Agathe Laisne has won the 2017 European Ladies’ Amateur Championship in Switzerland. After shooting 73, 1-over par, on both of the first two rounds, the 18-year-old French player then tied the lowest score of the week on days 3 and 4 with back-to-back rounds of 67 to finish on a total of 280, 8-under par.
The silver and bronze medals both went to Switzerland, with Albane Valenzuela, third in the WAGR, finishing one stroke behind on 281, and Morgane Métraux, a member of the host club of Lausanne, finishing one further back on 282.
Dutch player, Zhen Bontan was tied for the lead with Valenzuela after days 1 and 2 with rounds of 68 and 69 for a total of 7-under par. Although a 6-over par 78 left her outside the top-10 and 11 shots off the lead following day 3.
Valenzuela’s chances of becoming the first Swiss player to win the championship looked very good after shooting rounds of 70, 67 and 68 to give her a seven-shot lead going into the last day. The 2016 Rio Olympian struggled however, making four bogeys in a row on the front nine.
Despite being 5-over par for the day, Valenzuela still maintained a one-shot lead over Laisne, who was playing in the group in front of her, with two holes to play. Although after making bogey the 17th hole with a 3-putt, the scores were level between the two with just one hole to play. Laisne, who had not made a bogey all day, birdied the 18th meaning Valenzuela had to do the same to force a playoff. The Swiss player could only manage a par after narrowly missing her 20-foot birdie putt, however, which secured victory for the French player.
With her victory, Laisne earns an exemption to the 2018 Ricoh Women’s British Open to be held at Royal Lytham & St Annes. The 2018 European Ladies’ Amateur Championship will be held at Penati Golf Resort in Slovakia.
