Lejan Lewthwaite rounded out a solid week in Australia on Sunday with a closing two-under-par 70 in the Ladies European Tour’s Women’s NSW Open at Coolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club for a share of 16th.
She hung in through the front nine with two birdies and three bogeys to turn in one-over 37, and she got it together on the homeward nine with four birdies and a bogey to close with a three-under 33. Her tournament total of one-under-par put her 14 shots behind the winner, Maja Stark of Sweden, who won going away by five shots from countrywoman Johanna Gustavsson.
Lewthwaite’s performance was particularly pleasing for the way she came back from a tough opening round of five-over-par 77. She responded with a four-under 68 in the second round, a level-par 72 in the third round and then with her final-round effort of 70.
It was Stark’s third LET victory in eight months, and she led from start to finish.
Argentina’s Magdalena Simmermacher produced a final round of 71 for a total of nine-under-par to finish in third place for the second week in a row. Scotland’s Michele Thomson and Australian Cassie Porter finished the tournament tied for fourth place on eight-under with England’s Hannah Burke and Wales’ Lydia Hall one shot further back in sixth.
