Spain’s Maria Hernandez was the one to catch on Sunday after her round of 67 took her to a two-shot lead in the Belgian Ladies Open.

Hernandez opened in fine form to make the turn in four-under-par at Naxhelet Golf Club, with two further birdies on 14 and 16 for a round of 67 and to lead on eight-under.

“I played very solidly all day and didn’t really get into trouble,” said Hernandez. “I hit a few good wedges and then made some good putts. It was an easy day today.

“You can get in big trouble if your driver is not in the right place but if your ball is in play, you can shoot a very low score. Especially today when the wind is better than yesterday.

“I feel my game is getting better the past three weeks starting from Jabra, so I think I’m getting more comfortable week after week. I’m going to keep playing my game. Tomorrow is going to be a new day, a new challenge. We’ll try to do the best and I want to keep just doing what I’m doing.”

India’s Diksha Dagar and Italy’s Clara Manzalini on six-under-par are tied in second spot.

Both players also produced bogey-free rounds of 67 to put themselves into contention heading into the final day.

Dagar said: “Today everything went very smoothly, and I was loving the wind. Everything was going well, I was bogey-free and I made a few good up-and-downs and some of my distance has improved.

“I have been practicing my putting with Ludwig and he has really helped me. I have been getting a good feel and we have really improved my stroke. I made some very good long putts and saved some short putts.”

The post Maria Hernandez holds the edge going into final day at Belgian Ladies Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

It is a homecoming of sorts for Manon de Roey as she tees it up this week at the Ladies European Tour’s Belgian Open at Naxhelet Golf Club.

The 31-year-old has been travelling a lot of late, mainly in the US as she tries to balance life on the LPGA and the LET.

De Roey won her first LET title lat year at the Aramco Team Series – Bangkok and began 2023 with three top-10 finishes. However, results have fallen away during her recent run of events on the LPGA.

She was exempt into LPGA Q-Series last December and  secured her status after ending the  tournament in a tie for 21st place.

Now she is planning to use some home comforts to get back up the leaderboard in Belgium with friends and family watching.

“I’m super excited to be at home again,” said De Roey. “I have been outside the country for a while, so it’s good to come home and see some people watch me.

“It’s always nice to have people come out and support me. It’s sunny! I’m very excited for this because last year it wasn’t this sunny, so I’m looking forward to this week.

“I learned a lot from playing last year. The course was in really good condition, and I know they’ve worked very hard this year to get it in even better shape than last year.

“I started very strong, my first few tournaments on the LET this year were all top 10s. I’m trying to get back into that form. I went to the United States on the LPGA in between and it wasn’t that good of a run for me, but it was a new experience.

“I learnt so much there and I’m going to take what I learned there into this week and hope for a good week. Last week in Florida, it was so great to see everyone in the players’ lounge and give hugs.”

The post Home hope Manon de Roey looks to get back to form at Belgian Ladies Open after struggles on LPGA appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 22-year-old, who won the Joburg Ladies Open in March, followed up her opening three rounds of 66, 68 and 67 to sustain her remarkable form to hold off England’s Cara Gainer at Naxhelet Golf Club.

Grant maintained her lead on the front nine with birdies on three and nine, before she went toe-to-toe with Gainer on the back nine.

Birdies on 10 and 12, as well as a crucial eagle on the 14th put the Swede back in pole position, and a dropped shot on 16 put the duo level before Grant made a par on the last to win her second title with a total of 15-under-par.

“I was playing good all day, but I felt I needed something to get me on top of the leaderboard and I knew Cara was playing so well,” said Grant. “I was a little scared, but I managed to hole that eagle putt and make my way back in for the win.

“I was checking the leaderboard all the time just making sure everything was under control, which it wasn’t! It wasn’t under control, but I tried my best to keep up with her. On the last hole, I knew I just had to do my own thing.

“I think both me and Maja [Stark] and some other amateur girls had a good education before turning pro, so I’m not surprised we’re doing well, but this is a good start.”

It was an exceptional day for Gainer who fired a stunning 64, which was the joint-best round of the week, to finish in second place.

After rolling in five birdies on her front nine, the Englishwoman applied pressure to Grant and rolled in four more birdies on holes 10 through to 14.

A dropped shot at the last proved crucial, as she ended up with a total of 14-under, but it was still Gainer’s career-best round and best finish on the LET.

Watch out, @CaraGainer's about

A ????? start to the day sees the English star one shot off the lead as we head down the back nine ??#RaiseOurGame | #mithraladiesopen

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) May 29, 2022

“I’m so pleased, if you said I was going to shoot eight-under today I would have taken it straight away,” she said.

“I can’t be disheartened about the finish and Linn has played amazing all week, so I’ve got to be happy about the week in general.

“I did see on the last hole that we were tied, did that add a bit of pressure? I don’t know, but I wanted to see where I stood going into the final hole.

“Yesterday, I struggled a bit with the cameras, but today I thought to take every shot as it comes and make as many birdies as possible because I knew Linn wasn’t going to go backwards, she was only going to go forwards. I gave it a go!”

Maja Stark, who leads the 2022 Race to Costa del Sol, also shot a round of 64 (-8) on the final day to secure a T3 finish alongside Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux.

“I made some stupid mistakes this week, today could have gone better. I had some lip outs, but it feels good and 64 is my best round ever during a tournament,” said Stark. “I’m super excited, I feel like my game is there and I just need to skip the stupid mistakes.”

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The post Ladies European Tour: Linn Grant claims Belgian Ladies Open crown appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.