Lauren Walsh and Sara Byrne signed off with rounds of 69 and 70 respectively at the LET’s La Sella Open in Alicante, while German Helen Briem’s first LET start as a pro ended in dream fashion with victory.
It was a little Jekyll and Hyde for Walsh, who made just seven pars, along with seven birdies and four bogeys on the final day, but after two rounds of 69 and a 70 on days two-four, she’ll be left to rue her opening 75 which left her an uphill task and required a 36th hole birdie to make it to the weekend.
After two bogeys and a birdie in the first five holes, she then made three birdies in the next four to turn at -2. It was a similar story on the back nine, with bogeys at 11 and 13 sandwiching a birdie at 12, but she finished strong, birdieing 16 and 18 to end the week on -5 overall and tied for 18th.
She also climbs one place to 14th in the Order of Merit, and has up to six starts remaining to climb into the top four and secure an LPGA Tour card for 2025.
Byrne got to within two shots of the lead midway through her second round, but a scrappy round and a half saw her enter the final day on +2.
Three birdies in the first seven holes got her back the right side of par, but a bogey at the par-5 ninth was a disappointing way to close out the outward loop.
As frustrating as that bogey was, the next par-5 – the 12th – was a complete contrast and an eagle-three moved her to -2 overall. Her maiden LET start as a pro will serve as a learning curve, however, and two dropped shots over the final five holes proved costly and means her first LET paycheck will be €5778.78 instead of €8000-plus had she parred her way home.
The German teenager began the day as the 54-hole leader and got off to a good start at La Sella Golf Resort making a birdie on her first hole.
Briem, who is a four-time winner on the LET Access Series (LETAS), continued to impress on a flawless final day with birdies on holes seven and nine, as well as 12 and 15.
With France’s Pauline Roussin-Bouchard only one shot behind the 19-year-old coming down the last, the German star rolled in her sixth birdie of the day on 18 to secure a two-shot victory.
“Currently, I have no words! It’s just incredible, it’s my first event on the LET as a professional and my third overall. I’m just really proud,” said Briem, who had already secured her LET card for 2025 through LETAS.
“Being in a battle like that is what the most fun is. It was a great battle, both on the fairways, on the tees and on the putting green. It was amazing. I’m pretty relaxed all the time, I just tried to maintain that and to have done it at the end, it’s great.
“I was surprised that I was down as the favourite going into this tournament, I was a little shocked when I found that out after round one but I’m happy to have done it and I’m looking forward to the future.”
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