Falkirk-based American pips No 1 amateur 

Leona for European Masters title

     Just champion! That's how Beth Allen feels after her first win on the Ladies European Tour.
                                  Picture by couresty of the Ladies European Tour
Falkirk-based American Beth Allen pipped Ireland's World No 1 female amateur, Leona Maguire, to win the ISPS Handa Ladies European Masters title at the Buckinghamshire Golf Club, Denham this afternoon.
It was the 33-year-old California-born player's first victory on the Ladies European Tour although she did win the Ladies Tartan Tour championship last year.
A bogey at the last by Maguire, who played No 1 for GB and I in last weekend's Vagliano Trophy defeat by the Continent of Europe in Belfast, cost her at least a play-off.
After a birdie on No. 17, Maguire was tied for the lead heading into the final hole.  On her approach shot into the 18th green, she hit her ball over the green and into the bunker.  
Maguire had a great shot out of the trap, but missed a seven foot putt for par to finish second.
Allen parred the last hole. She had rounds of 71, 70, 68 and 67 for 12-under-par 276, a shot ahead of 20-year-old Maguire, a student at Duke University, North Carolina, had rounds of 69, 70, 69, 69.
The leading Scot was Hamilton's Pamela Pretswell with rounds of 69, 70, 74 and 68 for a share of 11th place on 281.
Carly Booth was the second-best Scot on 287 after a 74 in her final rounds. She finished T29.
Alford's Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) saved her best until last with a 67 (34-33) after earlier rounds of 77, 69 and 75. She tied for 33rd place on 288 - two shots ahead of Charley Hull (68-67-77-78).
Heather MacRae (Gleneagles), soon off to play in the US Women's Open, finished tied 48th on 291, closing with a 75.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
276 Beth Allen (USA) 71 70 68 67
277 Leona Maguire (Ire) (am) 69 70 69 69
278 Nontaya Seisawang (Thai) 67 70 68 72
279 Nicole Broch Larsen (Den) 69 689 71 70, Rebecca Artis (Aus) 70 72 66 71, Caroline Masson (Ger) 70 67 67 75

SELECTED TOTALS 
281 Pamela  Pretswell (Sco) 69 70 74 68 (T11)
287 Carly  Booth (Sco) 71 70 72 74 (T29)
288 Laura Murray (Sco) 77 69 75 67 (T33)
290 Charley Hull (Eng) 68 67 77 78 (T41)
291 Heather MacRae (Sco) 70 76 70 75 (T48)
MISSED THECUT
149 Sally Watson (Sco) 76 73, Kelsey MacDonald (Sco) 75 74

Beth Allen's first win on Ladies European Tour

NEWS RELEASE FROM LET
From Bethan Cutler, LET Media Manager

American Beth Allen shot a final round of 67 to come from five shots behind the overnight leader Caroline Masson and claim her first Ladies European Tour title at the ISPS HANDA Ladies European Masters. 

In fair and breezy conditions, Allen fired five birdies on the front nine at Buckinghamshire Golf Club and picked up another on 14. She then made her only bogey on 15 before setting the clubhouse target at 12 under par. 

With the world number one amateur Leona Maguire tied for the lead after 17 holes and playing in the next group, there was a nervous wait before Allen was able to celebrate her victory. She was finally able to lift her first trophy in 11 years as a professional after the 20-year-old found the bunker behind the 18^th green and failed to make a putt of around five feet to force a play-off.  

Allen, 33, from San Diego, Califonia, said: “I wasn’t sure if it was ever going to happen so I’m really, really happy. I’ve waited a long time for this and I wanted it so, so bad, I’m ecstatic.”

She had finished second three times on the LET but her secret weapon was her new caddie, Sophie Gustafson. The 26-time tournament winner who has represented Europe eight times in The Solheim Cup and this year will be one of Carin Koch’s vice captains at St Leon-Rot in Germany, was on the bag advising Allen as she plotted her way around the Buckinghamshire layout. 

“Honestly, I feel like I just showed up and I didn’t have a lot of expectations because I finished second here in 2012 and haven’t made a cut since,” said Allen. “I thought, well, I’ll do my best and enjoy it and today. I got off to a really good start and thought maybe this can happen and Sophie kept me grounded. I ended up getting it done, so I’m really happy!”

Gustafson knew the right things to say at the key moments, but a clubbing decision on the par three 18^th tee cost the less experienced Maguire the chance to win the title.

Handling the disappointment like a professional, Maguire explained: “I knew it was tight coming up 18 and we didn’t really know where the wind was coming from. I thought it was downwind, dad thought it was into the wind and it was probably the wrong club off the tee but I’m very proud of the way I played all day. Going out at the start of the day I would have taken that so it’s been a great day.”

Thailand’s Nontaya Srisawang ended shot further back in third place after a solid 72 and she said: “I’m really happy with the result today because I’ve been working hard for a while here to get into this position. I finished in the top three, so maybe I can qualify for the Open. It was a little bit exciting with pressure but I tried to focus on my game.”

The overnight leader Caroline Masson slipped back into a share of fourth place with Nicole Broch Larsen of Denmark and Australian Rebecca Artis after a 75, while four players ended a stroke further back in tied seventh.

Finland’s Noora Tamminen, Anne-Lise Caudal from France and the evergreen Englishwomen Trish Johnson and Dame Laura Davies ended on eight under par.

Johnson holed a bunker shot on 18 for a 66, while Davies recorded her 11th hole in one on the seventh using an 8-iron in a round of 67. She said: “It’s more Solheim Cup points, which is what I wanted, to show Carin I’m still playing well and could be an asset to the team.”

FINAL TOTALS

Par 288 (4x72)

276 - Beth Allen (USA)  71 70 68 67

277 - Leona Maguire (IRL) (amateur) 69 70 69 69

278 - Nontaya Srisawang (THA)  67 70 69 72

279 - Nicole Broch Larsen (DEN)  69 69 71 70, Rebecca Artis (AUS)  70 72 66 71, Caroline Masson (GER)  70 67 67 75

280 - Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA)  72 69 69 70, Laura Davies (ENG)  71 70 72 67, Trish Johnson (ENG)  68 71 75 66, Noora Tamminen (FIN)  73 71 67 69

281 - Ssu-Chia Cheng (TPE)  68 70 70 73, Pamela Pretswell (SCO)  69 70 74 68

282 - Becky Morgan (WAL)  69 71 70 72, Melissa Reid (ENG)  71 70 71 70, Ashleigh Simon (RSA)  67 72 72 71, Diana Luna (ITA)  68 73 70 71, Louise Friberg (SWE)  71 69 70 72, Gwladys Nocera (FRA)  69 72 74 67

283 - Georgia Hall (ENG)  74 70 71 68, Holly Clyburn (ENG)  70 71 70 72, Alex Peters (ENG)  70 63 77 73

284 - Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA)  70 71 75 68

285 - Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA)  66 70 75 74, Johanna Bjork (SWE)  73 72 71 69

286 - Titiya Plucksataporn (THA)  69 70 67 80, Isabella Ramsay (SWE)  69 74 74 69, Isabelle Boineau (FRA)  71 71 73 71, Felicity Johnson (ENG)  69 75 71 71

287 - Carly Booth (SCO)  71 70 72 74, Florentyna Parker (ENG)  70 75 72 70, Rebecca Hudson (ENG)  70 74 73 70, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR)  69 73 73 72

288 - Sarah Kemp (AUS)  72 70 71 75, Laura Murray (SCO)  77 69 75 67, Emily Kristine Pedersen (DNK)  68 69 76 75, Amy Boulden (WAL)  72 74 69 73

289 - Charlotte Ellis (ENG)  69 75 73 72, Nanna Koerstz Madsen (DNK)  71 69 73 76, Marta Sanz Barrio (ESP)  68 72 73 76, Danielle Montgomery (ENG)  72 73 72 72

290 - Liz Young (ENG)  75 70 72 73, Charley Hull (ENG)  68 67 77 78, Marion Ricordeau (FRA)  72 72 79 67, Csilla Lajtai-rozsa (HUN)  72 71 74 73, Sophie Walker (ENG)  70 75 75 70, Alexandra Vilatte (FRA)  72 72 77 69, Maria Palacios Siegenthaler (ESP)  71 72 75 72

291 - Caroline Martens (NOR)  72 71 79 69, Heather MacRae (SCO)  70 76 70 75, Christine Wolf (AUT)  76 69 74 72, Maria Balikoeva (RUS)  73 73 76 69, Ann-Kathrin Lindner (GER)  70 75 71 75, Hannah Burke (ENG)  74 70 73 74, Caroline Afonso (FRA)  72 74 72 73

293 - Georgina Simpson (ENG)  75 70 77 71, Lina Boqvist (SWE)  72 71 77 73

294 - Stefania Croce (ITA)  74 72 76 72, Louise Stahle (SWE)  73 72 77 72, Sarah Attwood (ENG)  70 76 72 76, Leigh Whittaker (GER)  71 75 75 73, Klara Spilkova (CZE)  70 76 73 75

296 - Minea Blomqvist (FIN)  70 69 77 80, India Clyburn (ENG)  72 74 73 77, Holly Aitchison (ENG)  75 71 75 75

298 - Sophia Popov (GER)  73 73 72 80

299 - Margherita Rigon (ITA)  74 72 73 80, Laurette Maritz (RSA)  75 71 76 77

301 - Maha Haddioui (MAR)  73 72 79 77

304 - Rachel Goodall (ENG)  73 73 82 76

306 - Josephine Janson (SWE)  67 78 78 83