CARNOUSTIE, Scotland - Anna Nordqvist stayed out of trouble to make a routine par on the final hole and win the Women's British Open on Sunday for her third major title.
Nanna Koerstz Madsen's 72nd hole of the tournament could hardly have been more traumatic.
The two Scandinavians, paired for the final round after sharing the 54-hole lead, were tied at 12 under par as they made their way down the fairway of the famous 18th hole at Carnoustie Golf Links, with even their tee shots unable to really separate them.
After Nordqvist landed her approach from the middle of the fairway safely on the green and 25 feet from the pin, Koerstz Madsen turned away in disgust as she pushed her shot from the light rough on the left into a horseshoe bunker on the right-hand side of the green. Facing a plugged ball and a downhill lie at the back of the bunker, Koerstz Madsen shanked a shot that flew sideways and almost out of bounds at the back of the green.
Her chip from straggly rough fell short and left of the cup, leaving Nordqvist with two putts for the title. The second was a tap-in from a couple of inches, securing a one-shot victory in what proved to be a final-round shootout in perfect conditions.
At one point Sunday, six players shared the lead at 9 under, including the overnight leaders in the final group.
"The only thing I could really control was myself," said Nordqvist, who closed with a 3-under 69 to finish at 12-under 276. "It was going to be my time."
The 34-year-old from Sweden secured her ninth LPGA Tour victory and added to major wins at the 2009 Women's PGA Championship and the 2017 Evian Championship. She became just the third European woman with three or more major victories, joining England's Laura Davies and Sweden's Annika Sorenstam.
She also received a check of $870,000 from the $5.8 million purse, the largest in women's golf, and earned an automatic spot on the European team that will compete against the United States at the Solheim Cup on Sept. 4-6 in Toledo, Ohio.
Madsen - a 26-year-old seeking to become the first player from Denmark, male or female, to win a major - closed with a double bogey for a 71 and dropped into a tie for fifth place with Australia's Minjee Lee (66) at 10 under.
"On 18, I tried to not make a mistake," Madsen said, "and that was the only thing I shouldn't do."
Second place was shared by three players: 2018 champion Georgia Hall (67) of England, Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom (68) and Lizette Salas (69) of the United States.
First senior title
SNOQUALMIE, Wash. - Rod Pampling won the Boeing Classic for his first PGA Tour Champions victory when Woody Austin and Jim Furyk each failed to get up and down for birdie from greenside bunkers on the par-5 18th hole at the Club at Snoqualmie Ridge.
Pampling, playing five groups ahead of Austin and Furyk, shot a 6-under 66 to finish at 12-under 204 in the 54-hole event. The 51-year-old Australian won three times on the PGA Tour and has two PGA Tour of Australasia wins.
Furyk had a 70 to tie for second at 11 under with Tim Herron (67) and Billy Mayfair (69). Austin, the leader going into the final round, finished with a 72 and tied for fifth at 10 under with Alex Cejka (66).
American wins in Europe
VYSOKY UJEZD, Czech Republic - Johannes Veerman overcame a pair of bogeys as he closed with a 4-under 68 to win the Czech Masters by two strokes, earning his first European Tour victory.
The 29-year-old Veerman, who was born in California, finished at 15-under 273 at Albatross Golf Resort near Prague. The runners-up were fellow American Sean Crocker (70) and Finland's Tapio Pulkkanen (72), and another American, Paul Peterson (70) shared fourth with Sweden's Henrik Stenson (71) at 12 under.
Veerman's previous best European Tour finish was third at the Irish Open earlier this season.