England’s Gemma Clews holds a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Smorum Ladies Open.
The Manchester-based player sat in the overnight lead after firing a flawless 65 (-5) in the first round at Smorum Golf Club.
Clews followed it up with a 68 (-2) on day two rolling in birdies on the third, fifth, sixth and 18th holes to sit at the top of the leaderboard on seven-under-par.
“I felt like my long game was really good today,” Clews said, “I kept it in play and hit quite a lot of good approach shots and gave myself a lot of chances but I didn’t seem to hole the putts.”
Clews, who graduated from LETAS in 2023, has come back to defend her title and claim the cheque for the third year in a row.
Playing in the same group as local, Natacha Host-Husted, Clews had a big crowd following her.
“It was great to have them, they were all nice, friendly and its always great to have people out watching and supporting.
“I will take the one-shot-lead, it has put me in a very different position to last year where I was five shots back going into the final round.
“It’s been a while since I’ve held a lead so we will just see what happens. Let’s hope we can get the job done tomorrow.”
After shooting 67(-3) yesterday, Germany’s Helen Tamy Kreuzer followed it up with another incredible round of the same score, but this time it was flawless with the 25-year-old making birdies on holes five, 14 and 15.
“It was so good to go bogey free today, I haven’t had that in a while. So, I was happy to have a clean card, and we will see what tomorrow brings.
“I honestly don’t have high expectations so I will just try to do the same I did today and yesterday and see where it takes me.”
This won’t be the first time Kreuzer has found herself in the final group. The Bensheim-based player was in the final group at the PGA Championship Gothenburg.
“To be in the final group is what we play for, to be in contention and to be playing with two other girls who are also fighting for the win.
“So, I’m going to enjoy it. The season has been so much of a roller coaster and a win would just be the confirmation that coming back on LETAS was the right thing to do and that all the work I’m putting in is paying off.
“At the same time, I feel like being in contention already proves it and a win would just be the cherry on top.”
Kreuzer’s season has seen mixed results as she has balanced her time between three tours; the Sunshine Tour, the LET and LETAS.
“It was a tough decision to come back on LETAS, I could have played more LET events, and you never want to say no to playing on Europe’s biggest tour, but I feel like it was better for my golf and for myself at that point.”
Denmark’s Victoria Kristensen is currently the highest ranked amateur player in the field after a great round of 67 (-3) today.
Kristensen, who started on 10, had a tough front nine starting with two bogeys in her first three holes before rolling in a birdie on the 13th and another bogey on the 15th.
Yet in her back nine, the 2024 PING Junior Solheim cup player, fired up the flat-stick to roll in six birdies and one bogey to finish tied third alongside Denmark’s Natacha Host Husted and Sweden’s Kajsa Arwefjall.
“It felt good out there and I enjoyed it even though my first nine was tough. From then I got some good bounces on the back nine.
“We travel a lot to play so it’s always nice to play at home in Denmark and amongst all my friends, especially those from the national team.”
An invite to the tournament, the 586th WAGR ranked golfer, is enjoying the challenge of testing her game against the professionals.
“My main goal this week is to stay in the moment and not get caught up. I will just try to enjoy my game tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow I will try to just be more ready from the beginning. I had quite a tough start on both days.
“So, it will be about staying in the moment and not getting caught up in the good or bad things that might happen during a round of golf.
“Patience will be key and then hopefully that will bring me good things.”
Two players are tied sixth on three-under-par: Sweden’s Anna Magnusson and France’s Lucie Malchirand.
Meanwhile, seven players are tied eighth on two-under-par: Spain’s Maria Herraez Galvez, Dane Puk Lyng Thomsen, Australia’s Stephanie Bunque, England’s Ellen Hume, amateur Mimi Rhodes and Sweden’s Andrea Lignell.
The cut fell at +5 with 65 players making it through to the final day of competition.
Round three will begin at 7:30am (local time) with the leaders going out at 9:20am.
Follow all the action throughout the Smorum Ladies Open on the LETAS social media channels – @letaccess on Instagram, X, and Ladies European Tour Access Series on Facebook – #RaiseOurGame #Access2Let #EnjoyTheGame.
