Rookie Henseleit Seals Historic LET Double With Order Of Merit Title

The young German, who only turned pro in January, won the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit after victory in Kenya

Rookie Henseleit Seals Historic LET Double With Order Of Merit Title

The young German, who only turned pro in January, won the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit after victory in Kenya

Rookie Henseleit Seals Historic LET Double With Order Of Merit Title

Esther Henseleit was victorious at the Ladies Magical Kenya Open to win both the Rookie of the Year and Order of Merit titles.

She becomes just the third woman in the Ladies European Tour's 41-year history to win the Order of Merit as a rookie after Laura Davies in 1985 and Carlota Ciganda in 2012.

Henseleit captured her first LET title in Kenya with a sensational course-record 64, winning by one from India’s Aditi Ashok after starting the day seven off the lead.

 

She made five birdies on the front nine and three on the back, keeping her card clean with no dropped shots.

The 20-year-old German, from Hamburg, won her first pro title earlier in the year at the Skafto Open on the LET Access Series.

In total, she recorded 10 top-10s from 19 starts including a win and four runners-up finishes to win €210,000 for the season having only turned pro in January off +7.1.

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“To close the season with a win is the best feeling I could imagine. To be the Order of Merit winner and Rookie of the Year is just unbelievable.

“Yesterday, after my round, I was a bit disappointed but I just tried to do everything better today. I definitely tried to win, although I knew it would be really hard.

Credit: Tristan Jones

“After nine holes, I saw I was two shots back and I knew it was possible.

“I just tried to make a lot of birdies and I hit some great iron shots and gave myself many short birdie putts. The course was beautiful and it played a bit easier today, because the greens were softer. I did the best I could.”

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Norway's Marianne Skarpnord was second on the Order of Merit with Meg MacLaren in fifth, the highest Brit.

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV