Marta Sanz Barrio
Spain’s Marta Sanz Barrio shot a closing 65, five under par, to win the Ingarö Ladies Open hosted by Elin Emanuelsson. Sanz Barrio finished three shots ahead of joint overnight leader Caroline Rominger from Switzerland.
After starting slowly with bogeys on the 1st and 2nd, Sanz Barrio found her best form, scoring nine birdies and a further two bogeys in the remaining sixteen holes. Sanz Barrio, whose older sister, Patricia Sanz Barrio graduated from LETAS on to the LET last season, was delighted with her victory. She said: ” It feels great, I have been close the past tournaments and to finally win means a lot to me.”
“Playing as an amateur, to be able to win in a good pro tournament like this gives me hope and confidence that I can play golf at the next level. For the week, I think that even though I wasn’t hitting great shots or the putts weren’t falling, I stayed patient enough to give myself a chance the last day. Today everything just happened for me. I had a rough start with two bogeys and that made me wake up and fight harder. My putter was on fire and that always makes the difference.”
A recent graduate from Auburn University in the United States, Sanz Barrio plans to combine playing on the LET Access Series with her amateur schedule and will now have her sights firmly set on gaining her LET card through her LETAS performances this season. Sanz Barrio’s win this week has moved the Madrid native into 4th place on the LETAS Order of Merit.
Rominger enjoyed her best finish on the LET Access Series this year with her second place finish, moving up to 9th on the LETAS Order of Merit and within striking distance of the top five positions. At the end of the year the top five players will gain exemption status on the Ladies European Tour for the 2015 season.
England’s Georgia Hall, who was tied with Rominger going into the final day, closed with a two over par, 72 to finish at 2 under par and in third place. Hall was taking part in her first professional event since she left the amateur ranks and will compete again next week at the Ladies Norwegian Challenge.
Four players tied for fourth position at one under par, 209, France’s Astrid Vayson de Pradenne, Daisy Nielsen from Denmark and Swedes Anna Appert Lund and Isabella Ramsay, who continues to lead the LETAS Order of Merit.
Lina Boqvist and Viva Schlasberg, also both from Sweden, tied for 8th on even par, with fellow countrywoman Emma Westin finishing tenth at +1.
The LET Access Series moves to Norway next week for the Ladies Norwegian Challenge, which will be played at Losby Golf Club, from the 12 – 14 August.
