(Castellón, Spain – May 15 2005) Denmark’s Iben Tinning fired a final round 70 to claim a three shot victory at the € 275,000 Open de España Femenino Castellón, at Panorámica Golf & Country Club, Spain.

Iben Tinning in action

“Patience was the key. I learned last year that you really have to be patient with golf before you get anywhere,” said Tinning, who spent her 2004 season playing on the LPGA Tour in America.

“You can be playing great and then you get a bad bounce and have a double bogey or something so you can never think that you have won after twelve holes or something because anything can happen in golf.

“I tried something else last year and it didn’t work out so I’m very happy about my win, it means a lot to me,” said the 31-year-old from Copenhagen, whose last victories were in 2002 at the Ladies Irish Open and then the Ladies Italian Open on the LET.

“I love playing in Europe because I have good friends, good food, and its not too far from home.”

On her final round today, which included five birdies at the second, sixth, 11th, 14th and 16th holes, and two bogeys at the 13th and 17th holes, Tinning said:

“I was just steady out there today, I was so patient. I had my boyfriend here which helped a lot as well.”

Tinning was a member of The European Solheim Cup team in 2002 and 2003 and the 40 Solheim Cup points she receives for her victory could help to see her tee it up for a third time in European colours when the event is played at Crooked Stick in Indiana this September.

“I badly want to beat the Americans on their home soil but The Solheim Cup comes as a reward when you play well so if you don’t play well you don’t get in. End of story. I’ve done the biggest Solheim Cup, playing in Sweden and I don’t think anything can beat that.

“I don’t mind playing in America because we get the food we want and I’ve got good friends around me. But you can’t compare the LPGA to The Solheim Cup, it’s another world.”