Manon de Roey (-9) has claimed victory at the Australian Women’s Classic, a tournament on the Ladies European Tour shared with the Australian circuit, which had to be reduced to 54 holes due to Cyclone Alfred and was held at the Coffs Harbour Golf Club, halfway between Brisbane and Sydney. The Belgian golfer, with Spanish María Beautell as her caddie, has achieved the third victory of her career on the LET, the second in less than a year.
De Roey delivered a scorecard of 69 strokes on the final day of the tournament held this Sunday. She won in style, with a birdie on the 18th hole to break the tie she had at that moment with English Cara Gainer (-8), who had set a great score of eight under par in the clubhouse, finishing her round about 20 minutes before De Roey.
Manon, a 33-year-old veteran, managed to keep her nerves in check wonderfully and secured the win by sinking a great putt of about two metres on that final hole. She was under all the pressure there. She knew that if she made it, she would win the tournament, and if she missed, she would have had to go to a playoff. In third position finished Thai Cholcheva Wongras (-7), and fourth was Swedish Kajsa Arwefjall (-6), a young player who has been a professional for just a year and is gradually getting closer to her first victory on the LET. She has already won three times on the LETAS.
Precisely, tied in that third position finished Australian Sarah Kemp (-6). She started as the tournament leader in the final round. She was seeking her first career victory on the European circuit after many years as a professional and seven months out due to an accident. However, a poor round, especially at the start, with a three-over-par on the first nine, including a double bogey on the 6th, left her out of the fight for the win. She will have to keep persevering.
Marta Martín (-3) was the best Spanish player in the tournament, finishing 13th. The Madrid native ended with a scorecard of 68 strokes, with two birdies and no bogeys. Her tournament went from strength to strength. Today she was very good off the tee and outstanding in recoveries.
One stroke behind finished Ana Peláez (-2), with a final round over par of 71 strokes. The Malaga native made two bogeys and a solitary birdie, not much production for a Sunday when positions and cheques are finalised.
Who finished the tournament very well was María Hernández (-1). The Navarrese delivered the second-best result of the day (66 strokes, only surpassed by the 65 of Indian Avani Prashanth) and finished in 21st place. She made five birdies and a solitary bogey, painful indeed, as it came on the penultimate hole of the day.
Finally, Blanca Fernández (+5), the other Spanish player who made the cut, finished with a round of 71 strokes. It was a roller coaster. She started poorly, recovered wonderfully with three consecutive birdies on holes 16, 17, and 18, stumbled again later, and finished with a birdie on the 9th, her last hole. 60th place.
Next week, the third tournament of this eventful Australian tour of the Ladies European Tour will be played. As you know, the first tournament had to be cancelled, and this one was reduced to 54 holes.
