Frederik Kjettrup is a HotelPlanner Tour winner after sealing a memorable victory at the English Trophy in Reading.
The Dane birdied the 72nd hole, on a low-scoring week at The Caversham, to post his second 67 of the weekend to reach 21 under par, one stroke clear of Swiss Ronan Kleu.
Kjettrup secures his first win on the HotelPlanner Tour, having made the cut just once so far this season, at the Blot Play9, where he finished in a tie for second.
Kjettrup, who was playing this week on invite, propels himself up to 15th on the season-long Road to Mallorca Rankings with the win, and earns a spot in next week’s Open De Portugal and the Abu Dhabi Challenge, before the season-ending playoffs in China and Mallorca.
“I don't think it's quite settled in yet,” he said. “It was a weird finish, making a 30-foot slider downhill to win it by one on the last hole but it feels amazing.
“I played poorly on the front nine, to be honest. It was frustrating for sure, but I was proud of how I just kept doing my thing and stayed in there and eventually got back in the fight.
“I think at some point I was like two, maybe three shots out of it. So just proud of how I fought my way back and just played good on the back nine to clinch it.”
An opening round 68 sent the 26-year-old well on his way, before a second round 65 took him to 11 under par, one-stoke off the lead, heading into the weekend.
A five under par 67 on moving day saw the Dane take the solo lead at the end of round three, before closing on the same number to lift the trophy.
After a tense front nine for the players atop of the bunched leaderboard on the final day, Kjettrup made the turn level par after a dropped shot at the second was gained back at the par five seventh. Kjettrup, however, made three birdies in a row after making the turn, before taking advantage of the last par five to get within one stroke of clubhouse leader Kleu.
After Kjettrup dropped a shot at the par four 16th, the crown looked to be Kleu’s, however an excellent tee shot at the par three 17th, set him up for birdie.
Kjettrup seemed to have let the nerves get the better of him on the last, as his approach shot left him a difficult birdie putt and almost a certain play-off, but he would make it to claim the title in Reading.
“I'd seen the leaderboard on 15 that I was on 20 and tied for the lead, and I bogeyed 16, so I knew I was one shy. The pin was kind of tucked, but given the situation, it was probably one of the first times where I was really going for a tucked pin this week.
“I just went for it. It kind of felt like a good number with the wind and everything and just hit a good shot. It was nice to pull it off when it was needed and hit it to a foot.
“On the 18th I only had 112 metres from the fairway so it was kind of in between two clubs for me. I tried to take more club and hit it smooth and just kind of tucked it a little bit giving kind of a nasty putt here on 18, up over a slope and then down. But yeah, read it good and went in.
“You're just trying to get it down there and tap it in and if it goes in, it goes in. I’m just shocked really.”
The Dane was quick to add how the win affects his season.
“I mean, it changed a good bit because now it will put me into China. For the grand final, I'm not sure, probably if I keep playing well, so my season changes a little bit.
“That was the goal, to try and go and play well and make it into China first and then see if I could make it to Spain from there.”
Kleu made the most of weekend golf after making the cut on the line before rounds of 65 and 63 on Saturday and Sunday respectively saw him climb 58 places over the weekend. He finished one stroke clear of Dane Kristian Hjort Bressum in solo third, whilst Spanish duo Joseba Torres and Javier Barcos Garbayo joined Englishman Andrew Wilson in a share for fourth on 18 under par.
Sweden’s Christofer Blomstrand remains at the top of the Road to Mallorca Rankings, with Spaniard Pablo Ereno, South African MJ Daffue, Frenchman Julian Sale and Englishman John Gough retaining their spots inside the top five.
The Road to Mallorca now heads to Lisbon for the Open De Portugal, taking place at PGA Aroeira 1 from September 17–20.
