Britain’s Mimi Rhodes has confirmed her status as a rising star of women’s golf with her maiden professional win on the Ladies European Tour, with a two-shot win in the Ford Women’s NSW Open at Wollongong Golf Club.
Starting as the overnight leader, Rhodes drew on the success of three Curtis Cup appearances for Great Britain to overcome a talented international field to raise the first silverware of her professional career, the Jan Stephenson Trophy. Her final round was another composed bogey-free exhibition of two-under to finish the tournament on -17.
It’s the first of what is likely to be many trophies the former US college star will lift in her career, having seen off many challengers today, including four-time LET winner, Spain’s La Nina Nuria Iturrioz.
Yesterday, the 24-year-old had to be patient as she waited for putts to drop but this morning in mild conditions at this seaside links course, they dropped early. Two early birdies on the second and fourth holes were crucial as she opened up a three-shot lead heading into the back nine. Fourteen rock steady pars to follow was enough to seal the deal.
Spain’s Iturrioz who promised to maintain her aggressive approach initially delivered with three birdies through the first five holes, but then handed them back on the par-4 seventh (bogey) and a double-bogey on the ninth when her tee shot found the water, all but ending her challenge for a fifth LET title.
Rhodes had to endure a late challenge from Italian Alessandra Fanali who was coming off a career-best round yesterday (64) but down the stretch will rue the missed chances that could have led to her own breakthrough win. She birdied the 17th with a mid-range putt to narrow the gap to one, but it wasn’t enough. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old will take a lot of confidence from her courageous fight and clearly has the game to go as far as her ambition allows.
Rhodes may feel she could have won by more, with a pair of birdie lip-outs on 14 and 15. But that will be forgotten as her dream start to her professional career continues.
Highest-placed Australian was Perth’s Kirsten Rudgeley, with yet another solid performance to finish -3 for the day and -15 for the tournament in equal second with Fanali, her 11th top 10 finish on the Ladies European Tour.
The round of the day belonged to Welsh star Darcey Harry who’s last two events – The Australian Women’s Classic and the Open – have confirmed she belongs in elite golf. The powerful 21-year-old had seven birdies in her final round to finish at -5 for the day and -7 for the tournament in a tie for 14th place.
Shot of the day went to Switzerland’s Kim Matreaux who holed out on the 132m 10th with a dart that never left the pin and rolled out perfectly. Unfortunately it was the wrong hole to take home the Ford F-150 Lariat but does come with a big bar tab and one for the memory bank. The 29-year-old finished three-under for the round, -11 for the tournament and in a tie for 5th.
Highest-placed amateur of the event was South Korean Hyojin Yang who added her fourth consecutive 69 to finish at -8 for the tournament and equal 11th.
2.20pm: Tension rises with tournament on the line
Italy’s Alessandra Finali is just two shots behind leader Mimi Rhodes as the Ford Women’s NSW Open heads into the final stretch.
Finali had an eagle putt on the par-five 13th which just missed the hole, but tapped in her birdie to be at -15 for the tournament. Rhodes missed her birdie putt and will need her trademark composure with the championship on the line.
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Perth’s Kirsten Rudgeley and Spain’s Blanca Fernandez are three shots adrift and running out of chances although there is still the downwind par-five which is reachable in two.
1.35PM: Challengers fall, but is there a sting in the tail?
Mimi Rhodes is showing composure beyond her years as the Briton takes a three-shot lead into the back nine at Wollongong Golf Club in the hunt for the Jan Stephenson Trophy.
Rhodes, 24, has almost shut the door on her challengers as she travelled through the front nine with a two-under performance which comprised of two birdies and seven pars.
Her greatest challenge came from Spain’s four-time LET winner Nuria Iturrioz who got within one shot of Rhodes with three birdies though five holes, but handed them all back with a bogey on the seventh and a double bogey on the par-five ninth when her tee shot found the water.
The nearest challenger now is Italian Alessandra Fanali who is even par for the round and three behind.
Will there be alate twist in this final event of the co-sanctioned Ladies European Tour and WPGA event, the final doorstop on this Australian swing.
1.20pm: Swiss Miss slams first ace of the championship
She won’t be driving home in the Ford F-150 Lariat, but Switzerland’s Kim Metraux has achieved that rare feat of a professional hole-out on the par-3 10th here in the Ford Women’s NSW Open in the final round of the championship at Wollongong Golf Club.
The 29-year-old’s ace came during a round where she has been struggling, but has now catapulted her back up the leaderboard.
Meanwhile, Mimi Rhodes, the wonderkid of US college golf, has taken a three-shot lead into the back nine of the championship with a brilliant start as she seeks to add her maiden professional Ladies European Tour win to her already stellar amateur career.
Starting two shots clear this morning, Rhodes, 24, birdied the second and fourth holes to be clear of seasoned Spaniard Nuria Iturrioz as the tournament heads into the back on this Championship Sunday.
Iturrioz came out the aggressor and for the front nine it worked, with three birdies to close the gap to Rhodes, but a bogey on the tough par-four 7th opened the gap back up again.
Italian Alessandra Fanali is even-par through the front nine to be at -14 and still in with a chance if she can find birdies on the easier back nine which has back-to-back downwind par-fives which will be a key factor as this championship plays out.
Australia’s Kirsten Rudgeley is one-under for her final round and three back.
12.20pm: La Nina sends shockwaves with birdie run
Yesterday she was forced to be patient, today it is a different story for overnight leader Britain’s Mimi Rhodes who is looking for her maiden victory on the Ladies European Tour.
The 24-year-old drained birdies very late in her round yesterday, later speaking about the challenge of waiting for putts to finally start dropping.
Today, in the final round of the Ford Women’s NSW Open, the US college star has made a brilliant start, with two birdies through her opening five holes with another look on the par-3 5th which missed just right. She leads by two.
Spain’s four-time LET winner Nuria Iturrioz birdied the 5th to be three-under for the morning and right in the mix to add another LET title.
Iturrioz, 29, said yesterday she would relish the challenge of chasing the rookies. Today she is living up to it.
12.40pm Rhodes makes early birdie
Overnight leader Mimi Rhodes has moved two shots clear of her nearest rival early in the final round of the Ford Women’s NSW Open, with a beautiful putt on the second hole to make birdie.
Spain’s La NIna, Nuria Itturioz birdied the opening hole to narrow the margin to two shots, but remains three-back with Rhodes, 22, opening her birdie account on the short par-4 second.
Perth’s Kirsten Rudgeley (-13) and Spain’s Blanca Fernandez (-12) are both one-under through the opening holes with aggression the key in fairly benign conditions on at Wollongong Golf Club in this final event of the co-sanctioned Ladies European Tour and WPGA event, the final stop on the Australian swing of the tour.
Of the chasers, Spain’s Anna Znusso is -3 for her round as is Wales Darcey Harry (-3) but stil quite a distance back and unlikely to mount a genuine charge for the Jan Stephenson Trophy.
11.25am: It’s time to send it
The final groups are out on the course in the Ford NSW Women’s Open, the final doorstop on the Australian swing of the Ladies European Tour schedule.
All eyes will be on overnight leader Britain’s US college star Mimi Rhodes who is hunting for her breakthrough win on the LET having joined in December 2024.
England’s Order of Merit Leader Cara Gainer has set the pace this morning, currently four-under through six holes, with an eagle on the par-5 13th the highlight of her morning as well as two more birdies to be at -6 and nine shots behind Rhodes in a tie for 12th.
Italian Anna Zanusso had three birdies in a row on her front nine the 4th, 5th and 6th holes to be at three-under for her round so far and and in a tie for 12th.
8.50am: Let’s Go!
It’s Championship Sunday at the Ford Women’s Open, where the winner will have their name etched forever on the Jan Stephenson Trophy.
This is the last day of the co-sanctioned WPGA and Ladies European Tour swing of Australia and a chance for a rookie to break through for their maiden LET win or a seasoned professional to add a fifth title to their already burgeoning career.
Conditions are perfect for scoring today at Wollongong Golf Club, in the heart of the Illawarra and beside the Pacific Ocean. We are expecting a shower or two this morning and winds on a slightly different angle to yesterday, slightly out of the east which will be a crosswind on many of the holes. Forecast winds are predicted to reach no more than 20 km/h, meaning the course should be ripe for the picking.
In front we have rookie US college star Mimi Rhodes at -15 and looking for her first win in her first year on the LET, with Italian Alessandra Fanali just a shot back and coming off a bogey-free career-best round yesterday (64).
In the distance, however, is four-time LET winner Spaniard Nuria Iturrioz (-12) who is relishing the chance of chasing down the pack for her first win of the season, whilst Australia’s Kirsten Rudgeley (-12) and Spaniard Blanca Fernandez (-11) who have been in excellent form all week and have a great chance of breaking their droughts on the professional tour.
Please join us throughout the day for what should be a thrilling climax to this great Australian summer of golf, which concludes today with the raising of the Jan Stephenson Trophy.
Live TV coverage begins at 11am on Fox Sports and Kayo, and we will, as always, bring you regular updates on our website and social media channels.
Visitors who want to walk the fairways and watch the world’s best female golfers should head down where entry is free and hospitality as good as it gets.
