Life changed for Cara Gainer last week as she secured her maiden Ladies European Tour (LET) title at the 2025 Lalla Meryem Cup.
The Englishwoman defeated India’s Diksha Dagar in a playoff in Morocco rolling in a birdie on the first playoff hole to win her first LET title.
A few days later and ahead of the PIF Saudi Ladies International, it still doesn’t feel real for the 29-year-old.
“It still hasn’t sunk in. We finished on Saturday night and legged it to the plane,” she explained. “We only just made it with 45 minutes left, so we were really lucky to actually get on the flight to Saudi.
“I wouldn’t say it’s quite sunken in yet, but I’ve received so many messages and lots of people are saying well done. When I get home next week, will be when it really sinks in.
“I have got a few things planned for next week. I’m going to have a bit of downtime, have a few drinks, see everyone and just enjoy it.”
Gainer has been in contention on the LET a few times previously finishing second at the 2022 Mithra Belgian Ladies Open, and losing out in a playoff at the 2023 Amundi German Masters.
However, the experience of the near misses is what helped the English star enter the winner’s circle in Morocco.
“I think being in a playoff before did help me,” said the LET Order of Merit leader. “I felt really relaxed because the leaderboard was so bunched, it was anyone’s game at any point really right until the end.
“I actually thought this is not going to be my day because I just wasn’t holing any of these putts. I was hitting it really close and I was hitting some really nice shots but it just wasn’t going my way. Then all of a sudden, three 12-foot putts went in the hole and the whole thing changed.
“I knew I was playing with Diksha, obviously a great player with a very good short game, so you can never count her out. I didn’t feel nervous or anything. I was just quite excited and hoping for the best.
“In the playoff, I pulled my drive a bit and I was almost in the hazard on an upslope. She’s hit her shot, and it rolled all the way down towards the tree. My next shot came off absolutely perfect and left me with a little right-to-left putt. She had a tricky few shots, so I knew I had a very good chance. I’m glad I holed that birdie putt because it meant I finished the tournament how I wanted to.
“I actually can’t believe it! I’ve had so many opportunities and I’ve been close a lot of times. I’ve always felt like it was coming and that it didn’t happen or something slightly didn’t go my way, and then finally this week, everything came together. Especially that final hole, something was there for me to win that playoff and whatever it was I’m just so happy that it happened.”
The PIF Saudi Ladies International will take place from February 13-15 at Riyadh Golf Club with a total prize fund of $5 million USD up for grabs.
There will be a 54-hole individual stroke play competition taking place alongside a 36-hole Team competition for the first two days.
Although Gainer has now jumped up to number 145 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, she was not a captain this week.
The Englishwoman was picked by Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit – who is the defending champion of the tournament – and they will also be joined by Sweden’s Johanna Wrigley and England’s Alice Hewson.
With a win under her belt, Gainer feels less pressure this week but still wants to perform well and pick up where she left off in Morocco.
She added: “I feel like I’m slightly more relaxed coming into this week because everything has been so manic, I haven’t really had time to think I’m actually at this event. Today I really put my head down. I’m here now, this is a new week and I will pretend that last week didn’t happen.
“It’s a great tournament; I’ve had success in this tournament in the past with a good finish in 2023 in Jeddah. It’s a great one to do well in to set you up for the season financially as well.
“It’s important for everyone here, so I want to just carry on from where I left off really and keep hitting great iron shots. I think that’s going to be the key this week to be honest, it is a very wide course, so it’s going to be all about your approach play and then how close you can hit the ball.”
Gainer will tee it up in the first round as part of Team Tavatanakit at 10.57 am (local time) at Riyadh Golf Club.
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