Emma Nilsson earns third LET Access Series title at Season Finale

Meghan MacLaren 

Emma Nilsson was crowned the winner of the season-ending tournament on the 2017 LET Access Series: the Santander Golf Tour LETAS El Saler in Spain.
The 23-year-old Swede fired rounds of 69, 70 and 71 to finish on a total of six-under-par and win by a shot over Iceland’s Valdis Thora Jonsdottir at at Parador de El Saler in Valencia, with Norwegian Tonje Daffinrud a stroke further behind in third.
Nilsson, who carded four birdies and three bogeys in the final round, played in perfect conditions on the scenic, ocean-front course, collected her third LETAS trophy, following wins at the Pilsen Golf Challenge and Ladies Norwegian Challenge in 2014.
She said afterwards: “I was very stable. I made four birdies, which is very good on this course, but I wasn’t sure exactly about the position I was in. I knew it was pretty tight with Valdis and I needed to make birdies, but I wasn’t sure of the scores. If I would have thought I was behind, perhaps I would have putted more aggressively, but I didn’t know and thought that I should just leave it close. Otherwise, I played my own game.”
After making the turn in one-under 35, Nilsson bogeyed the 11th, but picked up a stroke on the long 15th hole to take a one stroke advantage down the last hole. She had two putts for the win after Jonsdottir missed her birdie putt.
“On the last shot I had 160 metres and I hit a five iron, a little bit downwind. I felt it was a good shot, thought “get close” and it did,” continued Nilsson, who is currently Ranked 68th on the LET.
“This win is a good boost of confidence ahead of the tournaments over the next three weeks on the LET. I’ve had a good year on the LET, I played four events and made all the cuts so I hope to have a good finish to keep my card.”
Jonsdottir, another LET member, will also be looking to secure her playing rights for 2018 over the next few weeks having finished just short of gaining her first title.
“I started off really badly and putted poorly, so I wasn’t playing my usual game from the beginning,” said the 27-year-old from Akranes, who recovered from an outward nine of 38 by coming back in 34 for a round of level par 72.
“After that, I managed to fight back with three birdies in a row from the ninth and it was like a match play situation. I pulled level on the 11th, but I had a very bad lie on 15 and made a par, rather than a birdie and I couldn’t get another birdie after that. I’m a little bit disappointed, but anyway, it’s a great result.”
Spain’s own María Palacios tied for fourth with Danish amateur Puk Lyng Thomsen and Palacios said: “I played very well throughout the tournament and the playing conditions were perfect, with some wind but lighter than we usually have here at El Saler. Yesterday’s round was windier and harder, but my game was more or less the same during the three days.”
Meghan MacLaren tied for 27th place and was confirmed as the LET Access Series Order of Merit winner. The LET Rookie has secured her Tour card for 2018, along with Valentine Derrey, Nina Muehl, Luna Sobron and Charlotte Thompson, however, the qualification spots will move further down the list if any dual member currently in the top five earns their LET exemption following the Omega Dubai Ladies Classic, which concludes on December 9.

Lydia Hall wins WPGA International Challenge

Lydia Hal  --photo courtesy of Adrian Milledge

PGA Assistant prevails in a play-off at Stoke by Nayland
Lydia Hall completed a wire to wire victory in the WPGA International Challenge at Stoke by Nayland but there were a few unplanned diversions en route.
Not least the sudden-death play-off with France’s Ines Escudier following a two shot swing on the par-three final hole on the Gainsborough course at the Suffolk resort.

Escudier, who began the day four shots behind Hall, birdied it for a six-under par round of 66 and complete the tournament’s 54-holes in nine-under.
Hall, by contrast, bogeyed it in a scenario that was reminiscent of her visit to the hole in the first round.
On both occasions the ball flirted with the cup before refusing to drop.

For anyone conversant with Monopoly, this was a golfing example of ‘do not pass go and do not collect £200’ or, in this case, the €5,000 that goes to the winner of the penultimate event in the LET Access Series (LETAS).

Back up the 18th the pair went but it was the 29-year-old from Wales who appeared least fazed by the drama.
While the PGA Assistant deposited her tee shot eight foot from the pin, her opponent overcooked hers and cleared the green.
Two chips later and a tap-in saw her down in four leaving Hall with two putts to claim the cut-glass trophy and winner’s cheque.
Both were needed. She sent the first scooting past the hole and was left to sink a six-foot putt for victory.
Curiously the putting shenanigans on the 18th were at odds with what Hall, a Ladies European Tour winner, cites as key to her first victory in a LETAS tournament.

“The win was down to my putting again,” said Hall, who recently spent time in Abu Dhabi concentrating on honing that side of her game and making a couple of changes.
“It was good in the first round and again today. I’m playing a lot better now that I’ve sorted it out. I must say, though, the tense finish wasn’t in my plans. Ines made me work hard for my win – so did the three girls immediately behind us.”

That trio (pictured above) comprising Scotland’s Michele Thomson, Emma Nilsson of Sweden, and Spain’s Luna Sobron finished two shots behind Hall and Escudier on seven-under to win €1650 apiece.
Escudier, who turned pro in 2015, earned just over twice that sum for achieving what is the best result of her short career. However, it would be no surprise if the 25-year-old was left pondering what might have been.
Not the wayward tee shot in the play-off, nor the miscued chip that followed but her second round display.
Escudier began and ended the tournament with six-under par rounds of 66. These bookended a three-over par 75 that clearly sabotaged her chances of winning.
Hall also went off the boil in the second round, following up her seven-under par opener with one of level par to allow Noemi Jimenez and Thomson to draw level.
Unlike Escudier, it was an unplanned diversion she was able to negotiate.

FINAL RESULTS -- CLICK HERE

JANE TURNER WINS HER FIRST LET ACCESS TOURNAMENT

Scotland’s Jane Turner recorded her first win on the LET Access Series with a wire-to wire victory at the Bossey Ladies Championship at Golf de Bossey, near Geneva.

Turner shot a closing even par 71 to finish at 7 under, in a tie with Noemi Jimenez, who had already posted a final round 67 to lead in the clubhouse. The Scot had the slimmest of leads at the start of the day and faltered during the middle of her round, losing her advantage. In the past, Turner may have faltered but she rallied to record three birdies on the 11th, 12th and 13th to tie Jimenez at 7 under. The Spaniard then bogeyed the 17th but birdied the 18th to draw level with Turner, who parred her way in from the 14th.

Both players could not be split after the first play-off hole and it was Jimenez who found trouble on the second play-off hole, not able to reach the par four 400-yard 18th hole with her second shot and failing to get up and down from 40 yards. Turner hit the green in two and rolled her first putt up to about a foot but admitted to being very nervous over the putt but holed with no problem and the title belonged to her.

“It’s amazing, it’s taken four years so this one…it feels brilliant. And that I had to do it in a play-off, there were a lot of nerves in that last putt," Turner commented.

“The fact that I kept control of it as well. In the past I have led after the first round and dropped away but this week I managed to keep hold of it. I was actually three over par after 11 holes and managed to bring it back with three birdies. I was missing fairways, making silly mistakes. I knocked it in to three feet on the 11th hole and holed that and that was it, I was back in control.“

Natalia Escuriola of Spain finished on her own in 3rd place, scoring a final day one over par 72 for a 5 under total, 208. England’s Lauren Taylor improved each day with rounds of 72, 69 and 68 for a 4 under par total and 4th position.

Order of Merit leader Meghan Maclaren shot the round of the day, 65, to finish in 5th place at 3 under and consolidate her position in the ranking.

The LET Access Series now takes a break until the penultimate event of the season, the WPGA International Challenge at Stoke by Nayland Hotel Golf & Spa, which takes place from the 28 – 30 September.

Clubhouse fire forces early end to LET Access



Series tournament in Czech Republic

Occasionally, golf tournament organizers must cancel the final round of an event. Typically, the reasons are related to bad weather, something they can't really do much about.
The folks running the Foxconn Czech Ladies Challenge, a tournament on the Ladies European Tour Access Series, however, found themselves forced to cut their event short over something they really had no control over: a fire.

A storage area at Casa Serena Golf Club in the Czech Republic caught fire and spread throughout the clubhouse on Saturday. The fire left some players rushing to get away and protect some of their stuff.

Officials initially only delayed play in the third and final round but eventually decided to scrap the round and hold a three-hole aggregate play-off with the three leaders after 36 holes to determine a winner. Lucia Andre eventually defeated Agathe Sauzon and Nina Muehl

Players shared pictures of the blaze via social media.

https://twitter.com/lauren_taylor94/status/878569804243841024

https://twitter.com/Lin89da/status/878483200045133825

Thankfully, everybody was alright.


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MEGHAN MACLAREN FINISHES THIRD AFTER TRIPLE BOGEY

Triple-Bogey Costs Meghan MacLaren Second Pro Title




Overnight leader Meghan MacLaren finished one shot behind eventual leader Linda Henriksson at the VP Bank Ladies Open at GC Gams-Werdenberg, Switzerland after triple-bogeying the 13th hole.

MacLaren looked set to score her second consecutive LET Access Series title after holding a two-shot lead with six holes to play, but would eventually sign for a final round 75.

Although the twenty-one-year-old was unable to claim her third LETAS victory, her performance kept her at the top of the LETAS Order of Merit.

Finn Henriksson claimed her first LETAS victory with a solid par round in tough conditions.

The Finn set the clubhouse lead at four under par, with Nina Pegova of Russia matching Henriksson's round of 72 to draw level. None of the fifty-two players who had qualified for the final round were able to break par, as the strong and gusty winds took their toll.

Henriksson believed she had done enough to capture her first win when overnight leader Meghan MacLaren from England, failed to make a birdie on the final hole but there had been a mistake with Pegova's numbers when informing the scorers and the Russian had also finished at -4 and not -3, as previously thought.

The two players had to go to a play-off to decide the title. Henriksson played the first extra hole, the short par five 18th, aggressively, hitting her drive on the fairway and placing her second shot on the green. Her Russian counterpart found the right greenside bunker with her second shot, left the bunker shot short and failed to convert her birdie. The Finn was left with a three-metre putt for her birdie and her first victory on the LET Access Series.

"I was extremely nervous in this play-off, my knees were trembling, and the last putt took an hour," said Henriksson.

TO VIEW ALL THE FINAL TOTALS CLICK HERE

Meghan MacLaren claims second LETAS title in the Azores

 Meghan MacLaren and Filipe Macedo, Azores Tourism Director General

From the LETAS website:
England's Meghan MacLaren claimed her second victory on the LET Access Series with a two stroke win in the Azores Ladies Open, at Terceira Golf Club on Terceira Island.
It is the second title for the daughter of David MacLaren - executive director of the European Seniors Tour - in LETAS tournaments, but the first as a professional, since last year, when she was victorious in Zaragoza, still as an amateur. It is indeed striking that MacLaren already has two LETAS titles in only four tournaments played. It looks predestined that she will enjoy a successful career, already having a card to play some events on the LET, and with her victory today seizing the number one ranking on the LETAS Order of Merit this season.
MacLaren started the final round with a one-shot lead over Eva Gilly, which she would relinquish early on the final day. The young Frenchwoman covered the opening nine in 33 shots compared to MacLaren’s even par, 35.
Both players struggled on the back nine in the windy conditions and reached the 15^th hole tied for the lead. Gilly double-bogeyed the 16th, while MacLaren closed with bogey-birdie-par over the last three holes, for a round of 74.
Wales’ Chloe Williams (71) recorded her best finish on LETAS with a tie for second place, alongside Gilly at even par, 216.
Finland’s Tiia Koivisto (71), Charlotte Thompson (73) of England and Emilie Alonso (75) tied for fourth place at +1.
Joana de Sá Pereira (73) was the best placed Portuguese player, finishing in a tie with Manon de Roey (74) of Belgium and Italy’s Lucrezia Colombotto Rosso (77) at 2 over par, 218 total.

HOME WIN FOR DERREY AT TERRE BLANCHE

Derrey Delighted With Home Win at Terre Blanche Ladies Open

2nd April 2017

Valentine Derrey

France's Valentine Derrey produced an impressive final round of 67, to win the Terre Blanche Ladies Open at Terre Blanche Resort, by an impressive eight shots.

Derrey was delighted to win for the second time in her home country. The Frenchwoman won the 2014 Open Generali de Dinard in the same year she was also a winner on the LET, claiming the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open at National Golf club in Antalya.

"Great, I just played great," Derrey said. "I played my game, I hit some good shots to the pin and I made some birdies on the front nine and then just played steady on the back nine, didn't miss a lot of shots. It's always tough to win at home and I did it."

Fellow countrywoman Sophie Giquel-Bettan tied for 2nd place alongside Mireia Prat of Spain. The Frenchwoman produced the low round of the week with her final day 66, to finish at 4 under par and a 212 total.

Prat produced her best performance on the LETAS since winning twice during the 2014 season to earn her LET card for the following year.

Four players tied for 4th place at three under par. Norway's Tonje Daffinrud (75), Klara Spilkova (72) of the Czech Republic, Spain's Elia Folch (75) and Frenchwoman Agathe Sauzon (74).

Michele Thomson (Meldrum House) from Ellon finished T24 on 220 with scores of 74, 73 and 73, earning 546 euros.

LINK TO FINAL RESULTS AND PRIZE MONEY ALLOCATION

Luna Sobron wants to be the leading lady again

Luna wants to be the leading lady again

Nice, France – 30th March 2017: Spain's Luna Sobron will be aiming for repeat success when she tees up in the Terre Blanche Ladies Open in France, from 31st March to 2nd April.

The 22-year-old Ladies European Tour Rookie, from Majorca, claimed her first LET Access Series title last year with a one stroke victory over Lucie Andre from France at the 6-star Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort in Provence.

Looking ahead to this year's event, she said: "It's a good place to start the LETAS season. I have great memories of the venue and the course, which is very enjoyable and the organisation is excellent. It's a very strategic course, which is always in really good condition and it's fun to reach some of the par 5s in two shots."

Luna started her Rookie season on the Ladies European Tour with a 34th place finish in the Oates Vic Open in Australia and she is excited to resume competition. "Although I played in Melbourne, I cannot wait to start to re-start the season and compete again. I feel that I am in a higher stage in my golf. I had two very good rounds in Australia (67 and 71) and I want to keep it going. Terre Blanche will be a great opportunity to compete before the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco."

Luna will be joined by fellow former LETAS winners Josephine Janson, Anne Van Dam, Jenny Haglund, Laura Murray, Saana Nuutinen and Meghan MacLaren at Terre Blanche, as well as a large contingent of LET Rookies, including Cajsa Persson, Inci Mehmet, Natalia Escuriola and Lauren Horsford.

Since launching in 2010, LETAS has helped to develop the careers of young professional golfers, many of whom have gone on to achieve success and even represent their countries in the Rio Olympic Games. Returning Olympians include Maha Haddioui, Christine Wolf, Gwladys Nocera and Klára Spilková.

The French contingent includes former LET champions Nocera, Sophie Giquel-Bettan, Isabelle Boineau, Jade Schaeffer and Valentine Derrey, while Cannes resident, Diana Luna of Italy, will also benefit from home advantage.

Meghan MacLaren ends stellar amateur career to turn professional

Meghan MacLaren has ended her impressive amateur career to turn professional ahead of the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters.

The 22-year-old makes the transition after capping an outstanding amateur career with an historic 2016 that saw her gain the winning point at this year’s Curtis Cup, win a gold medal for England at the European Team Championships and claim victory at the Santander Golf Tour LETAS La Peñaza on the LET Access Series.

Meghan McLaren kneeling on left of trophy

Meghan MacLaren

MacLaren contributed three points in Great Britain and Ireland’s Curtis Cup victory against the United States at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club in September, only the second time in 10 years that Great Britain and Ireland have won the prestigious match play tournament. She also helped England secure gold at the European Team Championships the first time since 1993.

“This year has had some moments that I’ll never forget. I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to my amateur career, but hopefully it is only the beginning of things to come.

“There are always lows to go alongside the highs and ultimately there is no rulebook to tell you if you are ready or not for professional golf. But if you want to compete at the highest level you have to keep challenging yourself, and I am excited to have the opportunity to do that. I also want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been a part of my journey so far.”

Following Dubai, Meghan will set her sights on the final stage of the Ladies European Tour qualifying school in Morocco during December.

Michele Thomson in the mix in Zaragoza

Michele Thomson (Meldrum House) is lying fourth, three behind leader Manon De Roey (Germany) with one round to go in the LETAS 54-hole tournament at Clujb de Golf La Penaza, Zaragoza in Spain.
The Scot has had a pair of 69s for six-under-par 138.
The three other Scots in the field failed to beat the cut at 146 and better.
Jane Turner shot 75-73 for 148; Heather Stirling 79-72 for 151 and Iona Stephen totalled 74-81 for 155.

LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
135 M De Roey (Ger) 68 67
137 M MacLaren (Eng) (am) 69 68, S Schober (Aut) 72 65
138 M Thomson (Sco) 69 69.

SELECTED SCORES
141 C Thompson (Eng) 72 69 (T8)
142 K Matharu (Eng) 73 69 (T13)
144 E Goddard (Eng) 73 71 (T23)
146 G Cowley (Eng) 72 74 (T38)

SCOTS WHO MISSED THE CUT
146 and better qualified
148 J Turner 75 73
151 H Stirling 79 72
155 I Stephen 74 81.

SELECTED NON-QUALIFIERS
151 R Goodall (Eng) 76 75
152 C Austwick (Eng) 77 75, T Boyes (Eng) 77 75, R McGinley (Eng) 76 76, S Keech (Eng) 76 76
154 R Wallace (Eng) 81 73.

MICHELE THOMSON FINISHES JOINT THIRD IN WPGA CHALLENGE

Eva Gilly (France) with the WPGA International Challenge Trophy

Michele Thomson (Meldrum House) from Ellon, Aberdeenshire finished joint third on six-under 210 behind young French winner Eva Gilly in the WPGA International Challenge 54-hole tournament at Stoke-by-Nayland today.
There were two other Scots in the top 20. Laura Murray (Kippie Lodge) and Jane Turner (West Linton) tied for 18th place on one-under-par 215.
Thomson had rounds of 72, 70 and 68, her final round including six birdies but also a double bogey 6 at the 10th in halves of 32 and 36.
Gilly shot 73, 64 and 68 for 11-under 205, winning by three from Austrian Sarah Schober (69-67-72).
Murray will be rueing three double bogey 6s she had on her way to a second-round 76, having started the tournament with a 69 and finished it with a 70 which included an eagle and four birdies, as well as four bogeys.
Turner had steady scores of 73, 70 and 72.

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
205 Eva Gilly (France) 73 64 68
208 Sarah Schober (Austria) 69 67 72
210 Michele Thomson (Scotland) 72 70 68, Alexandra Bonetti (France) 75 68 67, Kiran Marshall (England) 71 71 68.

OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
215 Laura Murray 69 76 70, Jane Turner 75 70 72 (T18)

MICHELE THOMSON TOP SCOT IN WPGA CHALLENGE

Michele Thomson, joint 10th, is leading Scot in WPGA International Challenge

FROM THE LETAS WEBSITE
Sarah Schober was in familiar territory after the second round of the WPGA International Challenge but found herself upstaged by Eva Gilly during it.
Schober, who leads the LET Access Series Order of Merit and has already secured her Ladies European Tour card, occupies pole position on eight-under-par 136 in the chase for the €4,800 winner's cheque.
That is a result of the Austrian negotiating the Gainsborough Course at Stoke by Nayland Golf Hotel Spa in five-under-par, second-round 67.
However, as impressive as her round was, not least an eagle at the par five fourth, it was not so much overshadowed as eclipsed by Gilly's birdie bonanza in a round of 64 for 137.
The teenager from France racked up eight of them – including five on the bounce from the first hole onwards. The next, at the par four eighth, ushered in a relative period of calm but it was the last of the octet, at the par five 14th, which gave her the most satisfaction.
"I hit a lot of good shots," she said, "but the approach to the 14th was the best. I used a five-wood and was on the green in two."
Given that Gilly has not long turned 18 and been a professional for little more than a year, it's no surprise her eight-under-par round of 64 is the best of her fledging career.
"Five-under was the best before this," added the mademoiselle from Le Chesnay, whose approach to the game is reflected by her youthfulness.
"I like to have fun on the golf course," she said. "That's the most important thing to me. If I play well, then I will have fun."
Gilly hopes to do just that in a third and final round that, for others, represents serious business as opposed to fun.
With five coveted LET cards on offer to the top five finishers in the LET Access Order of Merit and one already claimed by Schober, a scramble for the remaining quartet is in the offing in this, the penultimate event of the series, and the final one in Spain later this month.
As things stand, six are in the hunt for the cards, including England's Charlotte Thompson, who is attached to nearby Channels Golf Club.
Thompson, who lies fifth in the Order of Merit, followed up her level par opening round with one of three-under to keep both her hopes of a top five finish and what would be tantamount to a home win bubbling.
As a result she shares sixth place with compatriot Jessica Bradley and Spanish pair Maria Parra and Virginia Espejo. They in turn are a shot adrift of another Austrian, Nina Muehl; two behind Sweden's Jessica Karlsson; and three shy of Emilie Alonso of France who lies third on six-under.
Michele Thomson (Meldrum House) is the leading Scot in T10 position after rounds of 72 and 70 for 142, a shot ahead of West Linton's Jane Turner (73-70).
Laura Murray (Kippie Lodge) is T24 on 145 with scores of 69 and 76.
One Scot, Iona Stephen, did not survive the second round cut. She had rounds of 85 and 77 for 162 - 13 shots above the limit for qualifying.

SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 144 (2x72)
136 Sarah Schober (Austria) 69 67
137 Eva Gilly (France) 73 64
138 Emilie Alonso (France) 70 68.

SCOTS' SCORES
142 Michele Thomson 72 70 (T10)
143 Jane Turner 73 70 (T13)
145 Laura Murray 69 76

MISSED THE CUT
149 and better qualified
162 Iona Stephen 85 77