KELSEY LETS IT SLIP, HANNAH WINS WPGA INTERNATIONAL
Kelsey MacDonald let a first rookie-pro victory in the WPGA International Challenge at Stoke-by-Nayland Golf Club, Colchester slip through her fingers but the 24-year-old from Nairn, attached to the Robert Rocl Academy, will have the chance to secure that elusive first win over the last four events of the inaugural Paul Lawrie Ladies Scottish Open Tour.
Leader through the first two rounds of the LETAS Series 54-hole event, and still clinging to a one-stroke lead with nine holes to play, Kelsey took 41 shots for the inward half and a closing 77 dropped her to a share of fifth place on 214 and a chqeue for 933 Euros instead of the first prize of 4,039 Euros which had seemed her for the taking at the start of the day.
In what proved a dramatic climax to the third and final round, that had seen the lead change hands with bewildering regularity, Hannah Ralph posted birdies on the final two holes to claim the biggest and most prestigious win of the 25-year-old English player's career and she secured it with a flourish.
Having deposited her tee shot on the fringe of the green on the par three 18th of the Gainsborough course at the Suffolk resort, she faced a tricky chip shot to help save par and win the title.
And with Wales teenager Amy Boulden, making her debut as a pro after a stellar career as an amateur, two strokes behind but nursing realistic prospects of a birdie, a miscue by Ralph could have resulted in a play-off.
In the event, Ralph from Cowdray Park Golf Club, Sussex, chipped in to post a final one-under-par round of 71 and a total of seven-under 209 to win the 54-hole tournament by three strokes.
“It was a tough lie,” Ralph explained afterwards. “And I was focusing on trying to get it as close as possible,”.
“But it looked good all the way and went in. It’s always nice to finish on a high but I had to be really patient - I had a lot of birdie opportunities on the front nine and it was just a case of keep going. Happily the patience paid off – I birdied 17 and then the last.
“Without doubt it’s the best win of my career. I played on tour in 2010 and didn’t do that well and I’ve played a couple of tournaments this year but not a lot. So I wasn’t really expecting anything so it’s a bit unbelievable at the moment.”
In the event, Boulden failed to capitalise on her birdie chance and finished three strokes adrift of Ralph and sharing second place with Galina Rotmistrova of Russia.
Rotmistrova, in common with the winner, posted one-under for the third round of the tournament, which carried a €25,000 prize fund and was supported by Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf and Spa.
And for a while, and boosted by three birdies in the first four holes, she looked the likely champion. However, bogeys at the 16th and 18th plus Ralph’s storming finish ended her chances of victory.
Meanwhile, Boulden, who made a very impressive professional debut, suffered similarly. Having birdied the first and third, her challenge effectively evaporated with four bogeys in the outward nine’s remaining six holes.
All of which contributed to her worst round of the tournament, a two-over-par 74.
Leader through the first two rounds of the LETAS Series 54-hole event, and still clinging to a one-stroke lead with nine holes to play, Kelsey took 41 shots for the inward half and a closing 77 dropped her to a share of fifth place on 214 and a chqeue for 933 Euros instead of the first prize of 4,039 Euros which had seemed her for the taking at the start of the day.
In what proved a dramatic climax to the third and final round, that had seen the lead change hands with bewildering regularity, Hannah Ralph posted birdies on the final two holes to claim the biggest and most prestigious win of the 25-year-old English player's career and she secured it with a flourish.
Having deposited her tee shot on the fringe of the green on the par three 18th of the Gainsborough course at the Suffolk resort, she faced a tricky chip shot to help save par and win the title.
And with Wales teenager Amy Boulden, making her debut as a pro after a stellar career as an amateur, two strokes behind but nursing realistic prospects of a birdie, a miscue by Ralph could have resulted in a play-off.
In the event, Ralph from Cowdray Park Golf Club, Sussex, chipped in to post a final one-under-par round of 71 and a total of seven-under 209 to win the 54-hole tournament by three strokes.
“It was a tough lie,” Ralph explained afterwards. “And I was focusing on trying to get it as close as possible,”.
“But it looked good all the way and went in. It’s always nice to finish on a high but I had to be really patient - I had a lot of birdie opportunities on the front nine and it was just a case of keep going. Happily the patience paid off – I birdied 17 and then the last.
“Without doubt it’s the best win of my career. I played on tour in 2010 and didn’t do that well and I’ve played a couple of tournaments this year but not a lot. So I wasn’t really expecting anything so it’s a bit unbelievable at the moment.”
In the event, Boulden failed to capitalise on her birdie chance and finished three strokes adrift of Ralph and sharing second place with Galina Rotmistrova of Russia.
Rotmistrova, in common with the winner, posted one-under for the third round of the tournament, which carried a €25,000 prize fund and was supported by Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf and Spa.
And for a while, and boosted by three birdies in the first four holes, she looked the likely champion. However, bogeys at the 16th and 18th plus Ralph’s storming finish ended her chances of victory.
Meanwhile, Boulden, who made a very impressive professional debut, suffered similarly. Having birdied the first and third, her challenge effectively evaporated with four bogeys in the outward nine’s remaining six holes.
All of which contributed to her worst round of the tournament, a two-over-par 74.
Heather MacRae (Gleneagles Hotel) from Dunbale made the top 20 with a closing round of 74 for three-over-par 219 and a share of 18th place. She earned 473 Euros.
Pamela Feggans from Doone Valley, Ayrshire, the only other Scot to survive the 36-hole cut, had a nightmare last round of 79 for 226 and 35th place for which she received 359 Euros
WPGA INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE
Stoke by Nayland Golf Club, Colchester.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
209 Hannah Ralph (Eng) 68 70 71 (4,039 Euros)
212 Galina Rotmistrova (Rus) 70 71 71, Amy Boulden (Wal) 69 68 74 (2,339 Euros each)
213 Mireia Prat (Spa) 69 72 72 (1,172 Euros)
214 Kelsey MacDonald (Sco) 68 69 77, Monica Christiansen (Den) 70 73 71 (933 Euros each)
215 Anni Ross (Ita) 73 73 69 (852 Euros)
216 Carmen Alonso (Spa) 74 72 70, Lucy Williams (Eng) 72 71 73, Nicole Broch Larsen (Den) 73 71 72, Linda Henriiksson (Fin) 73 71 73 (768 Euros each), Amber Ratcliffe (Eng) (am) 71 73 72
OTHER SCOTS SCORES
219 Heather MacRae 74 71 74 (T18) (473 Euros)
226 Pamela Feggans 74 73 79 (35th) (359 Euros).
Pamela Feggans from Doone Valley, Ayrshire, the only other Scot to survive the 36-hole cut, had a nightmare last round of 79 for 226 and 35th place for which she received 359 Euros
WPGA INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE
Stoke by Nayland Golf Club, Colchester.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
209 Hannah Ralph (Eng) 68 70 71 (4,039 Euros)
212 Galina Rotmistrova (Rus) 70 71 71, Amy Boulden (Wal) 69 68 74 (2,339 Euros each)
213 Mireia Prat (Spa) 69 72 72 (1,172 Euros)
214 Kelsey MacDonald (Sco) 68 69 77, Monica Christiansen (Den) 70 73 71 (933 Euros each)
215 Anni Ross (Ita) 73 73 69 (852 Euros)
216 Carmen Alonso (Spa) 74 72 70, Lucy Williams (Eng) 72 71 73, Nicole Broch Larsen (Den) 73 71 72, Linda Henriiksson (Fin) 73 71 73 (768 Euros each), Amber Ratcliffe (Eng) (am) 71 73 72
OTHER SCOTS SCORES
219 Heather MacRae 74 71 74 (T18) (473 Euros)
226 Pamela Feggans 74 73 79 (35th) (359 Euros).
Labels: Pro Ladies
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