Ursula Wikstrom Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Ladies European Tour: Wikstrom and Spitz grab the advantage in Finland

Matt Smith — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 08:30:29 +0000

Ursula Wikstrom. LET

By Matt Smith
Home star Ursula Wikstrom and Austrian Emma Spitz took the early advantage with a pair of four-under 68s in windy conditions at the Aland 100 Ladies Open in Finland.

Finn Wikstrom, who started from the ninth, birdied the 11th, 14th and 17th holes before sinking a five-metre putt on the 18th green to tie for the lead. She dropped a shot on the first hole, but quickly recovered with a birdie on the fourth.

“It was a good day today. I finally made some putts and I’ve been struggling on the greens recently, so it was nice to make some good putts,” said the 42-year-old from Espoo, who is playing for her first title in her 296th tournament on the LET.

“I loved that putt on the 18th with the crowd behind me. I always love to play in Finland with the crowds. It’s always nice to get some extra attention and have people behind you who want you to win.”

Three of Wikstrom’s eight runner-up finishes have been in this tournament and speaking about the challenge at Alands Golf Club, she added: “The wind makes it really tough out there, especially when it was getting really strong. Otherwise, we only had our last two holes in the rain. The course is in amazing shape round here and the greens are really nice, too.”

Spitz played the first nine in one-under but came home in three-under-par 33. She played her last four holes in five-under-par with a tap-in eagle on 15, followed by three straight birdies. The two-time Junior Solheim Cup player said that the key was playing to the safer side of the greens.

“On this course, when it gets windy, you have to play safe and aim for the middle of the green,” she said. “The course is fun. The greens are in perfect condition and it’s a really good test. If you play well, you can make birdies, but if you make mistakes there are some bad scores out there as well. The greens are easier for me to read than last week, so I felt good.”

Spitz made her professional debut in last week’s Skafto Open, where she tied for 10th place.

Sofie Bringner is one stroke behind the leaders in third position on three-under-par.

Sweden’s Isabella Deilert, Anne-Charlotte Mora of France and England’s Sarah Gee are tied for fourth on two-under-par and five further players are tied for seventh position on one-under-par.

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Aramco Team Series drama in London as Davis leads and Team tournament goes to Saturday playoff at Centurion Club

Matt Smith — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 07:34:15 +0000

By Matt Smith
Hayley Davis is an Aramco Team Series specialist – but on Saturday she will ll go in search of a first individual title at Centurion Club.

The English golfer holds a two-shot lead from fellow countrywoman Bronte Law, while Georgia Hall is a further stroke back alongside Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall.

WATCH: Day 2 highlights from the Aramco Series

Davis, 29, was an Aramco Team Series winner in Sotogrande last year when she also finished second in New York and seventh in Jeddah.

Now thanks to two superb days’ golf she holds the lead in the $500,000 solo event at nine-under. Davis took advantage of the benign early-morning conditions to add a second-round 68 to an opening 69. She packed in seven birdies to give herself a great chance of victory.

Davis said: “I really like the Aramco team events. It seems to sort of bring out the best of my game. Last year I had a good record in them. I guess I just love team golf.

“We didn’t have the best day as a team yesterday. We just couldn’t really get anything going. So I think we went out there today like, ‘Let’s make some birdies and try and move up’ and that’s what we did. I don’t think I really rolled in long putts. I’ve just been hitting it really close. I know that I hit a few inside six feet.”

As for the final round, she has extra incentive to go for it. Davis had mentioned to her niece that she might come to her football tournament tomorrow afternoon but now has her own glory to chase. Davis added: “I need to play well – I think that’s the only way my niece is going to accept me not being there!”

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Law finished tied-sixth a fortnight ago in the US Women’s Open and once again is back in contention after moving to seven-under, courtesy of a second-round 71 carved out in a swirling afternoon wind and furnace-lie conditions.

Law said: “It was good – I played really solid. I’m just hoping that I can convert more of those chances tomorrow. I’m happy with where I’m sitting right now.

“I’m not really looking at the top of the leaderboard and worrying about who’s there. I’m looking at my scores and going, ‘Okay, I’m going to post a low number tomorrow’ – at least try and put myself in a position to do so – and then we’ll see what happens.”

Hall was round in level-par for the day but knows that she is right in the mix going into the final 18 holes.

The 2018 Women’s British Open champion said: “Three back is nothing. So obviously I’ve still got a massive chance and I’ll just see where I am after the front nine. But it’s a course where you can make a load of birdies.”

Team captain Ursula Wikstrom during the second round. Aramco

The $500,000 Aramco Team Series event will be settled by a sudden-death play-off after play has concluded in Saturday’s individual competition.

Ursula Wikstrom’s early starting quartet led for most of the day at 27-under but they were joined at the top in dramatic circumstances as the sizzling sun started to dip.

On the final green it was left to amateur Mia Baker in Team Garcia to sink a nerve-jangling putt and force extra time.

The 24-handicapper, playing off 16 in this event, held her nerve in superb fashion, holing out to huge cheers from the gallery.

Baker, who has only been playing golf for just over two years, said: “I was shaking! My caddie helped me – he gave me the confidence I needed. I couldn’t be a professional – it’s much too hard! They are very impressive. If anyone has the opportunity to play with pros they should definitely do it. It’s unbelievable.”

Her captain Nicole Garcia said: “She had a six-footer on the last for a play-off – I mean, the poor girl! But she came through. It wasn’t the only one that she saved us on. She made a long putt from off the green on 16 to save par for us.”

The play-off will be contested by one player from each quartet and the individual from each team will be nominated tomorrow.

This week’s London leg is the second of five $1million Aramco Team Series tournaments on the LET calendar this season, following last month’s Bangkok opener – and preceding events in Sotogrande, New York and Jeddah.

The tournaments are famed for their unique format, in which three LET professionals play in teams with one amateur player.

Saturday sees the lowest-scoring 60 players and ties battle it out for a share of a further $500,000.

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Noora Tamminen makes it an ace day for Finland

Kent Gray — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 18:27:33 +0000

By Kent Gray
Finns celebrated the 100th anniversary of the country’s declaration of independence from Russia on Wednesday and few did it with as much style as five golfers 6275km away in Dubai.

Adorned in patriotic white and blue, Noora Tamminen lead the flag-waving quintet with a hole in one on the opening day of the 12th OMEGA Dubai Ladies Classic.

The 27-year-old used a seven iron from 140 yards to ace just her second hole, the Majlis’ par 3 11th, en-route to a four under 68 that left her a shot back of the overnight leader, Thailand’s Supamas Sangchan.

Tamminen’s four-under loop of Emirates Golf Club was a topsy-turvy ride. After the ace she mixed five birdies with three bogeys in a score matched by four other players including compatriot Minea Blomqvist, a two-time Ladies European Tour winner.

Sanna Nuutinen and Ursula Wikstrom were the next best of the Finns with 73s, one-over rounds that left the pair on the projected cut mark. After a four over 76, Krista Bakker has work to do to survive the 36-hole cut and keep Finland’s party rolling.

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