It’s Rich Victory in France for Teske

Australia’s Rachel Teske won the $2.1-million Evian Masters Saturday in France, beating Sweden’s Maria Hjorth by a stroke for the biggest payday of her career.

Teske, who entered the tournament at Evian, France, with sore ribs and little expectations, birdied the final hole for a four-under-par 68 and a 15-under 273 total.

Hjorth shot a 69 for 274 and Beth Daniel closed with a 72 for 277. The three top finishers had been tied for the lead after the third round.

This was Teske’s third LPGA Tour victory and her sixth worldwide. The winner’s prize of $315,000 was the largest in her five years on the tour.

Teske took the lead with a par three at the 17th, while Hjorth three-putted for a bogey, pushing her second putt from two feet.

“Maria’s miss there was a shock,” Teske said. “You would expect her to make it.”

For Hjorth, finishing second was little consolation.

“That three-putt was disappointing,” she said. “But I’ve had three second-place finishes in five weeks with lots of pressure and tense tournaments. Hopefully, it will be my week soon.”

Daniel was disappointed with her closing round.

“I played lousy,” she said. “I hit seven fairways all day, so that tells you where my driving was. And I made 11 greens [in regulation].”

England’s Laura Davies shot the lowest round of the day, a course-record 64, for 281.

U.S. Open champion Karrie Webb had a 73 for 284 and U.S. money-leader Annika Sorenstam shot a 75 for 285.

Gil Morgan plans to be ready for anything in today’s final round of the Senior PGA Tour’s Instinet Classic at Princeton, N.J.

“There are some disasters out there if you don’t pay attention,” Morgan said after his three-under 69 gave him a tournament-record, two-day total of 12-under 132 and a three-shot lead. “Anything can happen.”

John Bland and Bob Charles were tied for second at nine-under 135.

“Gil Morgan will be hard to catch,” said Bland, who had six birdies and no bogeys in a round of 66. “He hits the ball so much farther and seems to really enjoy playing here.”

Teeing off under a threatening sky, Morgan began a run of birdies at about the same time the clouds opened up at the Tournament Players Club at Jasna Polana.

Morgan, the defending champion, followed up his course-record 63 Friday with his 69 that included birdies at the first, second and third holes.

When play resumed after an hour delay--one of two rain delays--Morgan made bogey at the 327-yard, par-four fourth hole and a double bogey at the 203-yard, par-three eighth after going over the green.

He regrouped with a birdie at the 447-yard, par-four ninth, good for a 35 on the front side of the par-72, 6,941-yard layout.

Morgan, the tour’s leading scorer, began the day with a two-stroke lead over Bruce Summerhays and Tom Jenkins.

Jenkins shot a 71 for a 136 total, four off the lead, and Summerhays shot 72 and stands at 137.