Tereza Melecka, Julia Engstrom, Sanna Nuutinen and Caroline Rominger
Finland’s Sanna Nuutinen claimed her second LET Access Series title with a one-shot win at the Amundi Czech Ladies Challenge. The Finn carded a final round of -4 to move from ninth position at the start of the day and clinch victory on -8 for the tournament.
“It feels really good. I’m happy to get it done now because I came really close at the last tournament in Valencia but kind of fell down in the end. So, I was thinking about that a couple of days after, not feeling really well and then I practiced really hard last week and got it done!”
Overnight leaders Chloe Williams and Hayley Davis couldn’t match Nuutinen on the final day with England’s Davis slipping to fifth with a one-over-par 73 and Williams left to rue a double bogey at the seventh which contributed to a disappointing +4 round of 76.
The Finnish player had a strong opening nine holes reaching the midway point one-under-par with consecutive birdies at holes four and five the perfect response to an early bogey at three. The back nine proved crucial for Nuutinen with four further birdies elevating the Finn into pole position as the final pairing faltered.
“I’ve been hitting my irons really well all week and my drives as well. I’ve been hitting my drives really long recently, I don’t know what’s happened, so most of the par fives I can reach in two. So, I made a couple of easy birdies there. I just got my putts to roll in today, more than the first or second day.”
Nuutinen last won on the LET Access Series in 2016 securing victory in Strasbourg and was elated to return to winning ways after several near misses in recent years. The Finn finished runner-up at the Lavaux Ladies Championship earlier in the season and moves up to the top of the Road to La Largue standings with victory at the Konopiste course.
Three players finished in a share of second place with the round of the day from Switzerland’s Caroline Rominger who posted a stunning seven under round of 65 to climb from 37th position into the runners-up spot. The Swiss player didn’t drop a shot and holed a series of impressive putts as she recorded the lowest round of her career in Bystrice.
“I had one not so good chip but the rest were on the fairway hitting it close. I had a lot of chances, made a lot of putts so I ended up seven birdies, no bogeys.
I played nicely on the first day as well. I made one mistake there but it was more that some putts finally went in! I got the pace right and they were rolling well today so that really made the difference. But, I was often close so I think the more chances you have, the more you’re going to make.”
Rominger is yet to record a victory on the tour but provided further evidence of title-winning potential following two early-season top-10 finishes.
“I’ve finished second before, a few times. I didn’t really think about it today because I was so far behind and I didn’t think that the top girls were going to stay on more or less the same. I think they were six-under yesterday leading so seven-under winning, I thought they’d probably be on -9 or -10 today. So, I didn’t realise it was that close, just one shot.”
Alongside Rominger on -6 were home favourite Tereza Melecka and Swede Julia Engstrom. The Czech amateur Melecka has been in contention throughout and can be proud of finishing runner up for the second year running at her home event. Engstrom had the day’s stunning moment on the sixth with a perfect nine-iron leading to a hole-in-one which proved to be almost enough for victory at Konopiste.
Next week, the players head to Sweden for the Anna Nordqvist Västerås Open – the second event in a packed August schedule. The players will be looking to secure vital points in the Road to La Largue as the season-defining event draws neare
