Australian Open

Defending champion Karrie Webb won her fourth women's Australian Open title, beating South Korea's Shin Ji-yai at the second playoff hole at the Kingston Heath course in Melbourne yesterday.

The pair went into the final round and swapped positions throughout the day before Shin took a two-shot lead when she birdied the par-four 15th.

Playing ahead of Australia's Webb, Shin negotiated the final three holes finishing with a closing six-under 67.

Webb birdied the par-four 16th and holed out from 3m at the par-three 17th to join Shin with a hole to play.

Webb had bogeyed the par-four 18th in the second and third rounds, but under pressure she parred the hole for a closing 67 to force the playoff.

Webb and Shin finished the tournament on eight-under 284, four shots ahead of England's Melissa Reid.

Both players parred the first playoff hole, but the world No. 3 holed from 3m at the second to take the title.

South Korean Shin, the 19-year-old world No. 7, was the revelation of the championship.

Reid finished third after a final round of 70, while South Korea's Amy Yang climbed up the leaderboard yesterday to finish fourth at two-under for the tournament.