Mireia Prat Photo: A Freire
Spain’s Mireia Prat won her first title as a professional at the Ocho Golf Ladies Open – Galicia, after shooting a final round 69, to win by one shot from Australia’s Bree Arthur.
The young Spaniard led by two shots from Arthur going into the final round. Both players covered the opening nine holes in 1 over par (36) before Prat holed a short putt on the par three 10th hole to pull three shots clear. Arthur responded with a birdie on the 479 yd par 5, with both players scoring birdies on the 12th. Prat faltered on the 14th with a bogey, her third of the week on the hole, whilst Arthur scored her fourth birdie of the day on the tough 413 yd 15th.
Both players were tied for the lead with four holes to play and it was Prat who broke the deadlock with a perfect approach shot to the 18th green, converting the two metre putt for birdie.
Prat was delighted with her performance, “I am very happy that I have won in Spain and an Ocho Golf tournament. I hope the whole year will be the same as the way I played this week. I am looking forward to the three weeks after this event in Turkey and Sweden.”
The 23 year old from Barcelona credited her success to the work she had been doing in the off-season with her coach, ex LET player, Amaia Arruti, her fitness trainer, Joan Sole and a change of clubs for her success. “This week is a prize for the hard work I have been doing all these months from October with my team. I have been working on gaining some strength and power and mentally as well. “
Prat had come close to winning earlier this year at the Dinard Ladies Open, when she entered the final round tied for the lead, eventually falling away to finish in a tie for 19th place. “I think I was more nervous in Dinard, the weather was difficult. Today I just played like the two days before, keeping the same routine. I think in Dinard I changed a little bit my things. I just stayed in the present in all the eighteen holes including the putt on the 18th.”
Scotland’s Katy McNicoll shot the low round of the day, 67, to tie for third place at 2 under par, alongside Maria Salinas from Peru and talented young Danish amateur Nicole Broch Larsen.
