Michaela Vavrova claimed the first wire-to-wire victory on the LET Access Series (LETAS) in 2026 on home soil at the Ladies Slovak Golf Open after edging France’s Lauren Holmey in a two-way playoff at TALE Ski Golf & Hotel Resort.
Both Vavrova (74) and Holmey (73) finished on one-over overall, but the Slovak golfer birdied the second playoff hole to clinch her first professional title since turning pro in 2024.
“I feel amazing,” Vavrova, 25, said. “I don’t think I’ve processed what happened. It’s a home win and I think it’s even more special than winning. The other day me and my caddy were talking about how I was the final group in Ireland and my family wouldn’t see it if I won in Ireland. So I’m super happy that my win came on this week.”
Despite starting the day with a birdie on the par-5 4th hole, Vavrova’s title charge hit a snag when she reeled three bogeys in a row from holes 6 to 8. She made the turn all square with Holmey at one-over.
Vavrova then dropped one shot behind Holmey after bogeying the 10th hole. On the par-5 14th came a crucial two-shot swing when the Slovak sent her drive into the penalty area and made bogey while Holmey birdied to build a three-stroke cushion.
“Honestly, I didn’t know where we were,” she said. “The first time I asked my caddy about the score was hole 15. We were walking on the fairway and I go, where are we? Like, do I want to know?
“And he goes, well, I thought you knew. I’m like, no, I actually don’t. And he’s like, well you are three short. I’m like, oh, maybe I should do something. And I started focusing a little better and I was like, okay, this is not over.”
Holmey was also feeling the nerves, as she three-putted on hole 15 to bogey before making another three-putt on hole 17 to drop another shot.
Meanwhile, Vavrova made a huge birdie putt on 17 to level the scores at two-over and let out a huge roar which drew huge cheers from the local crowd before both players birdied the final hole.
“I don’t want to say I had to do magic, but I made a five-metre putt on 17 and then made birdie on 18,” Vavrova said. “Honestly, today I just wasn’t able to hole the putts the whole day. So I’m like okay, it’s this one or I think we’re done… just focus on the hole.
“I hit it pretty firm and it hit the back of the cup and got in. The emotions were through the roof because, I mean, the crowd was pretty big for me as well. I just screamed it out because I was just too tense.
“I think that hyped me up a little bit. Then I’m like, okay, we have one more hole and it’s very scoreable so I think I can do something here too.”
On the 18th green, Vavrova had an eagle putt to win from inside 10 feet but saw her ball agonisingly lip out around the cup.
“I was looking at the putt and I’m like okay, it’s a putt to win or two putt to tie. Worst thing we are going to play a playoff. It’s a two-metre putt so it can go both ways.
“I was kind of sad that it lipped out. But at the same time I’m happy that I was able to handle the pressure of the playoff and won after. So I think everything is how it’s supposed to be.”
After both players birdied the first playoff hole, Holmey could not find her ball after her tee shot on the second playoff hole which meant she had to play a provisional, handing Vavrova a massive advantage.
And she did not waste it, finding the green in two and two-putting for birdie and the win.
“I was like okay, well, I still need to finish because you never know. Especially on this hole like slightly left of the pin. If you go into the bunker it’s just so hard to hit from. So I was like, just hit the green, doesn’t matter where it’s going to be and you’ll figure it out.
“And that’s what I did. So I’m super happy that I actually hit the green three times in a row.”
Vavrova was mobbed by her fellow Slovak golfers, family and friends on the green once victory was confirmed. It proved to be third time lucky for her having finished T-2 in 2024 and T-15 in 2025 on the same course.
Although Holmey missed out on her second LETAS victory, having already clinched the Arkea Ladies Montauban Open in June, she will take comfort from the fact that she has reclaimed top spot in the LETAS Order of Merit.
Further down the leaderboard, Anne-Sterre den Dunnen (73) finished in solo third place on four-over, while Iceland’s Andrea Bergsdottir (73) came solo fourth on five-over.
The duo of Iceland’s Hulda Gestsdottir (71) and Italy’s Maria Vittoria Corbi (72) finished tied-fifth and six-over, while Czechia’s Tereza Zapletal Kozeluhova (76) recorded her fifth straight Top 10 result in solo seventh.
Finland’s defending champion Anna Backman (70) came in a tie for eighth with Sweden’s Louisa Carlbom (72) at eight-over, while Germany’s Theresa De Bochdanovits (74) at nine-over rounded out the Top 10.
The LETAS season resumes in three weeks at the 10-12 September Hauts De France at Golf Saint Omer.
Keep up with all the action on the LETAS on our socials – @LETAccess on Instagram and X and LET Access Series on Facebook.
