(4 April 2011 – Agadir, Morocco)
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Zuzana Kamasova became the first player from the Slovak Republic to win a Ladies&apos European Tour title as she triumphed by two shots at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco on Sunday. A final round of 76 at Golf du Soleil in Agadir proved enough to see off her closest challengers, French amateur Alexandra Bonetti (66), Germany’s Caroline Masson (71) and Kiran Matharu from England (74).
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Kamasova said: “I am just super happy. It really means the world to me because golf is super new in Slovakia. Altogether we have 6000 golfers so it is not even viewed as a sport until now unfortunately. For me to win a tournament might actually move the sport in Slovakia forward.”
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The 32-year-old led by four strokes starting the final round and bogeyed the first two holes of the day, but responded with birdies on the third and sixth holes. She dropped a shot on the par-four eighth with a three-putt bogey but saved par on the ninth, holing a testing 12 footer, for an outward total of one over 38 to remain four clear of Kemp at the turn.
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She had to take an unplayable drop on the 10th, resulting in a double bogey six but holed a chip on the 11th to stay two clear of Masson, but the pair were tied after Kamasova bogeyed the 12th, 13th and 15th holes. Kamasova regained her lead when she holed a 25 foot birdie putt at the 16th and closed with two successive pars to seal the title, with a back-nine total of three over 38.
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“I wasn’t quite sure I would be able to finish it off as I did and I’m just glad I did it,” said Kamasova, who has played on Tour for five years and posted one previous Top-10 finish, at the 2008 Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open in China.
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“After yesterday’s round I couldn’t quite believe what I put myself into and I had a hard time sleeping, I had a hard time eating; everything was sort of strange and once I got to the course everybody was really positive and cheering for me. I just said, just keep on doing what you are doing and whatever happens, happens."
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“I was playing here on an invitation without a tour card meaning that my next start was in Portugal because I would get an invitation for that. The following one would be Slovakia. I guess when you win you get into everything so it is totally different. I am going to start playing and have a full card and know where I’m going to play next week, which is great. I have never been able to do that.”
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When asked why everything had suddenly clicked, she burst into tears and said: “It had to. The last two years have been really tough for me so I’m so grateful things are just happening.”
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Four ALPG Members made the cut with Sarah Kemp the best in a tie for 5th. Kemp was in the hunt all the way but a costly double-bogey at the 10th hole left her chasing the leaders all the way down the stretch where she could only manage one birdie. A final hole bogey saw her slip out of a tie for second. Bree Arthur and Kristie Smith were both in the hunt at the start of the final round but posted final rounds of 75 and 74 respectively to slide back to a tie for 15th. Rebecca Flood finished in a tie for 28th.
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