Molly Picklum misses chance in J-Bay as Connor O'Leary claims first WSL win
Picklum was frustrated with herself for not riding one last wave that might have sealed a last-gasp final win over her American rival Gabriela Bryan.
In the closest of showdowns, Bryan took a narrow lead in their duel at Jeffreys Bay on South Africa's Eastern Cape on Friday with just 90 seconds left, scoring 6.93 when needing a 6.68.
It left Australia's WSL leader Picklum little time for a response as she looked to earn a modest score of 5.93 to seal back-to-back victories in the J-Bay after her triumph in Saquarema, Brazil, last month.
But Picklum, the 22-year-old from Gosford, hesitated when looking for the ideal wave to carry her to victory, failing to grab a couple of possible chances to ride in the final minute in a bid for glory.
When her time ran out to respond with what would have been her seventh effort of the final, the Australian splashed the waters in disgust at having lost the final by a mere 0.26 points, 13.60 to 13.34.
Picklum's consistency means she still leads the WSL standings on 61,145 points, ahead of Hawaii's Bryan, who was lifting her third title of the season to put her on 58,595 points.
In the men's event, Japan's O'Leary took out his first WSL title.
The Australian-born O'Leary had the event's only 10-point ride in the semi-finals as he knocked out three-time J-Bay winner Filipe Toledo, before beating another Brazilian, world No 1 Yago Dora, in the final.
O'Leary only rode three waves but racked up scores of 8.17 and 7.50 in his second and third runs, giving him a two-wave total of 15.67 of a possible 20, well clear of Dora's 14.23.
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'All the stars aligned for this one, so I'm stoked. It felt good to have so many people cheering for me, and then to perform for them,' O'Leary said.
'I intended to do some of the best backhand surfing you've ever seen, and to compete with a fellow goofy in the final, hopefully it inspires other goofy-foot surfers that they can compete against the best in perfect right-hand point breaks.'
The tour moves on to Tahiti next month, with the finals to be staged in Fiji between 27 August and 4 September.
Picklum, Byran and American Caity Simmers have qualified for the women's event, while only Dora has sealed his spot in the men's competition.
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