Beth Coulter is set for a late season push on the LET Access Series as she bids to earn her Ladies European Tour card despite only turning professional last month.
Tipped for stardom, it has been a dream couple of events for Coulter who won on her professional debut at the Women’s Irish Challenge in Malahide before losing out in a playoff in Denmark during the week.
The Kirkistown Castle star is well placed after just twelve days of her pro career, lying in sixth on the LET Access Order of Merit with the top-7 earning Ladies European Tour cards at the end of the season of which there are eight events remaining.
The Ballygalget native has played just three events, one as an amateur, and her fabulous start to professional golf will only increase the hype around her, particularly with the KPMG Women’s Irish Open coming at the end of this month.
Should the 22-year-old maintain her ranking and secure one of the seven Ladies European Tour cards available she would join Leona Maguire, Sara Byrne, Anna Foster and Áine Donegan all of whom look set to retain their full playing rights for next season.
It would be a great early boost in Coulter’s career as she would be able to forego the gruelling Q-School in December which the likes of Canice Screene, Annabel Wilson and Olivia Mehaffey will be competing in.
Screene herself is still in the hunt for a top-7 place. She currently sits 28th in the Order of Merit after a slight dip in form recently.
Coulter could have all but secured her passage to the LET for next season but she was denied a victory in Denmark in a bizarre playoff situation.
Controversy then struck on the second playoff hole. Coulter’s opponent Moa Svedenskiold thought she had won after making par from getting up and down from thick rough beside the greenside bunker, while Coulter missed her par putt.
Coulter proceeded to pick up her ball, thinking the playoff was over, and players began mobbing Svedenskiold on the 18th green in celebration.
Yet 10 minutes later, Svedenskiold was informed by a rules official that she had been assessed a two-stroke penalty for unlawfully building a stance in the bunker, which meant she made double bogey.
But because Coulter did not finish out, she was assessed a one stroke penalty and was made to replace her ball on the green before also tapping in for double bogey to send the playoff into a third hole after much confusion.
Svedenskiold then sent her drive on the third playoff hole into the hazard area, but hit a good approach shot and two-putted to save bogey. Coulter did not capitalise, leaving her second shot from the fairway short near the hazard area before also making bogey.
The roles were reversed on the fourth and final playoff hole as this time Coulter sent her drive into the hazard area and Svedenskiold found the fairway bunker.
Svedenskiold managed to dig herself to within 20 metres of the hole before hitting a superb chip shot and tapping in for par and the win as Coulter made bogey.
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