Even in the middle of the final round, the Czech flag was on the top of the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open. Still, Kristýna Napoleaová did not finish the brilliantly played Ladies European Tour tournament.
The Czech players put up a commendable performance at the Holzhausern Golf Park (par 71) near Lake Zug. Kristýna Napoleaová and Tereza Melecká shared the 34th place at 3 under par, while Jana Melichová secured the joint 43rd place at -1. Tereza Koželuhová finished in the joint 51st place at +2, and Šideri Váňová was the only one who did not pass the cut, finishing at +13.
After an opening round of 69, Napoleaová improved to a 66 on Saturday and tied for second place with Sweden’s Sara Kjellker with a 7-under total, just one shot behind leader Fatima Fernández Cano of Spain. Just like last year, when she won the Amundi German Masters, the Panorama player Kácov reached the last flight of the final round of the LET.
Although she started with a bogey on the first hole, she countered with a birdie on par four. After another bogey on the seventh hole, there were two birdies in a row, and Kristýna took the independent lead at 8 under par. However, the second nine didn’t work out for her at all.
A series of double bogey-bogeys came after a bogey on the 11th hole and a subsequent par. Napolea returned to the Top 20 thanks to a birdie on the par-five 17th, but with a double bogey on the par-four 18th, after an inaccurate drive into the bunker and the third shot also into the sand near the green, she set her score at 75 (+4).
Tereza Melecká (69-74-67), on the other hand, saved her best for Sunday, when she played six birdies, including three in a row, and only two bogeys. Jana Melichová improved with each round (73-70-69), whose final included three birdies and a single bogey. For the second week in a row, Tereza Koželuhová passed the cut at the LET and, after a lifetime 25th place in the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open, played 74-70-71.
The Swiss tournament came to an exciting end, with Englishwoman Alice Hewson (-11) clinching the victory for the second time in her career. She managed to beat India’s Tvesa Malik in a playoff, securing the win with a birdie on the first hole. Both players had previously made an eagle on the par-five 17th and ended with a birdie, making the final moments of the tournament truly thrilling.
The best Czech in the Order of Merit remained Sára Kousková, who is in 37th place. However, she missed the Swiss Ladies Open, just like the other Olympian, Klára Davidson Spilková, who is in 62nd place. Tereza Melecká was wedged between the two for Paris 2024 in 53rd place overall. Jana Melichová is ranked 85th in the European rankings, Kristýna Napoleaová is ranked 106th, and Tereza Koželuhová is the 137th player after only three tournaments.
Looking ahead, the top five Czech female professionals are set to participate in the upcoming Aramco Team Series in London. With a total prize of 1 million dollars, this prestigious LET tournament promises three days of thrilling golf action starting on Wednesday, July 3.