31 Aug 2020 | Professional golf |
Czech cash adds up for Kyriacou
by Mark Hayes
It certainly hasn’t taken Steph Kyriacou long to find her feet in Europe.
Kyriacou, 19, stormed home with the best score of the final round overnight to finish in a share of fifth at the Czech Ladies Open.
The Sydneysider began the final round at four under, a distant 12 strokes behind eventual all-the-way winner Emily Pedersen, of Denmark.
But with her never-say-die attitude, the Golf Australia rookie squad member slowly but surely made her run.
Kyriacou’s six-under-par 66 at the Beroun Golf Resort, just west of Prague, catapulted her up the leaderboard, eventually finishing seven shots adrift of the winner.
The St Michael’s member, playing in just her fourth event as a professional and a week after the emotions of playing so well at the Women’s Open at Royal Troon, showed again she has the bottle to compete on the Ladies European Tour.
After winning the Australian Ladies Classic as an amateur in February, the long-time New South Wales representative turned pro before her home state open the following week.
But, as everyone else on the LET, her progress was stunted by the global pandemic, meaning she left home a month ago not having played a tournament overseas as a professional before these key late-season events, including last week’s major.
She is already up to 49th on the season money list, the Race to Costa Del Sol, which culminates in late November in Spain.
The other Aussie to make the cut was Perth’s Whitney Hillier, who shared 35th at two under overall.
Meanwhile, on the LPGA Tour, Queenslander Katherine Kirk continued her great form with a T7 finish in the NW Arkansas Championship.
Kirk made an early bogey in her third and final round today, but bounced back with four birdies and an eagle for a 66 that left her tied with Women’s Australian Open champ Inbee Park at 14 under.
Remarkably, American Austin Ernst made 10 birdies in her closing 63 that left her victorious at 20 under after just 54 holes.
World No.5 Minjee Lee, of Western Australia, flashed home with a 65 to share 28th at nine under, while Sarah Kemp, of NSW, was 71st at three under and the only other Aussie to make the cut.
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