Looking Back: Finnair Masters on LET
First played: 2005
Last played: 2011
At the 2008 tournament, a 12-year-old amateur made the cut, establishing a new LET record for youngest golfer to do so. Future LPGA star and major champion Ariya Jutanugarn was 12 years, 9 months old, and went on to finish tied for 28th place.
A different sort of Ladies European Tour record was set by another golfer in the first round in 2008. Chinese pro Xin Li scored bogey (or worse) on 17 out of 18 holes, at one point bogeying (or worse) 12 consecutive holes. Those are the LET records for most bogeys and most consecutive bogeys in one round. Overall, Li recorded 14 bogeys, two double bogeys and one triple bogey ... along with a lone par on the 13th hole. Her score was 92.
Minea Blomqvist won that 2008 tournament, becoming the event's only Finnish champion. Lee-Anne Pace set the tournament scoring record of 199 in 2010. In 2009, Beatriz Recari won the tournament by holing out from the fairway for an eagle to end a sudden-death playoff.
Winners of the LET Finnair Masters
2005 — Lisa Holm Sorensen, 140 (shortened to 36 holes by rain)2006 — Virginie Lagoutte, 203
2007 — Bettina Hauert, 207
2008 — Minea Blomqvist, 202
2009 — Beatriz Recari, 202 (def. Iben Tinning in playoff)
2010 — Lee-Anne Pace, 199
2011 — Caroline Hedwall, 202
Also known as: The tournament was named the Ladies Finnish Masters in its inaugural year of 2005. The airline Finnair came on as title sponsor the following year and the event was the Ladies Finnair Masters from that point.
Golf course: The tournament was played each year at Helsinki Golf Club in the Finland capital city.
