Annabel Dimmock completed her comeback from injury as she won her first Ladies European Tour (LET) title in five years after defeating Pauline Roussin-Bouchard in a playoff at the 2024 KPMG Women’s Irish Open.
English star Dimmock held a two-shot lead at the 54-hole mark and produced a round of 70 (-3) to be in the playoff alongside the Frenchwoman on the O’Meara Course at Carton House.
The duo headed back down to 18 for the playoff and both made pars on the first hole, but on the second hole Roussin-Bouchard took a 3-wood off the tee, however, it went left into the deep rough and she had to scramble and ended up making a bogey.
Meanwhile, Dimmock – who has come back from eight months out of the game with a thumb injury – went down the middle of the fairway with her driver and left herself two putts to win as she duly rolled in her two-foot putt to secure her second LET title.
“I am a bit shell-shocked at the minute,” said Dimmock, whose mum is from Cork. “I’m standing here and I think I’m in a dream honestly. I’m just shell-shocked and over the moon right now.
“This is pretty cool to do it in Ireland. It feels really good to do it here. The fans out there and the people watching were amazing to me this week and they really cheered me on. It’s kind of what I needed because I haven’t had an easy couple of weeks.
“I have felt like I have been playing well for a while. The documentary came out a couple of days ago when I shot seven-under, and it was a bit sad and I don’t want it to be a sad story. I have worked really hard to get myself back and I am proud of myself.
“It’s not just me, there’s a lot of people on my team, there’s Alfie and all my friends at home and family. There’s a lot that goes back into getting me fit, a lot of blood, sweat and tears. It’s not been easy for my family and everyone around me, but we’ve made it back, we’re good.”
Dimmock got off to a good start on the final day as she made birdies on her first two holes but dropped a shot on the 12th hole.
A birdie on 13 saw her just one shot behind Roussin-Bouchard and she rolled in another birdie on 17 for her round of 70 (-3) and to finish alongside the Frenchwoman on 19-under-par.
She continued: “Today was actually quite tough. I was struggling to get the ball in the whole. I got off to a good start and then I struggled a little bit, it didn’t feel quite as good. After shooting seven-under, eight-under, it felt like I was having a chop, but I wasn’t.
“Ursula [Wikstrom] was chasing me who was in the group with me today and I looked over at the board at 15. I didn’t really all day and then I looked and saw Pauline was doing well. I know she’s a great player, I played in the playoff with her in Jabra when I won which was five years ago. That’s incredible.
“At the last, Pauline hit it a touch left, and I was thinking just play it safe in the middle of the green and then I got up there and I thought oh my gosh I have such a long putt here. I hit a good putt and playing safe paid off there.”
Roussin-Bouchard began the day in outright fifth place and made three birdies on her front nine to move herself up the leaderboard.
The Frenchwoman continued to pepper pins rolling in four birdies in a row on holes 10 thru 13 to put herself in a share of the lead.
Another birdie on 15 put the two-time LET winner into the solo lead but she then three-putted on 16, however, she soon bounced back with a birdie on 17.
The 24-year-old saved par on 18 to card a round of eight-under 65 and seal the clubhouse lead on 19-under-par before losing out in the playoff.
“It was just good golf all around,” said Roussin-Bouchard. “I missed a few opportunities, but I made others. It was great.
“I went for it in that playoff. You try things, sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t. Whatever is supposed to happen will happen anyway, it’s Murphy’s law.
“It’s a lot of positives. A couple of months ago I really hit a low point, and I was just appreciating about having the opportunity and being up there on the leaderboard and not starting from the bottom.
“I am a competitor, and I am a fighter and I wish I had won that playoff, but Annabel fought her way back as well. It was a beautiful win because she played amazing all week and having her father on the bag is also very special.
“I’m happy for the both of them. It was a happy week because my parents joined. There will be plenty of opportunities especially if I keep playing like that.”
Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom finished her consistent week with another round of 69 (-4) for a total of 18-under-par and to miss out on the playoff by one shot and end the week in third place.
“It was lovely to play,” said Wikstrom. “Finally, the game was going in the right direction, there were mistakes but it solid the whole week. Hitting wedges well and putting okay which is what made the score.
“It’s always good to have a good tournament and be able to be in contention and give it a chance still. Even though you don’t take it home, you’re still giving it a good chance and hanging in there all the time. The only thing I can say is they just played a little bit better. I love playing with the crowds, it always gives you so much energy.”
Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini finished in outright fourth place on 17-under-par after firing a round of 65 (-8) on the final day.
The LET rookie was bogey-free rolling in eight birdies including two in the last two holes to seal her lowest-ever tournament round of eight-under.
Four players finished the week in a share of fifth place with Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab, Hong Kong’s Tiffany Chan, Australia’s Kirsten Rudgeley and Italy’s Alessandra Fanali all on 14-under-par.
Sweden’s Linnea Johansson was ninth on 13-under with England’s Lily May Humphreys and Slovenia’s Katja Pogacar one shot further back in T10.
In the LET Order of Merit, there is a new leader at the top of the standings with Tamburlini now in first place with 1,373.44 points to her name.
With her second-place finish, Roussin-Bouchard is now in 12th place and Dimmock has jumped up the standings from 134th to 36th place.
Next up for the LET is the Solheim Cup which takes place at Robert Trent Jones in Gainesville, Virginia from 13-15 September which is followed by the La Sella Open from 19-22 September.
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