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SWEDE SUCCESS FOR PETTERSSON AT HELSINGBORG OPEN

SWEDE SUCCESS FOR PETTERSSON AT HELSINGBORG OPEN

Sweden’s Lisa Pettersson fired a phenomenal final round of five-under-under 67 to claim her first LET title by a stroke at the Helsingborg Open. 

The 27-year-old from Taby started the last day one shot behind the second-round leaders, Nicole Garcia from South Africa and Ana Pelaez Trivino of Spain.

It took another 16 holes for her to tie for the lead with Pelaez Trivino, until she finally won with a dramatic eagle.

Playing in the penultimate group, in warm and benign conditions, Pettersson went out in 35 after making a solitary birdie on the par-5 fifth hole. She bogeyed the narrow par-4 11th but then picked up birdies at the 12th, 15th and 16th holes, before making an incredible eagle on the par-5 18th to come home in 32. 

After setting the clubhouse target at 11-under-par, she faced a nerve wracking wait on the practice putting green as Pelaez Trivino, who had led all day, played the last hole. The Spaniard needed an eagle to win outright or a birdie to force a play-off, but her third shot, a chip from the front of the green, checked up six feet short of the hole.  Then, her birdie putt slipped agonisingly past the left side. The resulting par, and a final round score of 69, was enough for Pettersson to win by the slimmest of margins. 

“I don’t think it has sunk in yet to be honest. I don’t really know what happened out there. I’m in shock, but it feels good,” said the second year LET player, who had previously recorded two runner-up places on the LET in Scandinavia, at the 2022 Skaftö Open and Åland Open.

“I obviously like playing at home and it was really, really fun. I really like playing in Sweden. Even though I’m not from Helsingborg, I still feel the support. 

“I hit a really good drive on 18 and I told my caddie, (Philip Axelsson) who’s my boyfriend, that it was the last drive of the tournament and it was nice to finish with a good drive. Then I had about 180 metres left, and I hit a 5-iron to about two metres, or eight feet, and the putt went in.

“I just tried to hit a good putt. I was nervous but I didn’t know what it would lead to, so I was thinking I would try to finish with a good putt for my own score.

“I haven’t been in this position before. I came second twice last season, but I didn’t get to play in a play-off, so I didn’t know exactly how I should handle it. I was just waiting to see what would happen. I tried to hit some putts and stay loose and warm. When she didn’t make it, it was…

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