Finland’s Anna Backman held her nerve on a high scoring final round of the Ladies Slovak Golf Open to clinch a two-stroke victory at Gray Bear Golf Course, Tale.
On a sunny day in Slovakia, it was a tightly contested final day with her and England’s Gemma Clews battling it down the back nine.
The Finnish player was two shots behind the lead overnight and had a turbulent start to the day as she was one over par after nine holes.
At the turn, the 26-year-old kept her cool to card two more birdies and one bogey to clinch victory. Yet despite not knowing it at the time, a par was all she needed on the 18th to win.
“I had absolutely no idea I had won. I still don’t believe it. It hasn’t sunk in at all. When I made par on the last, I was a bit upset I was hoping I could make the top five. But I won it’s crazy.”
This victory marks the first time a Finn has won on Tour since 2020. The last Finn to take victory on LETAS was Tia Koivisto at the 2020 Amundi Czech Ladies Challenge.
“I’m proud to represent Finland. It means a lot to me. I’m flying home tomorrow, and we have a week off tournaments so there is lots of time to celebrate.
“I have no idea yet what it will do my ranking because that’s what I’ve been looking at these past couple of weeks. So, I’ll see where I can go from here. I now just need to keep playing the same game.”
Backman now sits 14th on the LETAS Order of Merit. Before this week she sat 43rd.
“If someone had told me I would win this week I do not think I would have believed them because I was quite sick coming into this week, and the course is hilly and it’s hot. So, I, I don’t think I would have believed them at all.”
Backman dedicates this win to her parents who she credits with getting her to where she is now.
“My parents will be the first people I will call. I’m an only child so they’ve been on this journey my whole life. They have helped me always. It means so much.”
Jana Melichova made a successful comeback from injury to finish solo second. It was a tough start with four bogeys in her first four holes, but the Czech two-time LET winner fought back to card four more birdies and finish on two-under-par.
England’s Gemma Clews and Slovakia’s Katarina Drocarova finished tied third on one-under-par. Clews now sits at the top of the LETAS Order of Merit with 1,476.66 points.
Sweden’s Andrea Lignell and Czechia’s Patricie Mackova finished tied fifth on par. They both move one spot up on the Order of Merit, sitting seventh and eight respectively.
LETAS now has a week off before the inaugural edition of the Women’s Irish Challenge held at Malahide Golf Club between the 27-29 August.
The event will see 126 players tee it up across 54 holes of golf for a prize fund of €45,000.
For more information on tournament and the LET Access Series, visit letaccess.com and follow @LETAccess on Facebook, Instagram and X – #Access2LET.
