Helen Briem writes her first major chapter in European golf. The German has triumphed in a big way at the La Sella Open, winning at the age of 19 and on her professional debut on the Ladies European Tour.
A title-lifting machine has been born. In the last three months, she has won four times on the LET Access Series, the European Amateur Team Championship with Germany, and this week, in Denia. Winning, wherever it may be, is not easy and she has done it six times in just over a hundred days.
This victory is special. In front of the cameras she didn’t acknowledge it, but behind the scenes she assured Ten Golf: “For the first time I have felt fear on a golf course and the truth is that they have been the toughest nine holes of my life”. Winning is not easy and even less so on the Ladies European Tour. Yes, Helen Briem also gets the sweats, but she has felt the pressure and has managed it wonderfully. If you had forgotten, we remind you that she is 19 years old.
With ‘fear’ she has delivered a spectacular card of 66 strokes that has made the great comeback attempt of Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (-16) impossible, who has signed seven strokes under par on the decisive day.
Let’s start from the beginning. La Sella dawned radiant. A spectacular sun did not want to miss the appointment. The occasion deserved it. The course in unbeatable conditions. The board was ready, the players just had to display their best level. You would have to fly low to clinch the tournament.
It seemed that the victory was written in advance, it floated in the atmosphere. Helen Briem started with all the spotlights on her back. On her own merits. She had displayed great play in the three previous rounds and her curriculum preceded her. The 19-year-old player was looking for her first victory on the LET, in what was also her professional debut on the circuit.
However, our beloved golf gods wanted to give the day quite a bit of excitement. There was a player who intended to change the plans. Pauline Roussin Bouchard arrived at the 1st tee with a grin from ear to ear. Visualising what was coming ahead. She was three strokes behind and knew that if she played well she would have her chances. She did have them.
Helen had arrived at the tee when there were still fifteen minutes left. The previous match hadn’t even started yet. Nerves, eagerness, impatience? Who knows, probably a mix of all of them. Pauline, on the other hand, has pushed to the limit and has appeared just two minutes before when a referee was already starting to ask if anyone had seen her.
After crossing paths, both players shared a funny anecdote. They exchanged a ‘hello’, but the Frenchwoman stopped, turned back and said: “I think we haven’t introduced ourselves before, I’m Pauline”. Helen had a little laugh at the golfer’s simplicity and returned the greeting with all the enthusiasm her German character allows. In Pauline’s greeting, a certain admiration was noticed as if the player she was greeting was already a star. They had a good time this Sunday and they were seen talking a lot throughout the day.
The battle began and the greetings were set aside. Birdie to start for both players. From there, the Frenchwoman took out the violin for a walk and arrived at the 7th tee with four birdies in the bag and everything tied. It’s not that Helen had started badly, but you had to fly low and Pauline had understood it perfectly. She had little to lose and everything was going her way.
That’s when Briem’s race came in. With everything tied, she brought out her best game again and, before the end of the first round, she was already winning by two strokes thanks to two birdies and a great five-metre putt on the 9th hole included.
However, after the 13th hole everything was tied again, partly thanks to Pauline’s best iron of the day which missed the eagle from 120 metres by two palms. The initiative seemed to be with the Frenchwoman again. They had five holes left and everything was even. Would Helen be able to overcome again? Yes, she would.
After a good start from Briem on the 15th, a special moment occurred. Johan, Helen’s father and caddy this week, gave her a hug. Trying to calm the situation and giving her encouragement. There were four holes left and her chances were intact. Just five minutes later she was sinking a five-metre putt that put her back at the top of the leaderboard alone. She punched the air and the hundreds of people following the match roared. She would not lose that advantage. At the end of the tournament, the father admitted that he hadn’t said anything. Just a hug. “We don’t talk much to each other,” he said amusingly to Ten Golf.
Another great second shot on the 16th gave her clear birdie options, she was a turn and a half short of putting two strokes ahead. Pauline, although she didn’t lose her smile, was suffering. Both took par. Helen smelled blood and didn’t let go of her prey. She was very close to the birdie also on the 17th and allowed herself the luxury of brushing the eagle on the 18th hole. The Frenchwoman could only scratch par. The victory was already hers. Without great fuss, but with a grin from ear to ear, the new heroine of European golf celebrated.
As far as the Armada is concerned, Ana Peláez (-11) was the best Spanish player of the tournament. She finished in a great fourth place after delivering a card of 69 strokes for the second consecutive day. It is her best result on the circuit in five months. The Spanish player was very proud of her week. The decision not to play this week on the LPGA to play in her country seems to have been a great success for the Malaga player.
Luna Sobrón (-8) adds in La Sella her second best result of the year after the third place in the Joburg Ladies Open. The Mallorcan finished seventh in what is also her fourteenth top 25 of the year. Very consistent the Balearic player throughout the season.
Harang Lee (-6) finally finished in 14th place after a final round of one over par that was marked by a penalty stroke on the 12th hole, for possible slow play. Tough end of the week for the Cantabrian golfer who has displayed great play in Denia and did not deserve such an end. She is playing a lot in her annual classification and a top ten would have opened the possibility of playing next week in the Lacoste Ladies Open.
Blanca Fernández (-4) achieved a more than meritorious 23rd place on her LET debut with a final card of 70 strokes and finished tied with Nuria Iturrioz (-4). Marta Martín (-3) signed a good final round of 70 strokes and finished among the top 35 in the tournament.
