Victorian golfer Vicky Thomas produced the round of the day, a five-under par 68, at the Ladies Classic at Royal Canberra to finish in second place yesterday.
After an eagle on the par-five 16th, Thomas trailed eventual winner Karen Lunn by only two strokes and it looked like Thomas might have caused a come-from-behind upset with Lunn in trouble after hitting her tee shot on the 16th into the trees.
However it was not be as Lunn scrambled for a par on the 16th, Thomas bogeyed the par three 17th before Lunn's eagle finish sealed her four-stroke victory.
Thomas and Lunn played together for the first two rounds and after starting six strokes behind Lunn in a tie for fourth never thought she was a realistic chance to win the event.
''At the start of the day I would have just been happy to play well.''
Thomas' round got off to a flying start with the 35-year-old picking up birdies on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th holes before some hurdles after three-putting the fifth for a bogey and dropping another shot on the ninth stunted her promising start.
''I probably got a bit of the heebie-jeebies, got a bit tense,'' Thomas said of her three-putt on the fifth.
But after making the turn at under for the tournament, she relaxed and started playing some of her best golf.
While on course she had no idea just how close she was to Lunn.
''There was no scoreboards so I didn't know what was happening. I was more worried about trying to play for second and just trying to post a score,'' she said.
''I thought Karen had it in the bag but when I holed that putt on 18 to be eight under it was like you never know what happens down 18. But she holed a great putt and she is a deserved winner.''
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