Norway´s Tonje Daffinrud won the Azores Ladies Open at Golf de Batalha to claim her first professional title, with a three shot win over the Czech Republic´s Daniela Prorokova.
Daffinrud started the final day at 5 under par, one shot ahead of Prorokova and quickly fell behind with bogeys on the 3rd, 4th, 7th and 8th in tough, windy conditions.
Prorokova played steadily on the opening nine holes, matching two birdies with two bogeys to take a three shot lead. But a string of four bogeys on the back nine put paid to the 21-year-old’s opportunity to win her first title on the LET Access Series, finishing at one under par and taking second place.
Rominger also struggled over the tough opening holes, with bogeys on the 1st and 2nd. The Swiss added birdies on the 3rd, 5th and 9th holes with a bogey on the 8th to complete the opening nine holes in level par, putting her in contention at 3 under par. But further bogeys on the 11th, 12th, 15th and 17th gave Daffinrud a glimmer of hope that she could still claim her first professional win. The 23-year-old from Tonsberg pulled away from both Rominger and Prorokova with a string of three birdies on her final three holes to claim her first professional victory in only her second event in the paid ranks.
“Today was a bit of a rollercoaster for me. I got off to a really bad start, I was 4 over after 8. So obviously I was a bit frustrated but I knew that it was really difficult our there with the wind and the pin positions and faster greens so I knew that everyone could make bogeys, so I just tried to stay cool and realise that it’s not over yet.”
I wasn’t really nervous, I was really prepared and relaxed. I felt calm and then I just was not really sharp with my game. My misses got way bigger with the wind. The first few holes were especially tough playing into the wind, you had to be really precise on your second shots. But I am just so happy I was able to turn it around.”
“On 15 I saw that I was right back in it and I knew that I needed a few more birdies so I went for it. It feels amazing. It just came together for me this week. I’ve been working really hard and to get this kind of confirmation that what I am doing is the right thing, that just gives me so much confidence.”
Rominger’s third place finish has lifted her to 4th place on the LETAS order of merit and her sights set on gaining her LET playing rights for next year.
Finland’s Linda Henriksson enjoyed her best result of the season, with a final round 75, finishing with a +3 total and fourth place.
Scotland’s Laura Murray closed with a two over par 74 for a 5 over par total and fifth position.
The LET Access Series moves to Crete Golf Club for the penultimate event of the 2014 season, the Grecotel Amirandes Ladies Open, finishing the year the following week at the WPGA International Challenge, played at Stoke by Nayland Hotel Golf & Spa in England.
The top five players on the LETAS order of merit will earn their LET playing rights for the 2015 season, whilst the players in 6th to 20th position will progress directly to the final stage of Lalla Aicha Tour School.
