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Student Series
Joo and Leu shine in Spanish sunshine to win on Student Tour Series
06 Feb 25
3 mins
Judy Joo from the University of St Andrews and Halmstad University’s William Leu achieved matching feats in winning the respective women’s and men’s R&A Student Tour Series – Spain at La Sella Golf Club.
It was a second series victory for both players, however these wins perhaps mean a little more than their first titles. They both had to conquer tricky, fast greens the kind of which neither had previously experienced. La Sellas putting surfaces gave Europe’s best student golfers a tough test because of subtle borrows and hard to detect grains. No wonder Europe’s best women professionals don’t overpower this course when the Ladies’ European Tour’s La Sella Open is held on this Spanish gem. Eighteen-year-old Joo, winner of the STS – Sweden to kick off the 2024/25 season, opened with a 75 before producing consecutive level par 72s to record a three-over-par 219 winning total. That was one stroke better than teammate Lucy Jamieson, a three-time STS winner.
Judy Joo - University of St Andrews
"This week has been a big learning experience for me, which has to help me in future. It was a tough week, and very frustrating, but I stayed patient and I’m proud to win my second tournament on this series.”
Ace for Jamieson
Jamieson’s closing 69 proved to be the low score of the week in the women’s event. That score included two eagles, one at the par-5 3rd hole and another when she recorded a career first hole-in-one on the 142-yard par-3 13th hole. The Heswall Golf Club member hit an 8-iron and watched as her ball landed just past the flag and spun back into the hole. Joo’s round wasn’t quite as exciting. The Korean offset three bogeys with three birdies to emerge victorious and move to the top of the women’s Order of Merit. “I’m very happy to win my second Student Tour Series event in just three tournaments,” said Joo, an economics and international relations student. “I learned in the first round that I needed to focus on putting because I was really bad on the greens. So the key was to figure out how to not three putt.” Joo didn’t quite conquer the greens in the final round. She had a four-foot birdie putt on the par-3 5th hole, but walked off the green with a bogey.Different conditions
“I was striking the ball great all three days and had a lot of confidence but not once I got on the greens,” she said. “The greens are very grainy here and that’s something I’m not used to. Even short putts I couldn’t take for granted. “So it was interesting to be exposed to different conditions and it has to help my confidence that I was able to overcome the greens to win. This week has been a big learning experience for me, which has to help me in future. It was a tough week, and very frustrating, but I stayed patient and I’m proud to win my second tournament on this series.” Leu also had to overcome an in-form player to claim his second title after winning the STS – Portugal last season. He did that thanks to mastering the 18th hole for a second consecutive day. University of Stirling student Ross Laird fired a best of the week, five-under-par 67 in the final round. When the Glenbervie member holed out for par on the 18th green, he was tied with Leu on two-under-par. That 67 included just one dropped shot, a round worthy of the title.
William Leu - Halmstad University
“It’s good to know I’ve got a great chance to make it to the final event at St Andrews. It would have been such a shame not to play there in my last year on the Student Tour Series.”