Olivia Cowan Photo Credit: Frida Braster
German rookie Olivia Cowan won for the third time on the LET Access Series, claiming the Norrporten Ladies Open title by one stroke from overnight leader, Finland’s Krista Bakker.
Bakker started the final day with a five shot lead and maintained the majority of that lead after the opening nine holes.
Cowan birdied the 10th, 12th and 13th holes to draw within one of the Finn. Bakker then found trouble on the par four 16th hole, recording a double bogey and falling one shot behind the German player. Another bogey followed on the 17th for the CreditGate24 GolfSeries Hamburg Open champion, giving the 19-year old Cowan a two shot lead and although she bogeyed the final hole, Bakker was unable to produce a much needed birdie to force a play-off.
Cowan becomes only the second player in LETAS history to win three events in a year, first achieved by Sweden’s Emma Westin during last season and now moves to the top of the LETAS order of merit, just under 4,000 points ahead of fellow German Isi Gabsa, who is attending LPGA Qualifying School in California this week.
At the close of the 2015 LETAS season, the top five players on the 2015 Ranking will earn membership of the Ladies European Tour, while players in sixth to 20th positions will have the opportunity to progress to the final stage of Lalla Aicha Tour School for 2016.
Swedish amateur Anna Appert-Lund shot a final round of 71, for a three round total of 213 and third place. Fellow Swede Johanna Gustavsson (70) and England’s Rachel Goodall (71) both enjoyed their best finishes on LETAS this season, with a tie for 4th place.
Three players, Stefania Avanzo (71) from Italy, and amateurs Natalia Escuriola (73) from Spain and Sweden’s Ellinor Haag (74) finished in a tie for 6th position.
The LET Access Series moves to Norway for next week’s Larvik Ladies Open, which takes place from 11 – 13 August at Larvik Golf Club.
