Leona Maguire laments week that ‘didn’t quite fit together’ as Smilla Tarning Soenderby wins in bizarre circumstances

The Dutch star’s driver was broken en route to Co Clare, but after getting a late replacement, she followed an opening 69 with a brace of 66s to take a three-shot lead into the final round, only to walk away the loser after a bizarre finish to a three-way sudden-death play-off with Sweden’s Lisa Pettersson, who shot 68, and Soenderby, who closed with a 10-under 62, to set the target at 16-under.

Van Dam had a 20-foot eagle putt at the 72nd hole to win the title in regulation but came up short and tapped in for a 71 to join Pettersson and Soenderby in sudden death.

She was being driven down the middle of the 18th fairway by a Ladies European Tour (LET) official for the play-off when the decision was made to duck under the fairway ropes. But her driver became snagged, snapping the shaft as the bag was ripped off the back of the cart.

It was too late to get a replacement, and while she used a three-wood to outdrive Pettersson and Soenderby, who both found the fairway, the golfing gods were not on her side.

Pettersson flew the green and couldn’t get up and down for birdie, but while Van Dam hit a stunning approach to 11 feet, Soenderby drew a 178-yard six iron to 12 feet and rolled in the eagle putt.

Van Dam’s putt to extend the play-off grazed the hole and missed, and Soenderby’s friends drenched her in champagne.

“I can’t quite believe it, actually,” Soenderby (23) said after her maiden win. “If you told me I would do that in the final round, I would have laughed. It’s quite amazing. It’s just a dream come true.”

She made 11 birdies in a stunning final round but never entirely believed 16-under would be enough as Van Dam and Pettersson, who were playing in the final group, headed down the back nine.

She three-putted the final hole to miss out on a three-way play-off 12 months ago but admitted she learned from that.

“I knew what to do, and I did it.”

As for Van Dam’s bad luck, she said: “We saw that her bag fell off – and her driver was snapped. It was terrible. I didn’t know what to say. It was a super unlucky situation for Anne.”

Leona Maguire closed with a one-under 71 to finish eight shots outside the play-off in a tie for 14th on eight-under.

The world No 17 birdied three of her first six holes, but chasing a round like Soenderby’s, her race was run after she three-putted the eighth for bogey.

“Under-par all four days,” said Maguire, who played the back nine in one-over.

“It just didn’t quite all fit together, but overall, it was great to have so much support all week.”

She believes Carton House has a tough act to follow when it hosts the tournament on the O’Meara Course next year.

“I think Dromoland deserves a serious amount of credit,” she said.

“They’ve put on a world-class event two years in a row. Carton House has massive, massive shoes to fill. I don’t envy them.

“Even to listen to the LET girls, this is one of the best events they play, bar the Majors – and I’d argue this is better than some of the Majors we’ve played this year.”

Douglas’ amateur Sara Byrne shot 70 to finish tied for 35th on four-under on her LET debut with her Irish team-mate, Kirkistown Castle’s Beth Coulter, a shot further back in 40th after a 71.

Olivia Mehaffey slipped to 50th on one-under, tied with Hermitage amateur Kate Lanigan (72) after a 75 as Elm Park amateur Emma Fleming shot 73 to tie for 66th on six-over.