The Ladies European Tour’s leading rookie Nanna Koertz Madsen equalled the course record with a seven under par 65 in the final round of the Ricoh Women’s British Open on the Ailsa Course at the Trump Turnberry Resort on Sunday morning.
Madsen took advantage of her early tee time and fired eight birdies and one bogey in the calmer conditions to shoot up the leader board.
The 20-year-old Dane became the fifth woman to card a 65 at Turnberry after Candie Kung, Heather Bowie and Jennifer Rosales in 2002 followed by Hyo-Joo Kim in the first round of the championship this year.
“It’s my first major, so it’s good to finish with a good round,” said Madsen, ranked 13th on the LET order of merit after three top 10s from eight starts so far this season, including third place in New Zealand. “I didn’t play my best and I had some really hard conditions the last two days. Nice to come out in better weather today.”
She went out in 32 with birdies on the first, fourth, fifth and seventh holes. She then birdied 10, 11 and 14 before her only bogey on the par-3 15th. She then picked up another shot at the par-5 17th for an inward nine of 33 to end on a total of 289, one over par for the tournament.
“On the front nine it was less windy. So the front nine was easier than the other days. But the back nine was still hard,” said Madsen, who won the LET’s Lalla Aicha Tour School in Morocco in December last year.
When discussing the strength of the current crop of Danish golf talent on the LET, which includes second year LET member Nicole Broch Larsen and rookie Emily Pedersen, Madsen’s boyfriend and caddie Nicky Hansen, who is a part time golf coach, commented: “The Danes do very well. They swing good. I think the key is the speed on the driving.
“You see today on the back nine, when you play against the wind, she’s 240, 250 meters. So 16, she had 125, and then 190 is her playing partner: won’t be able to reach on the par 5s, it’s also going to be easier.
“And then the putter. The putter is always good. So if you’re in the fairway ‑‑ a good tee time today was the key and good playing.”
On the current LET rookie rankings, Madsen is leading ahead of second placed Pedersen, while Broch Larsen is currently ninth on the order of merit after nine events played in 2015.
