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France’s Valentine Derrey claimed her first win on the Ladies European Tour with a two-shot victory in the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open at National Golf Club in Antalya.
The 26-year-old from Paris carded a final round of three-under 70 in hot and breezy conditions to end on a three-round total of seven under par, with Denmark’s Malene Jorgensen second on five under after a closing 73.
After sealing the win and being sprayed in champagne by her French friends on tour, Derrey said: “It’s awesome! Finally! Last year I finished on the podium three times so I’m finally the winner.”
She had four birdies and one bogey in the final round and caught overnight leader Klara Spilkova at seven-under after making a long breaking putt for birdie on the 13th green.
She finished with five steady pars to claim her second professional title, after winning the Tate & Lyle Championship on the US Symetra Tour in 2011.
“I wasn’t thinking about when my next victory would come. I tried to do my best and keep believing I could win,” continued the fourth-year LET member.
“I just learned to keep patient and play my own game and that’s what I’ve been working on mentally. It’s a really nice course. I think it’s tough and you have to play target golf and really focus on yourself and your own game. For my part, I can’t really go for par fives.”
Despite a shaky start, with a bogey on the first and a double on the third, Jorgensen recovered with three birdies on holes four, six and 16. She said: “I had a bad start but a level par round was perfect for me so I’m so happy right now. I made birdie on 16 and I’m so happy because I made a double bogey there yesterday. I’m looking forward to having a week off and then going to Holland.”
England’s Charley Hull made a late charge for a second straight LET victory when she birdied the 14th and 15th, but she bogeyed the par-3 16th after hitting her ball to the left of the green and had to settle for third place on four-under after a 72.
Hull said: “My putting was not very good the past couple of days but I’m happy with the way I’m hitting it. I holed a few good putts towards the end. Top three is not too bad but when you win, nothing feels as good as that so I just want to keep winning now.
“I thought I made a good comeback towards the end of the round but it’s a shame I couldn’t make a birdie on the 16th. I hit a good tee shot but a poor chip and took a bogey there.”
Scotland’s Vikki Laing had been second overnight but carded a three-over 76 to finish joint fourth with Russian Maria Balikoeva, who had a 72.
Czech teenager Klara Spilkova took a one-shot lead into the final round and was briefly four clear after birdies on the second and third, but a closing 78 left her in a tie for sixth with England’s Sophie Walker on two-under-par.
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