Lee-Anne Pace closed with a two-under-par 70 on Friday to play her way to a top-five finish in the Ladies European Tour’s Dubai Moonlight Classic on the Faldo Course at the Emirates Golf Club.
That rounded out a good week for the reigning South African Women’s Open champion as she ended the 54-hole tournament on 11-under-par 205, four strokes behind the winner, Bronte Law of England. Like all the other players, Pace was unable to keep up with the superb finish by Law who raced through the field with her final round of eight-under-par 64.
It was a tantalizing last day in Dubai with 19 players within six shots of the lead. But it was Law who produced one of the rounds of the day to climb up the leaderboard, and her eagle on the 16th saw her post a winning total of 15-under-par.
“It’s a bit of a blur really, I just went out and was trying to post a number. I said to my caddie Ken yesterday ‘let’s go out and try to shoot seven-under tomorrow’ and I’ve gone one better,” said the 26-year-old. “It’s a bit surreal right now actually, I’m just so happy to be back in the winner’s circle – it’s been a while.”
Pace shared fourth with another winner from the 2021 season, Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand, who carded a closing 69. Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn was sixth on 10-under-par with Olivia Cowan, Ariya Jutanugarn, Magdalena Simmermacher and Alice Hewson rounding out the top 10 on nine-under.
Nicole Garcia finished with a level-par 72 to stay to two-over for the tournament in a share of 44th.
