Liz Young can now call herself a two-time Ladies European Tour (LET) winner after she pipped close friend Manon De Roey to the Hero Women’s Indian Open title.
Related: Manon De Roey shows fondness for India with electric round at HWIO
Trailing De Roey and compatriot Alice Hewson by one shot heading into Sunday, Young carded an even-par round of 72 at DLF Golf & Country Club to clinch a one shot victory and hoist the famous trophy.
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“I’m in shock,” the Englishwoman said. “Disbelief. It’s my second win, but it’s still as important as any other win. They don’t happen very often as a professional golfer.
“It’s never easy. Manon is a great friend of mine and we were battling all day. It’s never easy to beat a friend but she had one [a victory] earlier this year so it’s my turn!”
Still a shot behind De Roey after 14 holes of action, the turning point came at the par-5 15th when Young’s patience paid off and she carded an excellent birdie.
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Two holes later and the treacherous 17th proved decisive again as De Roey dropped a shot to give Young the lead heading down the last.
Then, drama. Young’s third shot from the rough finding the water as a playoff looked to be on the cards. But after De Roey was unable to get up and down from short of the green, Young dialled in a fantastic wedge shot from the drop zone to salvage a bogey and win the tournament.
She continued: “I know I had a good round yesterday and I was feeling good about today, but I actually didn’t hit it great all day. Putting was the key. Me and my caddie were reading the greens great all day.
“I hit a bad layup for my second shot [on 18] and hit it in the rough. I had 135 yards and hit a 9-iron. I put a really good swing on it but literally by a couple of inches it hit the woodwork [and went in the water].
“Luckily I got go back to a yardage I was comfortable on which was a 100 yards. I hit a nice easy 50 degree and hit it close. I knew I just needed to make the putt!”
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With the victory, Young adds a second LET title to her resume having won the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open in 2022 – much to the delight of her daughter Isabelle.
The 42-year-old said: “It was my birthday this week and it’s my daughter’s birthday next week. So it’s a good birthday celebration. She did want another animal to match the cow [from Switzerland] on the mantlepiece, so I don’t know if that’s going to happen! But it’s another trophy so we can get rid of the horse which was a replacement on there.”
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In a tie for second on one-under par finished De Roey, Singapore’s Shannon Tan, New Zealand’s Momoka Kobori and France’s Agathe Sauzon.
Young amateur Mannat Brar (76-75-71-70) had the double honour of top amateur and was also the best-finishing Indian in tied 11th place on 4 over par 292, with professionals Pranavi Urs and Hitaashee Bakshi tied for 15th two strokes behind the teenager.
