift of Volvo Masters winner Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark in Spain. Kjeldsen won the European Tour's season-ending event by two shots from Britain's Anthony Wall and German Martin Kaymer, leading the rain-disrupted tournament from start to finish and closing with a level-par 71 for an eight-under, 276, four-round total. While Kjeldsen could celebrate going one better than he did last year in the event, when he lost in a playoff against Justin Rose of Britain, his fellow Scandinavian Karlsson basked in his first Harry Vardon Trophy for topping the order of merit. Karlsson beat off the challenge of 2008 double major champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland and Britain's Lee Westwood to become the first Swede to be European number one.
