Leading fellow rookie Sara Kjellker by two shots before the start of play, the German fired a third consecutive round of 68 (four-under) at DLF Golf & Country Club to complete victory and become the latest member of the LET winner’s circle.

“I feel amazing,” Krauter said, who is the second German to win the event after Olivia Cowan’s last year. “It feels hard to put into words and I don’t think I can quite grasp what just happened. But looking down the 18th it’s such a special place. Hopefully I’ll be back next year to defend my title. It’s been such a great week.”

Playing alongside Kjellker in the final group, it looked like we had a shootout on our hands early on as the two rookies birdied the opening hole before Krauter dropped a shot on the second to see her lead slip to one.

With England’s Hannah Burke making a charge elsewhere, Krauter bounced back with a birdie on the par-3 third before giving another shot back on the fourth.

But just as she had done all week, the 23-year-old found another gear, firing three birdies in a row on the seventh, eighth and ninth to storm into a five-shot lead with Kjellker dropping two shots before the turn.

“It was definitely difficult,” Krauter said. “I made a few more putts today and my ball striking all week has been really solid. That really helped me around this golf course.”

Krauter would add two birdies to her card on the 14th and 16th, with a par on the signature 17th giving the rookie a six-shot cushion heading down the last.

Despite three-putting the final hole, a bogey sealed Krauter’s five-shot victory as she was met with a water shower from fellow Germans Leonie Harm, Polly Mack, Helen Tamy Kreuzer, and close friend Celine Herbin.

“My confidence is boosted now for sure,” Krauter said, who had a prolific amateur career winning The Women’s Amateur Championship in 2020. “Just knowing that I can compete and that I belong is great. Having that confirmed this week is amazing.

“I just started working with a mental this week and I think it’s paid off, so thank you to her.”

With the maiden win, Krauter, who has predominately played on the LPGA this season, secures her LET status for 2024 and 2025 and jumps to 38th in the Race to Costa del Sol.

“It means the world to me,” the 23-year-old said, who also had to deal with having her driver shaft cracked on the flight over to India. “If someone would have told me that I was going to win this week and have my LET card for sure next year, and wouldn’t have had to go back to Q-School, I wouldn’t have believed them.

“I’m so excited to play on the LET next year!”

In solo second finished Kjellker on 10-under par who secures a spot at next week’s Aramco Team Series – Riyadh event.

Home favourite Diksha Dagar ended the week in third on eight-under par after carding a round of 70 on Sunday.

Burke finished solo fourth to all but secure her LET status for 2024 (the Englishwoman jumps to 60th in the Race to Costa del Sol).

The post Krauter seals victory at Hero Women’s Indian Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Ryan Herrington
Standing 3 down through four holes in the 18-hole final of the 117th Women’s British Amateur, Aline Krauter had reason to be nervous on Saturday at West Lancashire near Liverpool. Ranked 71st in the world, the 20-year-old from Germany had played well in her two seasons to date at Stanford but had yet to claim a confidence-boosting individual title. Meanwhile, her opponent, England’s Annabell Fuller, ranked 41st, a member of the 2018 GB&I Curtis Cup team and winner the previous week of the English Women’s Amateur, looked poised to build on her early momentum.

Still, Krauter carried a sense of calm. “I felt under control out there,” she said. “I’m not sure what did the trick, but I was quite unphased on the course, which I think helped me in the wind and the conditions. It was so fun to play in the final.”

Indeed, whatever it was proved to be enough. Krauter proceeded to win six of the next eight holes—three with birdies—then held off a final charge from Fuller, 18, to take the title with a 1-up victory.

“It was a rough start, but I knew that I had my game and I had played well all week,” Krauter said. “I wasn’t really worried at that time.”

No doubt Krauter took some inspiration from countrywoman Sophia Popov, who came from out of nowhere to win the AIG Women’s British Open six days earlier at Royal Troon. In February, before the COVID-19 outbreak, the pair went through a club fitting session together.

“I watched Sophia win last week, it was amazing,” Krauter said.

Krauter is the second German to win the Women’s British Amateur title in three years, following Leonie Harm’s inspiring win in 2018 after nearly losing her life in a car accident in 2013.

With the victory, Krauter earns an exemption into next year’s Women’s British Open at Carnoustie. The Women’s British Amateur winner also typically gets a spot in the U.S. Women’s Open and the Evian Championship.

This year’s event had been previously scheduled for June but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and played without spectators.

The post Germany’s Aline Krauter follows countrywoman Sophia Popov’s lead, wins Women’s British Amateur title appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.