Losone 17^th May 2009: The 23-year-old, starting her fifth season on the Ladies European Tour, collected a €78,750 winner's cheque when her 16-under-par total of 276 left her one stroke clear of England’s Melissa Reid, who also shot 70. Australian Karen Lunn (69) finished in third place on 278, 14-under-par, after she chipped in for eagle at the 18^th hole.

A third round of 66 on Saturday had given Skarpnord a one-stroke lead entering the final round however it was a day of fluctuating fortunes which came down to the last putt on the final hole. 

England’s Melissa Reid, who started the day in second on 12-under, grabbed a one shot lead with an eagle at the 469-yard par-three third hole.

Skarpnord birdied the fifth to draw level on 14-under before both players birdied the par-five sixth. With her third birdie in a row at the seventh the Norwegian regained the outright lead. However, she fell one behind after a three-putt bogey at the ninth, where Reid struck an iron to within two feet for a birdie three.

When Reid reached the turn in 32 she was a stroke ahead of the Norwegian, but suddenly her game unraveled as she dropped three shots in as many holes from the 11^th.

After a birdie at the 16^th, Skarpnord was three ahead, but Reid was back in the hunt after a birdie at the 17^th hole. 

Both players hit superb second shots to the green on the par-five 18^th but it took three putts for Skarpnord to secure the victory. Reid was forced to settle for her fourth runner-up spot in two seasons but is determined to make her breakthrough soon.

Skarpnord celebrated her win – and Norway’s national day - after friends stormed the 18^th green and sprayed her with champagne. “To get a win this early in the season is just great and now I can play Evian,” she said.

“Melissa and I both played well. We were even or one shot up, one shot down the whole round. She just missed a few putts around 13, 14, or something. I made a birdie on 16. It was hard work at the end, three putting there. The first putt I didn’t think was so fast but it was. I thought it didn’t matter if I make it or not, I can just put it close.”

With season’s earnings of €88,414.68, Skarpnord now leads the LET’s official 2009 Henderson Money List and earned 30 Solheim Cup points, taking her to eighth position on the European standings.

276 - Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 69 71 66 70

277 - Melissa Reid (ENG) 71 68 68 70

278 - Karen Lunn (AUS) 73 67 69 69

280 - Emma Zackrisson (SWE) 67 74 70 69

282 - Georgina Simpson (ENG) 69 72 71 70, Nicole Gergely (AUT) 70 69 72 71

283 - Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) 69 74 70 70

284 - Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 72 70 72 70, Lisa Hall (ENG) 68 73 72 71

285 - Margherita Rigon (ITA) 70 73 74 68, Iben Tinning (DEN) 71 76 70 68, Nikki Garrett (AUS) 72 75 69 69, Carmen Alonso (ESP) 71 71 73 70, Lee-Anne Pace (SA) 71 72 72 70, Anna Nordqvist (SWE) 71 72 71 71, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 70 73 71 71, Jenni Kuosa (FIN) 67 70 75 73

286 - Beatriz Recari (ESP) 72 74 72 68, Emma Cabrera-Bello (ESP) 71 74 72 69, Krystle Caithness (SCO) 71 75 69 71, Lill Kristin Saether (NOR) 69 72 70 75

287 - Stacy Lee Bregman (SA) 65 77 74 71, Hazel Kavanagh (IRE) 74 71 71 71, Marta Prieto (ESP) 73 74 69 71, Veronica Zorzi (ITA) 74 74 68 71, Felicity Johnson (ENG) 70 71 73 73

288 - Cecilia Ekelundh (SWE) 71 74 75 68, Samantha Head (ENG) 69 74 75 70, Malene Jorgensen (DEN) 69 76 72 71, Bettina Hauert (GER) 74 73 70 71

289 - Elena Giraud (FRA) 72 75 70 72, Stefania Croce (ITA) 74 71 70 74, Sophie Walker (ENG) 70 73 71 75

290 - Martina Eberl (GER) 77 70 71 72

291 - Stefanie Michl (AUT) 71 74 77 69, Paula Marti (ESP) 69 78 74 70, Federica Piovano (ITA) 71 75 74 71, Michele Thomson (SCO) 73 73 73 72, Lydia Hall (WAL) 73 74 72 72, Lisa Holm Sorensen (DEN) 68 76 68 79

292 - Caroline Rominger (SWI) 70 78 73 71, Lora Fairclough (ENG) 77 69 74 72, Maria Verchenova (RUS) 72 71 74 75

293 - Caroline Afonso (FRA) 72 74 73 74, Pamela Feggans (SCO) 76 72 70 75, Rebecca Coakley (IRE) 72 72 73 76

294 - Rebecca Hudson (ENG) 73 72 79 70, KM Juul (DEN) 73 75 76 70, Jessica Ji (KOR) 72 73 78 71, Julie Greciet (FRA) 72 74 76 72, Laurette Maritz (SA) 74 73 75 72, Martina Gillen (IRE) 72 74 75 73, Frances Bondad (AUS) 76 72 73 73, Maria Boden (SWE) 70 76 74 74, Breanne Alicia Loucks (WAL) 73 75 70 76, Marjet van der Graaff (NL) 71 73 72 78

295 - Smriti Mehra (IN) 67 76 80 72, Emma Lyons (ENG) 72 75 76 72, Isabella Maconi (ITA) 74 73 76 72, Tara Delaney (IRE) 69 73 73 80

296 - Barbara Genuini (FRA) 70 77 77 72

298 - Kirsty S Taylor (ENG) 71 74 79 74, Christine Hallstrom (SWE) 72 73 73 80

299 - Joanne Mills (AUS) 76 72 73 78, Dana Lacey (AUS) 72 74 74 79, Lotta Wahlin (SWE) 75 73 71 80

300 - Florence Luscher (SWI) 74 74 75 77

RTD - Denise-Charlotte Becker (GER) 70 74 78 RTD