Sabrina Flourishes in Prestigious French Championship

Morfontaine, France: Sabrina Wong added another title to her ever-growing collection of trophies with a notable wire-to-wire triumph at the French International Ladies Amateur Championship.

With a 54-hole total of 10-under-par 206 at Morfontaine Golf Club, the Hong Kong teenager secured a two-stroke win from Spaniard Iciar Rodriguez in the historic event that is also known as the Cécile de Rothschild Trophy.

It was the Scotland-based Wong’s 11th victory in a World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and will give her a good chance of breaking into the top-150 in the standings for the first time.

A three-time Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) participant and a member of Hong Kong, China’s national women’s squad, Wong appeared to be coasting to victory in France after following an opening six-under 66 with a 67 on day two.

However, on what proved to be a stressful final day, Wong saw her six-stroke overnight lead whittled away with a front nine three-over 39.

When Rodriguez snared her fifth birdie of the day at the 10th, Wong found herself trailing her Spanish rival by one.

But Wong recovered her composure, making her first birdie of the day at the short 11th to draw level. She then pulled clear when Rodriguez bogeyed 12, 14 and 15.

With a birdie at 16, Wong covered the back nine in two-under 34 to sign for a closing 73 and become the first Asian winner of a tournament that is billed as the oldest international ladies’ amateur championship in Europe.