French amateur Nastasia Nadaud triumphed at the Goteborg Open securing her first win in a professional tournament at Kungsbacka Golfklubb.
After rounds of 68 and 67 on the first two days, the 17-year-old sensation started the third round with a six-shot lead and produced a final score of 70 to seal her first victory on a professional tour.
It was a slower start to day three for the amateur who opened the round with bogeys on the first and fourth holes. But the teenager followed that quickly with back-to-back birdies on five and six to make the turn in 36 shots.
“I felt confident this morning as I’ve already played in the last group many times this year. But I struggled with the beginning of the course, I missed a short putt on hole one and made a silly three-putt on hole four.
“But then I made two birdies in a row, so I found my confidence again before heading onto the next holes, and I did not make any bogey until the end.”
The 2022 German Girls Open champion then went bogey-free on the back nine, rolling in more back-to-back birdies on holes 14 and 15 and finishing with three consecutive pars to celebrate her wire-to-wire victory.
“A win on LETAS here in Sweden gives me so much confidence heading into the end of the season. It shows me that my game is still improving and getting better.
Nadaud, who sits within the top 200 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings gained experience on LETAS in the last two seasons where she finished amongst the elite 10 three times.
“The win in the German Girls was really important. It showed me how to win and that I’m capable of winning. But winning here is even more amazing!
“I played very good golf the whole week, and I could handle everything until the very last end. It’s an unforgettable moment that will help me in the future.”
Firing the round of the day of four-under 68, Sweden’s Emma Thorngren finished runner-up at -7, having put the initial pressure on Nadaud with four birdies and three-under on the front.
“I felt extremely confident and calm during the first 12 holes, after that the nerves started to come, but I’m proud that I kept myself in the moment through all 18 holes,” said the 25-year-old.
She continued: “I never looked at the leaderboard, but my front nine was probably the best golf I’ve played in a while. Good shots combined with great putting.”
The best Swede and professional in the field added one more birdie on the back nine alongside eight pars and signed up for her best finish on LETAS yet.
“There are lots of feelings – happy, relieved, proud, exhausted. I’ve been fighting to find my game this whole season, and to see that all the hard work pays off is indescribable.”
Her compatriot Anna Magnusson had a great day in the final group, carding three-under 69 to end up one stroke back in outright third spot, her fourth top-five finish on LETAS this year.
Czechia’s rookie Sara Kouskova takes the solo fourth place at three-under as Sweden’s Zandra Nilsson and Australia’s Kristalle Blum share the fifth spot at one-under-par.
France’s Lucie Andre finished in outright seventh at level-par, Wales’ Lea Anne Bramwell and England’s Gemma Clews were one shot back in a share of the eighth, and New Zealand’s Momoka Kobori took the tenth place at two-over-par.
With her triumph, Nadaud climbed 45 spots up the LETAS Order of Merit to the 14th place with 635.00 points, while Thorngren also jumped 40 places up to the 24th position with 431.44 points.
Germany’s Chiara Noja stays at the top of the rankings with 1,939.65 points with compatriot Patricia Isabel Schmidt in second with 1,705.64 points.
Kobori is in third with 1,521.50 points while Dutch amateur Lauren Holmey sits in fourth with 1,461.30 points.
Magnusson and Kouskova remain in fifth and sixth positions with 1,193.09 and 1,132.18 points, respectively.
The LETAS season continues with the final tournament of the Swedish stretch as Jonkoping Golfklubb hosts the Elite Hotels Open from 31 August–2 September.
Follow all the action @LETAccess on Instagram and Twitter – #RaiseOurGame.
