Alexandra Forsterling of Germany with her trophy. Credit: Tristan Jones / LET
Palma, Mallorca, Nov 19: Avani Prashanth seemed to have yet another Top-10 in her grasp despite a difficult start in the final round of the Mallorca Ladies Golf Open at Golf Son Muntaner. The 17-year-old was even par through 15 holes with the 16th and 17th, the two holes she had birdied on each of the first two days, ahead of her.
However, she dropped a shot on both of them and despite a birdie on the last and carded 73. Avani (6v9-72-73) finished at 2-under and was Tied-13th. It was still a fine result for the teen, who will play in the Final Stage of the LET Q-School and turn professional.
Diksha Dagar (71-72-75) ended 2-over for the week and Tied-31st and slipped to third on the Race to Costa Del Sol with the Tour Championships due next. She still has a chance to win the Order of Merit with a win in the final event, as she trails Trichat Cheenglab, who went to the top with her second place and Celine Boutier is second. Diksha is now third.
Ladies European Tour rookie Alexandra Försterling collected her second title in two months. The 23-year-old from Berlin, Germany, carded rounds of 69, 67 and 67 for a 54-hole total of 203, 13-under-par and an emphatic five-stroke victory over fellow rookie Trichat Cheenglab from Thailand.
Anne van Dam finished a shot further back in solo third place, with Caroline Hedwall and Marta Sanz Barrio tied for fourth. Second round leader Chloe Williams shared sixth with first-round leader Kristyna Napoleaova and Lee-Anne Pace.
Försterling becomes only the second player to earn two victories on Tour this season, having won the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open in September. The only other player who has won twice on the LET this year is world No.3, Céline Boutier, from France.
With her win, Försterling earned 500 points and moves from 17th to fifth on the Race to Costa del Sol and from third to first on the Rookie of the Year Rankings.
With her second-place finish, Cheenglab earned 320 points and moves to the top of the Race to Costa del Sol rankings.
The LET remains in Spain for next week’s Andalucia Costa del Sol Open de España, the final event on the 2023 Race to Costa del Sol.
The top five players, who all have a chance to win the Race, are now Cheenglab, Boutier, Diksha, Johanna Gustavsson and Försterling, who would need to win the last event to have a chance at the Race title.
