From left to right: Mireia Prat (Spain), Patricia Sanz Barrio (Spain), Nicole Broch Larsen (Denmark), Chloe Leurquin (Belgium), Fabienne In-Albon (Switzerland)
The race for a place on the 2014 Ladies European Tour has come to a close and the top five players on the 2013 Access Series Order of Merit have earned their full cards for next year.
The Access Series graduates are, in qualifying order: Mireia Prat from Spain (1), Patricia Sanz of Spain (2), Nicole Broch Larsen from Denmark (3), Chloe Leurquin of Belgium (4) and Fabienne In-Albon from Switzerland (5).
The season wrapped up at the Mineks Ladies Classic at National Golf Club in Antalya, Turkey, on Sunday, where Leurquin won her first professional title and moved into the all-important top five.
Prat won the LETAS Order of Merit after two victories and nine further top ten finishes from 15 tournaments played over the season. She won the Ocho Golf Ladies Open in Galicia and won again on home turf at the Costa Blanca Ladies Open in Spain.
“I think it has been my short game overall and the mindset throughout the whole season that has led to this,” said Prat. “I think I am really prepared for the LET. I played in five LET events this year and did quite well so I will try to do the right things and play my best game.”
Prat will have another chance at glory as she is playing in the LET’s season-ending event, the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters at Emirates Golf Club starting on Wednesday.
She said: “I didn’t expect to be here because of my category for this year but I’m really excited to play this tournament. It’s my first time in Dubai and it feels like a prize for the season. I’ve played very well on the Access Series, so I’m just going to enjoy it and see how it goes. I would like to be in the top ten of course!”
She hopes to win her first trophy on the main Ladies European Tour to qualify for the Evian Championship and Ricoh Women’s British Open in 2014.
Fellow Spaniard Sanz Barrio had one win and seven further top ten finishes, including two ties for second. She won the Grecotel Amirandes Ladies Open.
She feels that she has made great strides this year. “I have been very consistent with my long game and I have been improving my short game considerably, which has made a difference from previous years. I will now try to work as hard as possible to keep my card and play my best golf.”
Broch Larsen recorded back-to-back wins at the HLR Golf Academy Open and Ladies Norwegian Challenge and had four additional top ten finishes.
Leurquin earned her first win at the Mineks Ladies Classic in Turkey after three top ten finishes earlier in the season.
Meanwhile, In-Albon won the Azores Ladies Open and had two other top ten finishes throughout the year.
In addition to the top five players on the Access Series Order of Merit earning their Ladies European Tour cards, players from sixth to 20th positions will have the opportunity to progress directly to the final stage of Lalla Aicha Tour School for 2014, therefore skipping the pre-qualifiers.
Those players include Heather MacRae, Steffi Kirchmayr, Caroline Martens, Chrisje de Vries, Pamela Feggans, Antonella Cvitan, Elisabetta Bertini, Linda Henriksson, Monica Christiansen, Christine Wolf, Charlotte Wild, Julie Tvede, Isabell Gabsa, Lina Boqvist, Kelsey Macdonald, Lauren Taylor and Galina Rotmistrova.
The Final Qualifier will be played over two courses, Al Maaden Golf Resort and Samanah Golf Club in Marrakech, Morocco, from December 14-18.
