WPGA INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE report and scores

Jane Turner tops final round scores with

 a 68 to finish joint 15th

West Linton's  Jane Turner shot the best final round by anyone - a four-under-par 68 to finish joint 15th on two-over-par 218 in the WPGA International Challenge at Stoke-by-Nayland today.
Jane, who had earlier rounds of 76 and 74, finished 10 shots behind the winner by two, Spain's Natalia Escuriola (68-67-73 for eight-under 208).
Second best Scot was Aberdeen-botn Gemma Dryburgh (Beaconsfield) with rounds of  74, 72 and 74 for 220 and jt 17th place.
Ellon's Michele Thomson, like Dryburgh a former Curtis Cup team player for GB and I, had scores of  74, 75 and 75 for 224 and tied 30th place.
Grantown on Spey amateur Hannah McCook tied for 34th place with rounds of  73, 76 and 76 for an aggregate of 225.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72) Yardage 6,249

1	Natalia ESCURIOLA		68	67	73	-	208	-8
2	Rachel RAASTAD		70	70	70	-	210	-6
3	Ariane PROVOT		71	71	69	-	211	-5
	Olivia COWAN		69	72	70	-	211	-5
5	Noemi JIMENEZ		73	68	71	-	212	-4
	Georgia HALL		72	69	71	-	212	-4
7	Johanna GUSTAVSSON		72	69	72	-	213	-3
8	Valdis Thora JONSDOTTIR		72	72	71	-	215	-1
	Bethan POPEL (Am)		70	73	72	-	215	-1
10	Virginia ESPEJO		75	71	71	-	217	1
	Charlotte ELLIS		69	76	72	-	217	1
	Isi GABSA		76	69	72	-	217	1
	Olafia KRISTINSDOTTIR		68	74	75	-	217	1
	Oona VARTIAINEN		69	71	77	-	217	1
15	Jane TURNER		76	74	68	-	218	2
16	Krista BAKKER		71	75	73	-	219	3
17	Natalie WILLE		74	76	70	-	220	4
	Gemma DRYBURGH		74	72	74	-	220	4
19	Carolina GONZALEZ GARCIA		76	73	72	-	221	5
	Rebecca MCGINLEY		75	72	74	-	221	5
	Olivia DOSE		75	71	75	-	221	5
	Karolin LAMPERT		72	74	75	-	221	5
23	Kiran MATHARU		74	75	73	-	222	6
	Marta SILVA		74	74	74	-	222	6
	Lianna BAILEY (Am)		75	73	74	-	222	6
	Kym LARRATT		75	73	74	-	222	6
	Annabel DIMMOCK		77	70	75	-	222	6
	Emma GODDARD		73	72	77	-	222	6
29	Sophie KEECH		75	74	74	-	223	7
30	Inci MEHMET (Am)		72	77	75	-	224	8
	Melodie BOURDY		74	75	75	-	224	8
	Michele THOMSON		74	75	75	-	224	8
	Emilie PIQUOT		75	72	77	-	224	8
34	Lottie WHYMAN (Am)		76	75	74	-	225	9
	Laura SEDDA		76	74	75	-	225	9
	Melanie MAETZLER		76	74	75	-	225	9
	Hannah McCOOK (Am)		73	76	76	-	225	9
	Sanna NUUTINEN		75	71	79	-	225	9
39	Elina NUMMENPAA		76	75	75	-	226	10
	Maria BEAUTELL		77	74	75	-	226	10
	Lauren TAYLOR		77	70	79	-	226	10
42	Annika NYKANEN		76	75	76	-	227	11
	Leena MAKKONEN		75	76	76	-	227	11
	Manon DE ROEY		76	74	77	-	227	11
	Emma NILSSON		76	73	78	-	227	11
46	Jessica LJUNGBERG		79	72	77	-	228	12
	Nina MUEHL		75	75	78	-	228	12
	Gemma CLEWS (Am)		75	74	79	-	228	12
49	Suzanne DICKENS		76	75	78	-	229	13
50	Stefania AVANZO		77	74	80	-	231	15

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ESCURIOLA WINS 4,800 EUROS and SECURES LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR PLACE NEXT YEAR

Natalia Escuriola kept her nerves in check and game together to ensure the WPGA International Challenge ended in a coronation and not a calamity.

The Spaniard’s wire to wire victory not only earned her €4,800 but also fired her up to second place in the LET Access Series and ensured she will compete on the Ladies European Tour next year.

There were moments in the final round of the tournament at Stoke by Nayland, however, when what appeared to be a canter to victory for the 21-year-old looked set to end in tears.

Not least during the first four holes when Olivia Cowan, who pipped Escuriola for pole position in the LET Access Series Order of Merit, threatened to take the Gainsborough Course at the Suffolk resort apart.

Cowan, a teenager with a British father, Scottish sounding name and BBC accent who represents Germany as a result of spending her 19 years there, began birdie, birdie, birdie, eagle.

All of which meant the meaty five stroke lead Escuriola enjoyed at the start of play was reduced to a thin one.

But just as Cowan was unable to maintain her high octane start and had to settle for a share of third place with France’s Ariane Provot after a two-under-par round of 70,  Escuriola remained unfazed.

Although there was no repetition of the pyrotechnics of the first two days which left her on nine-under, a final round of one-over was enough to repel the challenges of Cowan, Norway’s Rachel Raastad and Provot.

Raastad finished second on six-under and when Escuriola desposited her tee shot at the par three 18th into a greenside bunker the possibility of the leader snatching defeat from the jaws of victory loomed large.

It was the third wayward approach or tee shot in as many holes but, once again, her short game came to the rescue as, showing no signs of nerves, she splashed out to three feet and holed the putt.

That display of sang froid, however, was at odds with her true feelings.

“I was a little bit nervous before the bunker shot,” she admitted. “And even more so with putt.

“And I was nervous over the finals holes when I saw several girls were playing good and me not so good.

“I didn’t play that well from the fairway to the green but my short game was good and that’s what got me through.”