(9 May 2011 – Antalya, Turkey)
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Holland&aposs Christel Boeljon claimed her first solo Ladies European Tour title at the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open on Sunday. A final round of even par 73 was good enough to hold on for a three strokes victory over England’s Florentyna Parker and Becky Brewerton from Wales.
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rnAfter starting the final round with a one shot cushion over Parker and Brewerton, Boeljon opened with three birdies in her first four holes to move three clear and despite dropping a shot at the par-4 ninth hole, she remained three shots clear at the turn.
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rnAfter 11 holes she had opened up a 5-shot advantage, having holed a curling five-footer for birdie on the 10th. From there is when things started to get decidedly shaky. Boeljon finished with four bogeys and a chip-in birdie over the closing seven holes, while Brewerton had birdied the 16th and 17th to get within two strokes with only the difficult 18th to play. In the end Boeljon’s bogey was enough, with Brewerton finding the water twice on the 18th.
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rnBoeljon, who previously won the 2009 European Nations Cup as part of a team had tied for second in Turkey 12 months previously as her best individual finish on tour. Later she said, “I think it’s the experience that let me come out on top this week. I’ve spent some time in America and it’s my third year on tour, and I think I’ve gained enough experience now to win and finally I did it.”
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rnShe added, “It feels great. My mind is doing over hours right now. It’s great. I was a bit nervous for sure and the back nine was a bit messy, maybe, but the wind picked up as well and you could see it from the scores. They all went up. I was happy to keep my head down and keep grinding and it was enough. You put so much hard work in it and to finally come out on top is an amazing feeling.”
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rnBoeljon, now third on the LET’s Henderson Money List with her victory, is well on her way to achieving her goal for the season: to earn a place on Alison Nicholas’ European Solheim Cup team when the event takes place at Killeen Castle in September. She has climbed to third place on the European team standings, from which the Top-4 will earn a place on team of 12, along with four players from the Rolex World Rankings and four captain’s selections, “Beforehand my goal was Solheim, so I’m on track right now,” she said.
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rnThe best of the ALPG contingent was Sarah Kemp who was in the mix all week but faltered slightly over the closing stages to post a final round of 77 and finished outright 10th. Others to make the cut were Rebecca Codd (T30), Karen Lunn (T36), and Frances Bondad and Rebecca Flood (both T51).
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rnThis week sees the players head to Portugal for the ISPS Handa Portugal Ladies Open where Karen Lunn will defend the title she won last year. She will be joined by the following ALPG Members: Bree Arthur, Frances Bondad, Rebecca Codd, Kate Combes, Rebecca Flood, Nikki Garrett, Stacey Keating, Sarah Kemp, Danielle Montgomery and Kristie Smith.