Kelsey Bennett already has the victory she dreamed of. The Australian triumphed on Sunday at the Australian Women’s Classic after surviving a brutal final round at Magenta Shores Golf & Country Club, marked by wind and rain, to register the biggest win of her career and make her debut on the Ladies European Tour.
Bennett, 26, started the final day with a one-shot lead and managed to hold firm in extreme conditions. She carded a final round of 71 golpes, uno bajo par and finished at a total of -13, four shots clear of her pursuers. She was one of only three players able to go under par on Sunday, a stat that perfectly sums up the toughness of the day on Australia’s west coast.
The home favourite started under pressure. Caley McGinty, one of her partners in the feature group, got off to a flying start with birdies at holes 1 and 3, although Bennett responded with gains at 3 and 5, the latter after narrowly missing an eagle from the rough. Problems came later, with three consecutive bogeys at holes 6, 7 and 8, just as the tournament seemed to open up.
However, Bennett held firm. She saved a very valuable par at 9 before the rain arrived in force and forced everyone on the course to take cover under umbrellas. In that survival scenario, the Australian stepped up again on the back nine. She took advantage of a bogey by McGinty at 11 to regain sole control and delivered the decisive blow with two superb birdies at 13 and 14. The one at 13, moreover, was the only birdie of the day on that par 3.
McGinty still threatened to close the gap with a birdie at 16, but the 17th hole ended up deciding the tournament. The Englishwoman sent the ball out of bounds and Bennett recorded a decisive birdie that left her four shots clear. There was no turning back. She closed with a bogey at 18, enough to lift the trophy in front of her family and friends in New South Wales.
Bennett’s victory, her first on the LET, also moves her to the top of the Order of Merit and secures her a place in the AIG Women’s Open. Behind her, McGinty and Meghan MacLaren shared second place on -9, while Thai player Trichat Cheenglab finished fourth on -7.
From a Spanish perspective, it was a very tough Sunday, as could be expected on a day of truly punishing weather. The three who made the cut succumbed to the elements. The best was Luna Sobrón, who finished in 49th place with +8, after a final round of 78. Blanca Fernández concluded 52nd with +10, after carding 79, and Marta Sanz finished 59th with +16, with a card of 82 in the final round.
The next date on the LET calendar will also take place in Australia, with the Women’s Australian Open to be held in Adelaide.
