Queen Sirikit Cup winner Avani Prashanth added an overseas professional title to her growing resume with victory at the Ahlsell Final at Elisefarm, Sweden, on Friday, thus becoming the first Indian to win on the Ladies European Tour’s Access Series.
The Bangalore teenager, a two-time national champion, had an impressive final round to finish the tournament on 6 under par after carding level par 72 and a 71 over the first two days.
It was a shaky start for the 16-year-old who dropped two shots in the first four holes before her putter warmed up to add two birdies on the front nine, the event website said.
Last week at the PGA Championship Gothenburg, also in Sweden, Prashanth finished in 50th place, playing alongside Asmitha Satish and fellow-amateur Vidhatri Urs.
At the turn, Prashanth gained momentum to pick up consecutive birdies on holes 12 and 13 followed by an eagle on 14 to put herself in the lead. A further birdie on 17 was where the top Indian amateur clinched the win.
Speaking about the round, Prashanth said: “It’s surreal winning this week, after my rocky start to finish five-under-par is great and this is my first professional win on international soil.
“The wind completely switched on us today which really made the first four holes super long and tough to play. Whilst the first four played long a good number played shorter.
“So, after nine I came back to par and then saw the wind was down in the back nine and then I really took advantage from there on.”
Prashanth won the Queen Sirikit Cup in Manila early in the year by a record margin and now as her eyes set on being the youngest golfer ever to represent India at the Asian Games in Hangzhou next month.
“In terms of European competition, The Big Green Egg Open in Amsterdam on the Ladies European Tour is the next one. I’m planning on playing at Q school in December.
“Everyone back home is asking for a party, so I’ve got to take care of them first and then I’ll make plans as soon as I’m back.”
Swedish amateurs, Matilda Bjorkman and Isabell Elkstrom tied for second on 5 under-par 211, while Switzerland’s Elena Moosmann and another home amateur, Hanna Nilsson, tied for fourth on 4 under par 212.
Both Asmitha and Pranavi, who have been playing the LET Access Series, missed the cut at Elisefarm.
Meanwhile, India will be represented at the World Amateur Team Championships to be played in Abu Dhabi in October both in the men’s event for the Eisenhower Trophy, and the women’s Espirito Santo Trophy
Across the two competitions, Europe has 31 qualified teams, Asia 19, the Americas 12, and Africa and Oceania five each.
Sweden are defending Espirito Santo Trophy champions while Italy’s men’s team took home the Eisenhower Trophy in 2022.