Slovakia’s Michaela Vavrova, 25, fired a two-under 70 to hold the 36-hole lead of the Women’s Irish Challenge ahead of Friday’s final round on the LET Access Series (LETAS).
At four-under overall, the Slovak golfer has a one-shot lead over Ireland’s Beth Coulter (67) while six other golfers are a further stroke back at two-under for the tournament.
Vavrova is playing her third season on the LETAS and is chasing her first professional win following a runners-up finish on home soil at the Ladies Slovak Golf Open in 2024.
“It was a really good round,” she said. “I think conditions today were kind of similar to yesterday but a little windier. The wind switched completely from yesterday so some of the holes were really like new holes.
“This is my first time (as final round leader). I’m excited. I had a couple good tournaments leading up to this one, but still something was missing. I really hope this week I can do it and finish strong.
“It will mean a lot to win. I don’t have a win yet and as we all know we need a win to finish top seven (in the LETAS Order of Merit) and that’s my primary goal for this year.”
Vavrova was referring to her tied-12th finish at the LET’s Tipsport Czech Ladies Open earlier in July, where she made a breakthrough in her game.
“Honestly, that was huge for me,” she said. “I feel like it was a mental point where I was like, okay, this is where I want to play. This is where I want to be. Playing as an underdog, I got a wildcard, so I was like, well, I have nothing to lose.
“I can just do well. So, I played well, and it showed me that my game on a good week is really up there with the girls. It helped me mentally, believing in myself a little more.”
Starting in the afternoon session from the 10th tee, Vavrova played the perfect back nine with birdies on holes 10 and 13 before making an eagle on the par-5 18th.
“I hit my three-wood off the tee,” she said. “I pushed it a little bit to the right but the wind helped it a little. So I had 195m into the pin, and I hit my five-iron to about three metres and I made the putt.”
Making the turn at six-under for the tournament, Vavrova started feeling nervous and closed with seven pars and two bogeys on holes 5 and 9; both par-3s.
Vavrova has struggled on hole 5 in particular this week, having made double bogey on Wednesday.
“Usually when I feel a little tense, I start struggling with my putting,” she said. “There is water on the right and bunker on the left. Today I hit my pitching wedge, but it just landed way too long and left so I was in the bunker and short-sided.
“I hit an okay bunker shot but didn’t make the three-metre putt. Tomorrow, that’s gonna be my main focus… the par-3s and just hitting my 100-metre shots with more freedom.”
Before she takes to the course tomorrow, Vavrova will spend her evening taking her hosts in Ireland out for dinner.
“I’m very excited for that because he’s been great to us, both him and his wife,” she added. “They’re just so nice, such sweet people. We stayed with them last year so there’s already a relationship.”
One shot behind Vavrova is home favourite Coulter, who fired a stunning five-under 67 mixing seven birdies and two bogeys to surge up the leaderboard on moving day.
Coulter turned professional on the eve of this tournament and is aiming to win on her first professional start.
“It was really fun out there,” she said. “I holed some nice putts. Yesterday I played solid, but just my putting was terrible. Today seeing the putts go in kind of gave me a bit of momentum.
“Two of my best friends travelled down yesterday, my mom’s here and my boyfriend was caddying for me. I’m sure a few more will come down tomorrow, it’s really nice to be at home and play here.
“Someone asked me yesterday about my first tournament as a pro, and it was just the exact same as the day before. It’s obviously a little bit more special but it should be really fun tomorrow.”
Coulter’s boyfriend, who is also a golfer, flew in from the United States to support her this week.
About how she intends to prepare for tomorrow, she added: “I think I might go to the beach. I’m a little bit sore after all this golf. Bit of a swim, and then tomorrow just treat it the same as today.
“Obviously there will be a little bit more pressure, but if I can treat it like today and have fun with it, I’m sure it’ll go okay.”
Behind Vavrova and Coulter, the sextet of South Korea’s Ayeon Yang (69), Scotland’s Lorna Mcclymont (71), England’s Rebecca Earl (71), Malaysia’s Genevieve Ling (72), Switzerland’s Tiffany Arafi (70) and US Virgin Island’s Alexandra Swayne (71) are close behind at two-under overall.
Another shot back at one-under come Germany’s Chiara Horder (72), France’s Lucie Malchirand (71), India’s Saanvi Somu (72), Czechia’s Tereza Zapletal Kozeluhova (71), Sweden’s Elsa Svensson (72) and England’s Billie-Jo Smith (74).
Forty-six players made the cut at four-over-par. The final round begins at 9am (local time) with a one-tee start. The last flight of Vavrova, Coulter and Yang set to tee off at 11.43am.
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