Sharmila Nicollet registered her best result ever on the Ladies European Tour with a final round of one-under 72 at the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open here today.
Nicollet, who was lying 38th at the end of the third round, vaulted up the leaderboard to tied 17th despite a double bogey and a bogey in the middle of the round.
The long-hitting Nicollet, who teed off from the 10th, was two-over through 10 holes including a double on 18th and a bogey on first.
Nicollet then birdied three times in four holes with birdies on third, fourth and sixth. She closed the week with three pars and with a card of 72 she totaled five-over 297 and ended tied 17th. Two of her four birdies came on par-fives.
This was Nicollet's first cut of the year and will give her a lot of confidence this season, which is only in its early stages.
After making the card for the first time in 2011, Nicollet lost in 2012 before coming through the Q-School once again for 2013.
Meanwhile, South Africa's Lee-Anne Pace collected her sixth Ladies European Tour title and it came three years after her last success in 2010, when she also won the Order of Merit besides five titles around the world.
With a final round one-under-par 72, the 32-year-old South African came from two shots behind the overnight leaders Charley Hull and Carlota Ciganda to win by one at National Golf Club.
Playing in the penultimate group, in fine weather, Pace posted the clubhouse lead at three-under before an agonising wait on the putting green to see if she could be caught by Hull, Ciganda or the two-time defending champion Christel Boeljon.
All three players needed a birdie to force a play-off and Boeljon was eliminated after she found the bunker off the tee and had to lay-up to the fairway.
Hull and Ciganda both had fairly long birdie putts to stay in the tournament but Ciganda's birdie putt from around 25 feet lipped out, before Hull's edged past the hole.
