Mimi Rhodes wins Ford Women’s NSW Open

Mimi Rhodes captured the Ford Girls’s NSW Open with a flawless efficiency on the ultimate day at Wollongong Golf Membership, successful by two pictures to say her first Girls European Tour (LET) title.

The 23-year-old rookie closed Sunday with out a bogey, capturing a 69 (-2) to complete the week at 17-under par. Main by one shot heading into the ultimate spherical, Rhodes overcame Alessandra Fanali and Australian Kirsten Rudgeley to say the trophy. The decisive second got here on the ultimate gap, the place Fanali was pressured to declare the ball unplayable after an incorrect tee shot, paving the best way for Rhodes to win.

Mimi Rhodes, statements

“I’m nonetheless in shock,” Rhodes stated. “However I’m so glad. I’ve labored arduous for this. Final week was robust, I modified my swing and it labored! I’m actually glad. I used to be comfy on the entrance 9, however when it bought tight I felt stress. I simply stored respiration and stored centered. It’s robust in these conditions, however I’m glad I did it.”

On a tense last day, Rhodes, taking part in her fourth match as a LET member, confirmed stunning maturity, recording 14 consecutive pars after birdies on the 2nd and 4th. This was two days after she set a course document with a 62 (-9) at Wollongong Golf Membership.

Whereas birdies had been scarce on the Englishman’s rating, the turning level got here on the seventeenth, the place Alessandra Fanali made a incredible birdie to maneuver to inside one shot of the lead. However the Italian’s dream was shattered on the 18th: a nasty tee shot pressured her to drop the ball with a one-stroke penalty. Rhodes, as an alternative, hit the golf green and performed safely to the inexperienced, closing with two putts for the victory by two pictures of margin.

The 23-year-old provides this primary LET title to a wealthy novice palmarès that features a Curtis Cup, the US Youngsters European Championship, the Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship and the NCAA Division I Girls’s Golf Championship. The victory comes precisely one yr after the success on the Lavaux Girls Open.

Australian Kirsten Rudgeley, the house favourite, closed with a birdie on the 18th, signing a 68 (-3) and sharing the second place with Fanali at 15 underneath par. Czech Sara Kouskova completed fourth alone at 14 underneath par.

The shot of the day was notable: Swiss Kim Metraux made a hole-in-one on the par-3 tenth. With a last 69 (-2), she completed fifth together with Sweden’s Moa Folke and Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz and Blanca Fernandez.

Anna Zanusso closed the event in twenty second place with a complete of 5 pictures underneath par.

Now the LET stars are taking every week off earlier than flying to South Africa for the Joburg Girls Open and the Investec SA Girls’s Open.