WOMEN'S IRISH OPEN:THE WILLOWY long-hitter and seven times Solheim Cup player, Sophie Gustafson, sank a seven- foot downhill putt on the 18th green at Killeen Castle to win a record fourth title at the AIB Ladies Irish Open.

The US-based Swedish player began a day bathed in sunshine three shots behind second round leader In-Kyung Kim from Korea.

But the Swede’s 66 to Kim’s final round of 70 allowed Gustafson to fall over the line at 12 under par to win the tournament by one stroke.

Kim, ranked 11th in the world, had a 25-foot putt on the 18th to draw level but failed to force the play-off for the €75,000 first prize.

The 36-year-old Gustafson will look back on Ireland as a lucrative place to visit. In 1998 she won the Irish Open at Ballyliffin and in 2000 took it again in Faithlegg before completing her hat-trick in Killarney in 2003.

“I love Ireland,” she said. “This is my sixth win here, if you count the time in Northern Ireland in 2003 and the World Cup. Being able to make that putt (18th) was fantastic because I had been struggling with my putting.”

Gustafson, who hopes to play her way on to the European Solheim Cup for next year’s event at Killeen Castle, had an interesting if uneven front nine, with five birdies and three bogeys for an outward 34.

But an eagle on the par five 12th catapulted her forward. She continued in that vein of form, gaining strength as the round continued and completed the back nine in a flawless 32, adding two birdies to the eagle and keeping further bogeys off her card.

Kim carded two bogeys for her 70, while Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord shot a 69 to share second place with the Korean. It left the scoreboard looking top heavy with Europeans, who took seven of the top 11 places, Sweden gorging themselves with four players in that grouping.

The top placed Americans in the field were the two Britannys, world number 29 Lang and the 18th-ranked Lincicome.

Lang shot a closing round of 68 to finish -7 for the tournament, with Lincicome also shooting a 68 for a six-under-par total.

“It may be because of the people, very friendly and easy going and very supportive of me,” said Gustafson as one reason for her win. As well, of course, as the course.

“I expect to play my way on to next year’s Solheim Cup,” she added. “I think my win says it all (about the course).”

The Irish rump that made the second round cut can be more than satisfied with their three days play. Rebecca Coakley finished with three straight birdies in the closing holes for a 69, which landed her a fourth top 20 finish of the season and €7,000, almost double her previous best pay checque of the season.

Her lipped-out putt on the elevated 18th green could so easily have been an eagle, which would have pushed her up to tied 12th.

But Coakley was pleased with her day’s work and currently lies 48th in the Order of Merit after a tied 11th place in Portugal, tied 14th in Turkey and tied 17th in the Netherlands.

“I’m delighted,” she said of tied 17th. “I wasn’t too far off over the last couple of days and it was nice to finish with three birdies. The pin positions were very tough today but the greens were very receptive.

“I thought 10 or 12 over would win this week so I wasn’t very far off. We’re getting better all the time.”

Coakley was the only Irish professional to make the cut along with three amateurs, Leona and Lisa Maguire and Royal County Down’s Danielle McVeigh.

Lisa was the best of the amateurs and completed her tournament with a level par 72 which left her at two over par for the tournament. McVeigh ended one back at 3 over and Leona four over par after a final round of 76.

For the Cavan-based twins it’s off to the British Schoolgirls event which begins today in Belfast.

Leona and Lisa go into fourth year in school next month but plan to play a lot of golf in the short term, while McVeigh indicated she will finish her Business Management degree in Maynooth before turning professional.

“I’m not turning pro today or tomorrow,” said the Ulster girl. “It will be May next year when I finish my degree.”

The Cavan twins have been told by several professionals not to rush their careers. No less than the world number four, Suzann Pettersen and Britain’s Laura Davies, who Lisa played with in the first round advised some caution.

“I need to get stronger and hit the ball further over the next couple of years,” said Lisa.

“She (Davies) said give it a couple of years ’til your fully developed,” added Lisa.