Tale, Slovakia – Gwladys Nocera waited out the rain before carding a 2-under 70 on Sunday to capture to a 4-stroke victory at the Allianz Ladies Slovak Open.
Nocera finished four rounds at Golf Resort Tale at 9-under-par 279 to earn her 11th career victory on the Ladies European Tour, but her first since 2008.
"I'm very, very happy and pretty emotional," said Nocera. "It's been a while since I lifted a trophy. It was hard again today. I don't feel like I'm hitting the ball like I should and I don't feel that I'm hitting the ball well enough, but I tried to stay patient and draw on my experience."
Lee-Anne Pace (72) finished in second at 5-under, while Whitney Hillier (70) captured third at minus-4.
Nocera entered the final round holding a 2-stroke lead over Pace, but tripped to a bogey at the first to drop her advantage to just a stroke after Pace traded a birdie at the first with a bogey at the second.
Pace later grabbed a share of the lead with a 10-foot birdie putt at the sixth before hitting her tee shot at the par-3 seventh into the water en route to a double bogey.
Nocera countered a birdie at the eighth with a bogey at the ninth to remain two clear of Pace, and the margin remained there as Pace and Nocera birdied the 10th and 11th, respectively.
Nocera pulled ahead by four with a 2-shot swing at the 14th as Nocera birdied the hole while Pace tripped to a bogey.
The course was cleared after that hole due to a thunderstorm and when the duo returned 45 minutes later, Pace birdied the 15th to cut her deficit to three.
She could not pull any closer, however, as she parred her final three holes and Nocera closed with a birdie at the last to close out the victory.
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