The victory was Davies' 29th on the Ladies European Tour

England's Laura Davies benefited from a bizarre error by Spain's Tania Elosegui to win her second Australian Open.

Davies hit 68 to end on seven under but bogeyed the last while Elosegui birdied 17, to lead by one with one hole to go.

But Elosegui mistakenly thought she was trailing and scored a double-bogey six on the 18th to hand Davies the title.

She explained: "I thought I didn't have to make my second putt to go to a play-off, then my caddie said Laura bogeyed the last and I couldn't believe it."

Elosegui, who needed to par the last to win and bogey it to force a play-off with Davies, said the confusion came from looking at the leaderboard a couple of holes earlier.

"I looked at the leaderboard on the 16th green and I saw that I was seven under, so Davies was tied with me and then I looked again on the 17th hole and she was eight under," said Elosegui.

606: DEBATE Have you ever made a similar error on the last in any form of the game? BBC Sport's Peter Scrivener

But the Spaniard found a greenside bunker with her approach and when she splashed out to 20 feet, she thought she needed to make the putt to tie Davies.

"I really hit the putt and it went too long," she said.

As the ball sailed past the hole, Elosegui had in her own mind conceded the tournament and missed the subsequent putt back which would have forced the play-off.

Davies, who won her first Australian Open at The Metropolitan in Sydney in 2004, had saved her best golf for the weekend and was 11 under par for the final two rounds.

But after picking up three shots in two holes with an eagle at 14 and a birdie at 15, the 45-year-old thought she had missed her chance of winning with a five at the par four 18th.

Davies said: "At the time I must admit I thought I'd blown it - I pretty much knew it was Tania who made the birdie putt on 17.

"But I never understand the not looking at leaderboards, you have to know where you stand.

"I'm not criticizing her in any way, shape or form. It's just I like to look at leaderboards."

England's Melissa Reid closed with a four-under-par 69 to tie for third.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version