Kelsey Bennett earned the “biggest and best” win of her career at the Australian Women’s Classic with a four-shot victory on home soil to land a maiden LET title, but it wasn’t the weekend Áine Donegan wanted.
Playing in just her second event as an LET member, Donegan was tied for 17th going into the final two rounds, but after a 74 on Saturday, she closed out with a 76 on Sunday with a double bogey on the last to finish the week at three-over-par and tied for 32nd.
Leading by one heading into the final day at Magenta Shores Golf & Country, 26-year-old Bennett battled through brutally tough conditions carding a round of 71 (-1) to claim the win on 13-under par.
With the victory, Bennett moves to the top of the LET Order of Merit and books her spot at the AIG Women’s Open.
“I’m just stoked to have managed to get it across the line today,” the Aussie said. “My biggest and best win so far. I couldn’t be happier, to be honest.”
Bennett was one of only three players to go under-par on Sunday as the wind and rain reared its ugly head on the Central Coast in Australia.
Playing in the final group alongside 2022 champion Meghan MacLaren and rookie Caley McGinty – the English duo she lead by one – Bennett was put under pressure early when the latter made two great birdies at the 1st and 3rd.
She responded with excellent birdies of her own at the 3rd and 5th – the latter coming after she lipped out for an eagle hole-out from the rough.
But things soon took a drastic turn for the home state hero as Bennett carded three bogeys in a row at the 6th, 7th and 8th. McGinty meanwhile picked up her first bogey in 46 holes at the 6th before adding another at the 8th.
Bennett weathered the storm on the 9th with a clutch par before the heavens opened at Magenta Shores causing the entire field to shelter under umbrellas.
On to the back-nine and a bogey at the 11th for McGinty handed Bennett the lead back before she extended her one-shot advantage to three with fantastic birdie at the 13th and 14th. The former was the only birded recorded at the testing par-3 during the final round.
McGinty would birdie the 16th to briefly promise a grandstand finish before the 17th proved the turning point – the English rookie hitting it out of bounds as Bennett carded a clutch birdie to move four shots clear.
Despite hitting the fairway bunker on 18, the 26-year-old secured the four-shot victory with a bogey at the last two-putting for the trophy in front of friends and family in her home state of New South Wales.
“Caley didn’t let up,” Bennett said after claiming her maiden LET title. “I knew I had to keep pushing and to make those two birdies back-to-back, that really helped coming in as well.
“I was a lot more nervous the whole round last week than I was today. I was actually really stoked when I woke up and the conditions were really tough because I knew it was going to be anyone’s. I knew if I hung in there well, it was mine for the taking, so that was good. But yeah, I was a little shaky over that last putt, not going to lie!”
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