The Spanish golfer Amaia Latorre (-8) has achieved her first victory in the LET Access Series (LETAS) after winning an exciting playoff at the Ahlsell Trophy by Destination Jonkoping, held at the Gränna Golf Club (Sweden). Latorre surpassed the Swedish Isabell Ekstrom, a local player and leader after the second round, on the first playoff hole thanks to a brilliant birdie on the 18th.
The 27-year-old Aragonese player started the final round from the sixth position and signed a sensational card of 66 strokes (-6) which allowed her to force the playoff, finished with another birdie on the final par 5. This is her fourth professional victory, after the three titles won in the Santander Golf Tour.
“The feeling is incredible. It has been two difficult months and to finish like this is fantastic,” confessed Latorre after the triumph. “Last night I didn’t sleep too well, but I had in mind that the winning score would be around -8. Today I focused on each shot and tried to play as well as possible, and I did it.”
Interestingly, it was the first time she faced a playoff as a professional, although she did it calmly and enjoyed the moment. “I didn’t know what position I was in until I finished. On the 18th, Marina Escobar, my best friend on the tour, carried my bag, and that helped a lot. I told myself I was going to enjoy the hole and, if destiny wanted me to win, so be it.”
Latorre is combining the LET and LETAS this season, after obtaining category 16 of the Ladies European Tour at the December Qualifying School. In the LET, she had achieved a best result of T17 at the Jabra Ladies Open, a tournament she opened with a spectacular 66.
In the LETAS, this victory in Sweden adds to two other top 10 finishes in six tournaments played, allowing her to climb to the ninth position in the Order of Merit, an important step in her goal of securing a full card for the Ladies European Tour. The top seven at the end of the season will earn the card. Six tournaments remain, and the final is held in Spain, in Calatayud.
The triumph also comes with a particular personal story: Latorre began playing golf at just three years old thanks to her parents, but for a long time, she combined this sport with her other great passion, football. The latter was her priority until, at the insistence of coaches and friends, she decided to fully commit to golf.
The Spaniard will take a week off, which she will use to celebrate in Mallorca, before deciding whether to play all the remaining LETAS tournaments. “Achieving a victory here was a goal and it’s now accomplished. Now it’s time to think about the next one: the LET card,” she assured.
Amaia Latorre has added the 20th victory for Spanish golf in the LETAS, the first since the one achieved by Marta Martín in 2023. Fifteen different Spanish players have won. Here they all are:
– Amaia Latorre (2015)
– Marta Martín (2023)
– Luna Sobrón (2016, 2017 and 2020)
– María Beautell (2019)
– Laura Gómez (2019)
– Noemí Jiménez (2018)
– Carmen Alonso (2018)
– Elia Folch (2018)
– Carolina González García (2016)
– María Parra (2016 (2))
– Natalia Escuriola (2015 (2))
– Marta Sanz (2014)
– Mireia Prat (2013 (2))
– Patricia Sanz (2013)
– Carlota Ciganda (2011)
As for the rest of the Spanish players, María Parra completed a great tournament finishing tied in fourth position alongside Czech Patricie Mackova, both with -4. The player from Cádiz started one stroke off the lead in the final round and is gradually showing that she is returning to her best golf.
The LET Access Series will now travel to Slovakia for the second edition of the Ladies Slovak Golf Open (13-15 August) at the TALE Ski Golf and Hotel Resort.
