COULTER ENJOYS SENSATIONAL WIN ON PROFESSIONAL DEBUT
Northern Ireland’s Beth Coulter won her maiden professional event on home soil at Malahide Golf Club (Photo: LET/Tristan Jones)
Northern Ireland’s Beth Coulter has sensationally won on her professional debut after coming through a playoff to pip South Korea’s Ayeon Yangto win the Women’s Irish Challenge at Malahide Golf Club in the LET Access Series event (LETAS).
The Kirkistown Castle golfer birdied the first hole of sudden-death to secure the famous win after a final round two-under 70 to finish on five-under. Coulter hit a superb second shot in the playoff at the par-5 18th to inside 20 feet. She then two-putted for birdie while Yang made bogey.
The Curtis Cup player (22,) becomes the first Irish golfer to win on their professional debut. She picked up the €7,200 winner’s cheque with rounds of 74, 67, 70 for the 211 winning total.
“It’s pretty surreal,” she said. “It probably hasn’t sunk in yet. This was the goal at the start of the week, and to actually do it is pretty crazy. I haven’t won in a while, so it’s kind of nice to get back into the winner’s circle again. To do it on my pro debut is really, really special.”
With two holes to play, Coulter was trailing Yang by one stroke before sinking a crucial 25-footer birdie putt on the 17th hole at Malahide to draw loud cheers from the spectators.
“The roar was crazy,” she said. “All the Malahide supporters out here and the golf club members and my family. The roar was really, really cool, and to have that support behind me was really nice and gave me a good egg on coming up the 18th.”
Playing in the final group with Yang, both players walked onto the 18th tee tied at five-under. After Yang missed her birdie putt, Coulter had a putt to win in regulation from inside 10 feet but pulled it left.
“I don’t know how I missed it,” she said. “Just kind of hung out there and didn’t really turn. But I knew I hit a good putt, and coming up the playoff hole, it made it a little easier. I played the hole basically the exact same. Just my ball got a little bit further up, and it was nice to have a birdie there and close it out.”
Coulter started the day one shot behind overnight leader Michaela Vavrova, who slumped to a six-over 78 to finish tied-16th.
The Irishwoman made the turn even-par, mixing two bogeys with an eagle on the par-5 6th, before rolling in birdies on holes 15 and 17 to make the playoff.
About whether she was looking at the leaderboard, Coulter said: “Probably not until the last hole. Obviously, I saw that she (Yang) went to five-under and I was five-under coming after last.
“But I had no idea what the other scores were, and not until I checked my phone, I saw that we were getting into a playoff. So, I had absolutely no idea. I think the less you know, the better, personally for me. And yeah, that was really nice.”
Yang made the turn as the solo leader at five-under after mixing four birdies with a bogey, before finishing out regulation play with nine straight pars.
Olivia Mehaffey, who was in a share of the lead after an opening 70, dopped back to tied 21st on three-over after further rounds of 74, 75. Annabel Wilson, Olivia Hunt, Canice Screene, Amy Mangan, Aoife Kelly missed the cut.
The LETAS season resumes next week in Himmerland, Denmark, at the August 5-7 CSK Steel Women’s Open.