18-year-old Benedicte Brent-Petersen won the Esmond Trophy (the French Open U21 Championships) at Golf de Saint-Cloud in France on Monday.
There was never any real doubt about the outcome when Benedicte Brent-Petersen played her way to another international title on Monday (Easter Monday). The 18-year-old player from Copenhagen Golf Club started with determination and consistency, and took an early lead in the final against Italian Natalia Aparicio.
In the first 18 holes, Benedicte Brent-Petersen scored only par and birdie and finished with a round of 65 strokes -6 and 7 strokes better than Aparicio. The KGK player's solid play and controlled match play meant that her Italian opponent never gained momentum in the first 18 of the 36 holes in the final.
On the last 18 holes of the final, the match was more even, because even though Benedicte was 8 up after 20 holes, she lost a bit of ground for the first time along the way on holes 8 and 10. However, after 30 holes it was over, and Benedicte was able to record a victory with the numbers 7&6.
The victory in France marks Benedicte's second international triumph in her young career, after last year's victory in the Copa Sotogrande in Spain. She has been selected for Sotogrande again this year and will play there in 2 weeks. Despite only being 18 years old, the results confirm the high level she has reached for a long time.
With energy, precision and remarkable calm in the crucial situations, she delivered a final performance in the Esmond Trophy that leaves a clear impression: Benedicte Brent-Petersen belongs at the top of European amateur golf and can look forward to an exciting career.
Against all odds
The Esmond Trophy is one of Europe's most prestigious tournaments for under-21s, and has been played over the Easter holidays since 1927. It attracts the top elite of both young women and men from across Europe, and all participants are selected according to their position in the WAGR (World Amateur Gold Ranking).
The propositions are tough, and over the six days, a 36-hole stroke play qualification is played first. The top 64 advance to match play, where five regular matches are played before the final, which is completed over 36 holes. The six-day format places great demands on stability, physique and ”match play nerves”.
For the members of Copenhagen Golf Club, Benedicte Brent-Petersen's victory is yet another strong testament to the talent and training environment that has developed players to international level over the years. At the same time, Benedicte Brent-Petersen adds a new chapter to the proud traditions of Dyrehaven.
With two international titles under his belt and continued progress, the future looks bright for the young KGK talent.
