The final day of the Dutch Ladies’ Open was a chastening one for both the 36-hole leader Kim Metraux and Lauren Walsh who both suffered Sunday collapses.
Czech Jana Melichova was able to capitalise as her five-under final round took her to -11, a tally that would not be beaten, and she’d clinch her second Ladies European Tour title in dramatic fashion on Hilversumsche Golf Club.
Walsh had a day to forget after her recent good form in the final rounds of her previous two events. Three bogeys on either nine were compounded with a double on the par-3 14th hole, and would result in a disappointing 80 on day three for the 23-year-old, who will have plenty of time to ponder over the Olympic break.
Walsh was far from alone with her struggles over the final day. Metraux went into the final day five clear and looking for a wire-to-wire victory having bullied her way around Hilversumsche Golf Club over the first two days. A damaging front nine with three bogeys and just the single birdie, coming on the par-3 fifth hole saw her fall back to within striking distance of the chasing pack.
Disaster struck for Metraux on the par-4 12th hole as a treble bogey put her on the back foot. Despite a spirited rally of back-to-back birdies to respond straight away followed by another on the 16th, the damage had been done and she ended up falling agonisingly short to miss out by a single stroke to Melichova.
The eventual winner, Melichova is proof positive that you must keep plugging away on the final day as the Czech began her Sunday six back from the overnight leader. Beginning in the second last group, she started brightly with a birdie on her opener. More followed with shots gained on the fourth and again on the par-5 seventh hole. Her only dropped shot of the day came on the sixth as she went on to turn on two-under for her round. A clean back nine followed, again opening with birdie on the par-3 10th. Two more on the par-5 13th and again on the 16th were vital as she went on to secure her second tour victory by the narrowest of margins.
“I feel absolutely amazing, I don’t even know what to say! It was just perfect,” said Melichova, who won the 2022 Tipsport Czech Ladies Open as an amateur. “It means so much. Especially, I have been struggling so much this year.
“I have just not been making cuts, I have not had good results and been struggling overall mentally. This is a major thing and it’s going to give me some major confidence,” she added. “I was a bit aggressive with my first putt on 18, it was all the adrenaline and everything. I hit it a little bit too hard and then left myself a metre downhill putt which is never nice. I felt the same thing I felt when I had a metre putt in 2022 when I won in Beroun. I had the same feeling where I knew I was going to make it. It’s such a weird feeling, but I just knew it.”
Attention will now turn to Paris and Golf National for the Olympics Summer Games, as the LET takes a hiatus until the Women’s Scottish Open welcomes the Olympians back to the tour for a big money event at Dundonald Links. Celine Boutier reigns in Scotland and there will be plenty of players eyeing up her title and the $2 million prize fund.
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