{"id":17938,"date":"2023-08-20T20:34:24","date_gmt":"2023-08-20T18:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ladiesingolf.com\/?p=17938"},"modified":"2023-12-14T15:16:04","modified_gmt":"2023-12-14T14:16:04","slug":"pano-clinches-playoff-victory-at-isps-handa-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ladiesingolf.com\/en\/pano-clinches-playoff-victory-at-isps-handa-world\/","title":{"rendered":"PANO CLINCHES PLAYOFF VICTORY AT ISPS HANDA WORLD"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was a birthday to remember for Alexa Pano as she won the ISPS HANDA World Invitational Presented by AVIV Clinics in a dramatic playoff. After rounds of 76-70-69-66, Pano ended the tournament with a total of eight-under-par and found herself in a playoff alongside Germany\u2019s\u00a0Esther Henseleit\u00a0and England\u2019s\u00a0Gabriella Cowley.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The American, who turns 19 today, headed back down 18 and made a birdie on the first playoff hole, as did Cowley to send them back to the tee.<\/p>\n

Despite her tee shot ending up in the trees, Pano made a par on the second playoff hole while Cowley missed her birdie putt as they both headed back to the 18th\u00a0tee again.<\/p>\n

On the third playoff hole, Pano made the green in two and was able to two-putt for a birdie to win her maiden title on the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour (LET).<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve kind of been saying that I really wanted to win this event because it\u2019s on my birthday,\u201d\u00a0said the LPGA Tour rookie.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy best friend can contest it\u2019s been for like two months. It feels so surreal that it\u2019s happened. It\u2019s been a little bit crazy because I didn\u2019t have my clothes and clubs earlier in the week, but it\u2019s all worth it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just feels so surreal right now to have my dad on the bag as well. I can\u2019t actually process that that just happened.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pano fired a round of 66 (-6) on day four at Galgorm to put herself in contention for the win, making three bogeys and nine birdies including two in her final two holes.<\/p>\n

England\u2019s Cowley carded a round of 70 (-2) on the final day competition and rolled in an eagle putt on the last to secure her place in the playoff.<\/p>\n

The 27-year-old had the opportunity to take the win on the second playoff hole when she had a five-foot birdie putt, but unfortunately, she missed it and Pano triumphed on the next hole.<\/p>\n

While two-time LET winner Henseleit produced a second consecutive round of 69 (-3) which included three birdies in her last four holes to put herself in the playoff.<\/p>\n

However, the German was only able to make a par on the first playoff hole and ended the week in a tie for second place alongside Cowley.<\/p>\n

Henseleit said:\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m pretty happy with how my game is at the moment and how it\u2019s been the last couple months. I feel really good on the course. I had a lot of fun playing in contention the last two days, so, yeah, hopefully, we\u2019ll be back.\u201d<\/p>\n

America\u2019s Ryann O\u2019Toole finished in fourth place on seven-under-par after a final round of 70 (-2) in Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n

Germany\u2019s\u00a0Olivia Cowan\u00a0fired a final round of 68 (-4) to end the week in fifth place and secure back-to-back top-10 finishes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very pleased,\u201d\u00a0said the LET winner.\u00a0\u201cI played really nicely today. I played good the last two days. I just had a poor finish yesterday, but I just tried to stay positive and keep going today.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy new mindset has been going well, I haven\u2019t gotten angry yet, so I\u2019m just sticking to that. I think good golf will follow. Last week gave me a lot of confidence as well, heading into the week I knew my game was well. I\u2019m just excited to play in the next few events.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spain\u2019s\u00a0Azahara Mu\u00f1oz\u00a0shot her round of the week \u2013 a 66 (-6) \u2013 to climb up the leaderboard as she finished in a share of sixth place alongside India\u2019s\u00a0Diksha Dagar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have just been playing super great all week, hitting really good shots, but my putter has been kind of cold,\u201d\u00a0said the Spaniard.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I just started, right from the get-go I hit the 3-wood on a par-5 to maybe ten feet, so I actually two-putted for birdie. After that, I made a few nice putts and today was really nice. I played solid and finally saw some putts drop in.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew I really had to go low today. Such a shame I didn\u2019t get the last birdie, but I gave myself a chance. I\u2019ve loved playing here. It\u2019s been really tough and actually, I\u2019m really proud of myself for how well I played in these conditions because I got a tough draw as well. I\u2019m just happy that I\u2019m hitting the ball really well, so hopefully I can get the putter going.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Dagar explained:\u00a0\u201cYesterday I could have done better and because of yesterday\u2019s experience I played aggressively today. One club extra because of yesterday\u2019s weather. I feel so excited. I wanted to do it and I want to catch it and I wanted to make it a little bit hard for the leaders as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peiyun Chien of Chinese Taipei ended the week in eighth place on four-under-par with Switzerland\u2019s Kim Metraux one shot further back in ninth.<\/p>\n

While Thailand\u2019s Wichanee Meechai, Finland\u2019s Noora Komulainen and Wales\u2019 Chloe Williams are all in a tie for tenth place.<\/p>\n

In the\u00a02023 Race to Costa del Sol<\/strong><\/a>, France\u2019s Celine Boutier continues to lead the way with 1,725.38 with Spain\u2019s Ana Pel\u00e1ez Trivino in second (1,487.20) and India\u2019s Aditi Ashok in third (1,309.19).<\/p>\n

Sweden\u2019s Linn Grant<\/strong><\/a> is fourth with 1,276.28 points and India\u2019s Diksha Dagar has reduced the gap in fifth and now has 1,237.34 points with Czechia\u2019s Klara Davidson Spilkova in sixth (10,66.46).<\/p>\n

Germany\u2019s Cowan moves up to seventh place and now has 1,062.47 points with Sweden\u2019s Johanna Gustavsson in eighth, England\u2019s Cara Gainer in ninth and Charley Hull in tenth.<\/p>\n

Cowley jumps from 30th\u00a0to 11th\u00a0place in the 2023 standings and now has 920.27 points to her name.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was a birthday to remember for Alexa Pano as she won the ISPS HANDA World Invitational Presented by AVIV Clinics in a dramatic playoff. After rounds of 76-70-69-66, Pano ended the tournament with a total of eight-under-par and found herself in a playoff alongside Germany\u2019s\u00a0Esther Henseleit\u00a0and England\u2019s\u00a0Gabriella Cowley. The American, who turns 19 today,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":17936,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[]},"categories":[45,893,864,881],"tags":[3750,3751,3752,3640,960,594],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t