Golf: Eventful day ends in tears for Pedersen

Emily Pedersen of Denmark tees off on the second hole at the New Zealand Women's Open. Photo / Getty

Emily Pedersen was in tears as she left the 18th hole at Clearwater Resort but it had nothing to do with the earthquake or the loss of her playing partner.

The long-hitting Dane had one of the more unusual days in the life of a professional golfer at the New Zealand Women's Open - experiencing her first earthquake as she stood on the first tee and then playing 12 holes by herself after playing partner Pamela Pretswell bailed out with a bad back.

The tears though, were for the one that got away.

Pedersen was two shots behind Lydia Ko with five holes to play and fancied her chances of pressing for the title. But a bogey on the par-5 14th and another on the short par-4 17th - where she almost drove the green on the second day - ruined her chances and she finished in a tie for sixth at six-under par after a closing round of even par 72.

"I played really well and had a lot of good putts which didn't drop which was upsetting."

And the quake?

"We were a bit shocked on the first tee both of us ... I felt like I was dizzy for the next two holes - it was really weird and scary because people told us it was quite a big one as well."

Losing her playing partner to a back injury was also destabilising.

"When Pamela went in on the sixth it was weird playing on my own. It's hard to stick to your routine and you tend to get a little quicker ... I tried to walk slowly but I had to wait all the time."