Noemi Jimenez Martin recorded her first title on the LET Access Series with a bogey-free 6-under-par final round at the VP Bank Ladies Open. With a birdie at the final hole, the 24-year-old Spaniard overtook her compatriot, Elia Folch and overnight leader Chloe Leurquin from Belgium.
The LETAS event, which is held at Gams-Werdenberg Golf Club was exciting until the last final putt. In perfect weather conditions and spring-like temperatures, Leurquin was unable to produce enough birdies in the closing holes, settling for a one under par, 71 and a tie for 2nd place with Elia Folch who finished and did not produce enough birdies necessary for a victory. Equal to the already waiting in the clubhouse Spaniard Elia Folch. Leurquin came on the 18th tee. In order to force a play-off, she would have had to produce a birdie on this short par 5. The second shot landed just before the green, but the long uphill putt was clearly too short, resulting in a 3-putt.
In the clubhouse meanwhile, the 24-year-old Spaniard Noemi Jimenez Martin was relieved and happy: her first victory at LETAS had just become a reality. 204 strokes for three rounds – “I played only one bogey in three days, that’s very remarkable” says Noemi.
The key to success for the Spaniard from Malaga was her solid play over the three rounds, “The long game was outstanding this week. Although some putts did not fall on the first nine today. Nevertheless, I knew that I had a chance – I started with two birdies on the first two holes in the tournament, which was very positive.
The success comes for the 24-year-old not completely surprising, but not undeserved, “I’ve been training really hard in the last few months and have worked a lot on my golf game. “The last two holes for the final round were very nervous, I did not know how the players scored in the groups in front of me and behind me, but I realised that the title is close enough to touch – if I produced enough birdies. The victory in Eastern Switzerland gives Noemi confidence that her victory is the reward for the work of recent months, “I am very happy, it is a great feeling to have won.”
VP Bank Ladies Open 2018, LETAS, 40’000 Euro, Gams-Werdenberg, par 72. Final score after 3 rounds: 1. Noemi Jimenez (ESP) 204 strokes (69/69/66); 2. Elia Folch (ESP) 205 (68/70/67), Chloe Leurquin (BEL) 205 strokes (66/68/71); 4. Lynn Carlsson (SWE) 206 (68/69/69); 5. Ariane Provot (FRA) 207 (62/75/70); 6. Emma Nilsson (SWE) 208 (68/72/68); 7. My Leander (SWE) 209 (72/67/70), Laura Fünfstück (GER) 209 (68/70/71), Johanna Gustavsson 209 (69/69/71), Carmen Alonso (ESP) 209 (63 / 74/72). Also: 11. Patricie Mackova (CZE / Am) 210 (70/69/71); 17. Christine Wolf (AUT) 212 (68/73/71); 24. Julia Unterweger (AUT / Am) 213 (67/70/76); 34. Katharina Mühlbauer (AUT / Am) 214 (68/74/72); 39. Vanessa Knecht (SWI / Am) 216 (70/74/72). Cut (144) missed: 56. Valeria Martinoli (SWI) 145 (75/70), Elena Moosmann (SWI / Am) 145 (72/73), Chiara Tamburlini (SWI / Am) 146 (73/73); 69. Caroline Rominger 147 (SWI) (75/72), Nadine Dreher (AUT) 147 (73/74); 74. Anastasia Mickan (GER) 148 (75/73), Luisa Dittrich (GER) 148 (78/70); 88. Lily Hürlimann (SWI / Am) 150 (75/75), Janika Rüttimann (AUT / Am) 150 (76/74); 98. Victoria Monod (SWI / Am) 151 (74/77), Natalie Armbruster (SWI / Am) 151 (74/77); 104. Eva-Maria Möhwald (SWI) 152 (74/78); 109. Melanie Mätzler (SWI) 153 (73/80), Clara Pietri (SWI) 153 (75/78); 117. Gianna Gilardi (SWI / Am) 154 (72/82); 119. Linda Henriksson (FIN / defending champion) 155 (75/80), Nina Mühl (AUT) 155 (82/73), Anouk Casty (SWI / Am) 155 (78/77), Yael Berger (SWI / Am) 155 (76/79); 125. Rachel Rossel (SWI) 159 (77/82), Carolina Gonzalez Garcia (ESP / Winner 2016) 159 (80/79); 128. Monja Mätzler (SWI / Am) 160 (77/83), Anaïs Maggetti (SWI) 160 (80/80); 130. Eva Baraschi (SWI) 161 (78/83).
