Sensational Avani wins LET Access Tour event in Sweden

Hoor (Sweden), Aug 26 (PTI) Amateur golfer Avani Prashanth became the third Indian woman to triumph in Europe this year, as she produced a stunning back-nine to win the Ashsell Final here.

Avani came up with four birdies and an eagle in the last seven holes to win on the Ladies European Tour’s Access Series (LETAS) on Friday.

It is the first by an Indian woman, though Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar have won the main Ladies European Tour earlier this season.

The 16-year-old Avani, who shot 72-71 in the first two rounds, was tied-ninth after 36 holes.

In the final round, she had a rough start with bogeys on the first and fourth holes. She repaired that damage with birdies on the fifth and eighth.
She was even for the round after 11 holes and a top-10 finish was on very much on the cards.

She then exploded with a bunch of birdies and an eagle on the back nine.

Avani gained momentum to get two consecutive birdies on holes 12 and 13 followed by an eagle on the 14th to put herself in the lead. One more birdie on the 17th was where the top Indian amateur clinched the title.

“It’s surreal winning this week, after my rocky start to finish five-under-par is great and this is my first professional win on international soil,” Avani said.

“The wind completely switched on us which really made the first four holes super long and tough to play. Whilst the first four played long a good number played shorter.”

“So, after nine I came back to par and then saw the wind was down in the back nine and then I really took advantage from there on.”

Avani won the Queen Sirikit Cup in Manila earlier this year and now has her eyes set on being the youngest golfer ever to represent India at the Asian Games in Hangzhou next month.

“In terms of European competition, the Big Green Egg Open in Amsterdam on the Ladies European Tour is the next one. I’m planning on playing at Q school in December,” she said.

India’s Asmitha Sathish (74-76) and Vidhatri Urs (80-74) had earlier missed the cut.

Two Swedish amateurs, Matilda Bjorkman and Isabell Elkstrom finished tied for second on five-under-par.

Switzerland’s Elena Moosmann and another amateur Hanna Nilsson of Sweden were tied for fourth on four-under-par.

Swiss amateur Caroline Sturdza came in solo sixth on three-under-par after a fabulous round of 68 whilst another Swiss amateur Natalie Armbruester finished tied seventh alongside Germany’s Sarina Schmidt and England’s Emily Price.