Golf, Ladies Italian Open: Morgane Metraux wins, MacLaren and Fanali on the podium

It is Morgane Metraux, a 25-year-old Swiss champion, who wins the title number 26 of the Lady Italian Open in Margara (Alessandria). She tried it from four meters to the last hole of the competition. She did it by pocketing from the same distance for the eagle on the first hole of the playoff. On that green to play the last cards of the tournament were also the English Meghan MacLaren and Alessandra Fanali, Italy, still amateurs. Ten strokes below par (206) the score leader of the race, shared by the three players at the end of three laps.

Morgane’s moment

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For Morgane (67-70-69) a growing professional path: starting from the European tour, she played the American Symetra Tour (now Epson Tour) and in 2021 (thanks also to the victory in the Island Resort Championship) she earned the access to the LPGA major tour. She had returned to Lausanne for a few weeks’ vacation, then an invitation to Belgium, where she finished third a few days ago. A good time, why interrupt it? And then her maternal grandfather was also born in Italy (in Borgomanero, Novara). Leading in the first lap with her sister Kim (who plays in Europe), she then kept a low profile (even today in the first part of the race). To win, she lined up three birdies in the final, as well as the playoff eagle. Meghan MacLaren (28-year-old English who won in Australia last April) did the same to go to the play-off, but her birdie wasn’t enough.

the blue ones

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Today the public witnessed a real siege at the top of the board by the blue in the race. Leaderboard crazy for the whole day, constant changes in front, the desire to win of the Italian girls and that title cherished several times. In the end, they are three in the top ten. Two of them try. Alessandra Fanali (sixth on the eve) did so by scoring the best score of the day, a 67 with five birdies, two of which in the last three holes (206, 70-69-67, -10). And another in the playoffs, not enough. Twenty-one years old from Fiuggi, fresh from a degree in Sports’ Business at Arizona University. Now she is waiting for her professional career and immediately an invitation to next week’s Scandinavian Mixed, where men and women play for the same prize money (2 million dollars). With her -10 of her, Fanali awaited the events in the club house, while another blue was playing for her chance to win. Carolina Melgrati hadn’t wasted time in this last lap. She started with two birdies and she is immediately the leader. A long-distance head-to-head with Lee-Anne Pace, a South African who plays in the last game. On one side of her, the nineteen year old from Milan, amateur, number 39 in the world ranking, at the end of her first year of college in Arizona. On the other, a 41-year-old veteran who has won 23 career titles (started in 2005). Of her In her country, in Europe and in America. So at hole 4 she takes matters into her own hands: she pits a spectacular second shot where Carolina loses one, and she distances herself from the rest of the field. One who knows how she wins, but not today: she will hit a bad 9th hole and score the worst score of the week by finishing sixth (208, 69-67-72, -8). The Milanese, on the other hand, overcomes an impasse in the middle of the race, she puts a few putts too many but also quality and a lot of heart. For the playoff she needs a birdie at the last: 204 meters for the second shot, she pulls it straight to the auction but a little short, the ball does not remain on the step and there are twenty meters to play. Three putts, a few tears and at the end a glass of prosecco with the family (the father is a sommelier, Franciacorta a place of the heart and a glass of wine is embroidered on the player’s right shoe).

Happy Trentin

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Coach (also of the national team) and caddy for this competition, Enrico Trentin tells us about it. “Fantastic, flawless from tee to green, too bad the three long distance putts today. Lots of balls in the shaft and lots of birdies. She is young and already solid in all areas, she has a really high level of play, I have not seen any professional like her. For another qualitative leap it is necessary to work on the putt and maintain a calmer attitude in times of difficulty. But we are close. She tried until the end “. Carolina Melgrati in the end is fourth tied with 207, 69-68-70, nine hits under par. Among the top ten there is also Roberta Liti, a player from Colle Val d’Elsa, who finishes seventh with 209 (70-67-72, -7), today her worst score than her. With so much Italy in this final of the Open, the Margara club wanted by the owner Glauco LoIli Ghetti could not have celebrated its fiftieth anniversary better, as well as the Piedmont “European region of sport 2022”.