Judy Joo from the University of St Andrews and William Leu from Halmstad University recently achieved matching feats in winning the respective women’s and men’s R&A Student Tour Series – Spain at La Sella Golf Club.
It was a second series victory for both players and the wins perhaps mean a little more than their first titles. They both had to conquer tricky, fast greens the kind of which neither had previously experienced.
La Sella’s putting surfaces gave Europe’s best student golfers a tough test because of subtle borrows and hard-to-detect grains. No wonder Europe’s best women professionals don’t overpower this course when the Ladies European Tour’s La Sella Open is held on this Spanish gem.
Eighteen-year-old Joo, winner of the STS – Sweden to kick off the 2024-25 season, opened with a 75 before producing consecutive level-par 72s to record a 3-over-par 219 winning total. That was one stroke better than teammate Lucy Jamieson, a three-time STS winner.
Jamieson’s closing 69 proved to be the low score of the week in the women’s event. That score included two eagles, one at the par-5 third hole and another when she recorded a career-first hole-in-one on the 142-yard, par-3 13th hole. The Heswall Golf Club member hit an 8-iron and watched as her ball landed just past the flag and spun back into the hole.
Joo’s round wasn’t quite as exciting. The Korean offset three bogeys with three birdies to emerge victorious and move to the top of the women’s Order of Merit.
“I’m very happy to win my second Student Tour Series event in just three tournaments,” said Joo, an economics and international relations student. “I learned in the first round that I needed to focus on putting because I was really bad on the greens. So the key was to figure out how to not three-putt.”
“I think this victory is a little bit more satisfying than Portugal because it’s a trickier course than Portugal, especially the greens. I got a bit irate at times this week, especially yesterday, so to come back from that and win is a big deal for me.”
William Leu
Joo didn’t quite conquer the greens in the final round. She had a four-foot birdie putt on the par-3 fifth hole, but walked off the green with a bogey.
“I was striking the ball great all three days and had a lot of confidence but not once I got on the greens,” she said. “The greens are very grainy here and that’s something I’m not used to. Even short putts I couldn’t take for granted.
“So it was interesting to be exposed to different conditions and it has to help my confidence that I was able to overcome the greens to win. This week has been a big learning experience for me, which has to help me in the future.”
Leu also had to overcome an in-form player to claim his second title after winning the STS – Portugal last season. He did that thanks to mastering the 18th hole for a second consecutive day.
University of Stirling student Ross Laird fired a best-of-the-week, 5-under-par 67 in the final round. When the Glenbervie member holed out for par on the 18th green, he was tied with Leu on 2-under-par. That 67 included just one dropped shot, a round worthy of the title.
Leu stood at the top of the leaderboard after 36 holes when he eagled the par-5 closing hole by hitting a 230-yard 3-iron to 4 feet. The Swede experienced a bit of déjà vu in the final round. He hit the same club, 3-iron, albeit from five yards closer. This time his ball finished 8 feet from the flag. Two putts later he claimed his second STS title.
“The 18th hole was almost carbon copy of yesterday, although I had a better angle today, so I was confident of reaching the green in two again,” said the final-year sports science student.
“I think this victory is a little bit more satisfying than Portugal because it’s a trickier course than Portugal, especially the greens. I got a bit irate at times this week, especially yesterday, so to come back from that and win is a big deal for me. I also had no expectations coming out here after spending a winter practising indoors.”
Portugal’s Troia Golf Club will stage the fourth event of the series from 28 February to 2 March. That event will determine the field to play the 2024-25 Final at St Andrews.
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