Soenderby wins KPMG Women's Irish Open as unluky van Dam snaps driver in buggy accident
03/09/2023. Ladies European Tour. KMPG Women's Irish Open, Dromoland Castle, Co. Clare, Ireland. Smilla Tarning Soenderby of Denmark with her trophy. Credit: Tristan Jones / LET
Leona Maguire believes Carton House has a tough act to follow when it hosts the KPMG Women's Irish Open on the O'Meara Course next year after a spectacular — and bizarre — finish at Dromoland Castle.
The Co Clare venue could not have hoped for a more dramatic end to its second staging of the tournament it helped revive last year as the Netherlands' Anne van Dam snapped the shaft of her driver, snagging it in the fairway ropes, as an LET official drove her back to the 18th tee for a playoff.
Denmark's Smilla Tarning Soenderby went on to win her maiden title with a spectacular eagle three from 12 feet as van Dam's 11-footer grazed the hole and failed to drop.
The Dutch star's driver was broken en route to Co Clare, but after getting a late replacement, she followed an opening 69 with a brace of 66s to take a three-shot lead into the final round.
Bidding for her first win in four years, she was in no mood to talk afterwards as she walked away the loser after a bizarre finish to a three-way sudden-death playoff with Sweden's Lisa Pettersson, who shot 68, and Soenderby, who closed with a 10-under 62 to set the target at 16-under.
Van Dam had a 20-foot eagle putt at the 72nd hole to win the title in regulation but came up short and tapped in for a 71 to join Pettersson and Soenderby in sudden death.
She was being driven down the middle of the 18th fairway for the playoff when the decision was made to duck under the fairway ropes. But her driver became snagged, snapping the shaft as the bag was ripped off the back of the cart.
It was too late to get a replacement, and while she used a three-wood to outdrive Pettersson and Soenderby, who both found the fairway, the golfing gods were not on her side.
Pettersson flew the green and couldn't get up and down for birdie, but while van Dam hit a stunning approach to 11 feet, Soenderby hit a 178-yard six iron to 12 feet to set up a dramatic finale.
Soenderby saw Pettersson miss from 20 feet on the same line for birdie and rolled in the eagle putt shortly before being drenched in champagne by her friends as van Dam's putt to extend the playoff failed to drop.
"I can't quite believe it, actually," Soenderby said after her maiden win. "If you told me I would do that in the final round, I would have laughed. It's quite amazing."
She added: "It's just a dream come true."
She made 11 birdies in a stunning final round but never entirely believed 16-under would be enough as van Dam and Pettersson, who were playing in the final group, headed down the back nine.
She had three putted the final hole to miss out on a three-way playoff 12 months ago, but while she admitted she wasn't ready then, she learned from the experience.
"I knew what to do, and I did it," she said
As for van Dam's bad luck, she said: "We saw that her bag fell off – and her driver was snapped. It was terrible. I didn't know what to say. It was a super unlucky situation for Anne."
Headline act Maguire started eight shots behind but seeking a 63, she closed with a one-under 71 to finish eight shots outside the playoff in a tie for 14th on eight-under.
The world number 17 birdied three of her first six holes but three-putted the eighth for bogey and played the remaining holes in one-over at the end of a week of many demands.
"Under par all four days," said Maguire, who played the back nine in one over. "It just didn't quite all fit together, but overall, it was great to have so much support all week."
She believes Carton House has a tough act to follow when it hosts the tournament on the O'Meara Course next year.
"I think Dromoland deserves a serious amount of credit," she said. "They've put on a world-class event two years in a row. Carton House has massive, massive shoes to fill. I don't envy them.
"Even to listen to the LET girls, this is one of the best events they play, bar the Majors – and I'd argue this is better than some of the Majors we've played this year."
Douglas' amateur Sara Byrne shot 70 to finish tied for 35th on four-under on her LET debut with her Irish teammate, Kirkistown Castle's Beth Coulter, a shot further back in 40th after a 71.
"This whole week has been unbelievable," said Byrne, who heads back to the University of Miami today. "I never wanted to end."
She started on the back nine, birdied the 12th and then rolled in a 20-footer for eagle two at the 15th before making birdie at the 18th to turn in four-under.
She made three bogeys and a birdie on her final nine but heads back to college brimming with confidence after making the cut in all three professional events she's played this summer.
"I may not have been in contention this week — and honestly, I left so much out there. So knowing that I can contend gives me great confidence. I can't wait to be out here one day."
Olivia Mehaffey slipped to 50th on one under, tied with Hermitage amateur Kate Lanigan (72) after a 75 as Elm Park amateur Emma Fleming shot 73 to tie for 66th on six-over.
