- Czech star wins second LET title with birdie on first playoff hole
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Klara Spilkova secured her second victory on the Ladies European Tour (LET) with a playoff win at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open.
The Czech star fired a final round of 67 (-5) to end the tournament on 14-under-par alongside Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom and Denmark’s Nicole Broch Estrup.
At the end of play, the trio headed back down to 18 and it was Spilkova who rolled in her birdie putt to emerge as the champion at Dromoland Castle.
“I was just trying to stay patient out there because I started a little funny,” said Spilkova. “But I just really believed in myself somehow and I kept saying to myself that it was there for me.
“It has been a while since I’ve won and I have been playing really good recently, so somehow, I was trying to convince myself that I could win today.”
The 27-year-old came into the day having recorded rounds of 66 (-6), 68 (-4) and 73 (+1) on her opening three days of the KPMG Women’s Irish Open.
And Spilkova had a tough start with two bogeys in her first five holes, but she also made three birdies to make the turn in 34 (-1).
Back-to-back birdies on 10 and 11 saw the Czech player put herself right in the mix before another birdie on 16.
A miraculous par-save from the edge of the water at 17 gave Spilkova the momentum and she finished her day with a birdie on 18 which at the time put her in the lead in the clubhouse.
“I have to admit that yesterday was a bit of a struggle,” she continued. “On eight and nine I made some bad swings, and I struggled throughout the back nine, I saved a lot of putts out there. Today it was a totally different approach, I felt much calmer even though of course I was a little nervous, but I felt much more grounded.
“It is definitely the best up-and-down I have made in my whole life, and I have been playing golf for 24 years! I got there and it was lying really nicely, and I could even put my club down because of the rule change.
“I thought it wasn’t too bad even though my legs were in there. It felt like I had no idea what was under the mud! I just thought I’ll try and get it somewhere on the green because I thought I could and just make a two-putt for a bogey and I can still make a birdie on the last hole.
“It ended up being almost a metre from the flag. It was really fortunate! I couldn’t control that shot, it was luck and I’m really grateful because it…
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