Noemi Jimenez Martin recorded her first title on the LET Access Series with a bogey-free 6-under-par final round at the VP Bank Ladies Open. With a birdie at the final hole, the 24-year-old Spaniard overtook her compatriot, Elia Folch and overnight leader Chloe Leurquin from Belgium.
The LETAS event, which is held at Gams-Werdenberg Golf Club was exciting until the last final putt. In perfect weather conditions and spring-like temperatures, Leurquin was unable to produce enough birdies in the closing holes, settling for a one under par, 71 and a tie for 2nd place with Elia Folch who finished and did not produce enough birdies necessary for a victory. Equal to the already waiting in the clubhouse Spaniard Elia Folch. Leurquin came on the 18th tee. In order to force a play-off, she would have had to produce a birdie on this short par 5. The second shot landed just before the green, but the long uphill putt was clearly too short, resulting in a 3-putt.
In the clubhouse meanwhile, the 24-year-old Spaniard Noemi Jimenez Martin was relieved and happy: her first victory at LETAS had just become a reality. 204 strokes for three rounds – `I played only one bogey in three days, that’s very remarkable` says Noemi.
The key to success for the Spaniard from Malaga was her solid play over the three rounds, `The long game was outstanding this week. Although some putts did not fall on the first nine today. Nevertheless, I knew that I had a chance – I started with two birdies on the first two holes in the tournament, which was very positive.
The success comes for the 24-year-old not completely surprising, but not undeserved, `I’ve been training really hard in the last few months and have worked a lot on my golf game. `The last two holes for the final round were very nervous, I did not know how the players scored in the groups in front of me and behind me, but I realised that the title is close enough to touch – if I produced enough birdies. The victory in Eastern Switzerland gives Noemi confidence that her victory is the reward for the work of recent months, `I am very happy, it is a great feeling to have won.`
VP Bank Ladies Open 2018, LETAS, 40’000 Euro, Gams-Werdenberg, par 72. Final score after 3 rounds: 1. Noemi Jimenez (ESP) 204 strokes (69/69/66); 2. Elia Folch (ESP) 205 (68/70/67), Chloe Leurquin (BEL) 205 strokes (66/68/71); 4. Lynn Carlsson (SWE) 206 (68/69/69); 5. Ariane Provot (FRA) 207 (62/75/70); 6. Emma Nilsson (SWE) 208 (68/72/68); 7. My Leander (SWE) 209 (72/67/70), Laura Fünfstück (GER) 209 (68/70/71), Johanna Gustavsson 209 (69/69/71), Carmen Alonso (ESP) 209 (63 / 74/72). Also: 11. Patricie Mackova (CZE / Am) 210 (70/69/71); 17. Christine Wolf (AUT) 212 (68/73/71); 24. Julia Unterweger (AUT / Am) 213 (67/70/76); 34. Katharina Mühlbauer (AUT / Am) 214 (68/74/72); 39. Vanessa Knecht (SWI / Am) 216 (70/74/72). Cut (144) missed: 56. Valeria Martinoli (SWI) 145 (75/70), Elena Moosmann (SWI / Am) 145 (72/73), Chiara Tamburlini (SWI / Am) 146 (73/73); 69. Caroline Rominger 147 (SWI) (75/72), Nadine Dreher (AUT) 147 (73/74); 74. Anastasia Mickan (GER) 148 (75/73), Luisa Dittrich (GER) 148 (78/70); 88. Lily Hürlimann (SWI / Am) 150 (75/75), Janika Rüttimann (AUT / Am) 150 (76/74); 98. Victoria Monod (SWI / Am) 151 (74/77), Natalie Armbruster (SWI / Am) 151 (74/77); 104. Eva-Maria Möhwald (SWI) 152 (74/78); 109. Melanie Mätzler (SWI) 153 (73/80), Clara Pietri (SWI) 153 (75/78); 117. Gianna Gilardi (SWI / Am) 154 (72/82); 119. Linda Henriksson (FIN / defending champion) 155 (75/80), Nina Mühl (AUT) 155 (82/73), Anouk Casty (SWI / Am) 155 (78/77), Yael Berger (SWI / Am) 155 (76/79); 125. Rachel Rossel (SWI) 159 (77/82), Carolina Gonzalez Garcia (ESP / Winner 2016) 159 (80/79); 128. Monja Mätzler (SWI / Am) 160 (77/83), Anaïs Maggetti (SWI) 160 (80/80); 130. Eva Baraschi (SWI) 161 (78/83).
