16-year-old French star Louise Landgraf became the second youngest winner of the Flogas Irish Women’s Amateur Championship as she showed a maturity beyond her years coming down the stretch to close out a four-shot win at Headfort Golf Club.
A four shot win might seem like a comfortable victory for Landgraf, however, it was anything but as she was level pegging with Welsh challenger Carys Worby after twelve holes before she profited on some errors with birdies on the 14th and 16th to pull clear and close with a final round of 69 for a nine-under total.
“I’m really happy, it’s been a tough couple of months so to have this victory it’s great for my confidence and moving forward I know how to prepare myself so it’s an amazing tournament to win and tick off the list,” said the world number 92 amateur.
It was a day of drama in Kells as Landgraf teed off with a one-shot lead over Worby and for a long time this was a classic two-horse race with four two-shot swings in the opening twelve holes as both players traded blows.
Landgraf fell one behind instantly when she three-putted for bogey on the first as Worby rolled in a ten-footer for birdie to move to six-under. Worby moved two clear with a tidy up and down birdie from the bunker on the second and the pair traded birdies on the par-4 5th.
The second two-shot swing came on the par-3 7th. Worby three-putted from the top-tier as Landgraf made a superb birdie, using the contours with her approach beautifully to tie the Welshwoman on seven-under.
The third two-shot swing also went the way of Landgraf who made birdie on the tenth but Worby drew level with a birdie on the par-3 11th as Landgraf dropped a shot.
Landgraf made par on 13 and Worby a three-putt bogey as the Frenchwoman edged clear before she moved three clear with two to play with birdies on 14 and 16 as the putter deserted her opponent.
A bogey on 17 from Worby made the 18th hole a victory procession for Landgraf who tapped in for par to seal her fifth amateur victory and her second Ladies title aged just sixteen.
“Carys kept me on my toes the entire round. She is a great player, she played great and she made me play my best out there. It’s amazing to get the win.
“I missed a couple of short putts that could have given me an advantage but overall I played well and tried to stay as composed as possible. I kept myself in contention, she kept making putts and I had to keep making them as well, it was nice competition out there.”
In 2023, Landgraf became the youngest winner on the LET Access Series by winning the Terre Blanche Ladies Open aged 14 years, 2 months and 18 days. She beat the previous record held by fellow Thai Atthaya Thitikul who won the 2017 Ladies European Thailand Championship at age 14 years, 4 months and 19 days. Following this breakthrough, she was invited to play in the Jabra Ladies Open and Lacoste Ladies Open de France, and represented France at the 2023 Espirito Santo Trophy in Abu Dhabi.
In 2024, Landgraf was runner-up at the 2024 Internationaux de France U21 – Trophée Esmond, and won the British Girls U16 Amateur Golf Championship at The Berkshire and the Annika Invitational Europe in Sweden.
Despite running out of steam towards the end, Worby held on to second place on five-under with a round of 72 while Frenchwoman Kirra St-Laurent, who is also just sixteen, claimed third on plus one with a 75 and gave her Junior Ryder Cup hopes a big boost.
Best of the Irish was Tramore’s Anna Dawson in fourth on two-over after a final round of 70 while Portrush’s Hannah Lee-McNamara took fifth on four-over after a 73.
Lahinch’s Aideen Walsh kept her good form going as she claimed sixth place on five-over with a final round of 70 while Marina Joyce Moreno was a shot further back in a share of seventh with Olivia Costello.
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