Aadusaar and Ustal crowned Estonian Champions

Foto: Joosep Martinson

24. July 2023

Today, the 30th Estonian Stroke Play Championships that lasted three days ended at Rae Golf. Sander Aadusaar (Niitvälja Golf Club) and Triin Marleen Ustal (Rae Golf Club) were crowned winners. Ustal’s score (−2) on the last day is the new Estonian Championship one day record in the ladies’ class.

After a tight competition, Markus Varjun who was the leader before the last day got the silver medal and Kevin Christopher Jegers (both from Niitvälja Golf Club) who still had the chance to get the silver at the last green received the bronze medal. Results

In the ladies’ class, Nicky Zoe Lautre whose result was better than Elizaveta Sofia Reemet’s (both from Estonian Golf & Country Club) by two strokes received her first medal. Results

Markus Varjun, who achieved a new record of 64 strokes on the first day, which is now the best one-day score of the Rae golf course and the best first day result of the Estonian Championship in the men’s class, was the leader at the beginning of the last day. His lead before his closest competitor Sander Aadusaar was a seemingly safe five strokes. Markus started the last day with two birdies, but Aadusaar also responded with birdies at the second and third hole, the second of the two was a chip in. From the seventh hole to the ninth, Aadusaar did even better and achieved three birdies in a row. Since Varjun could do no better than bogeys at the eight and ninth hole, the competition was tied halfway. Aadusaar’s birdie at the 13th hole put him in the lead for the first time and a birdie at the last hole meant that his last day score was 66 strokes, which secured him his third championship title. His scores on the first two days (69 and 71 strokes) gave him a total result of −10. Markus Varjun had to look behind him more and more, since Jegers came dangerously close. At the last hole, Jegers had the chance to tie his final score with that of Varjun with his birdie putt, which would have given him the silver medal, but Jegers missed and, therefore, this time the reigning champion got the silver medal, and the bronze went to Jegers. Markus Varjun’s final result was −8 (64, 71, 73) and Jegers finished with −7 (86, 74, 67). This was the third time in the history of the Estonian Championships when a player had to finish under par in total in order to get a medal, but never before had the medal line been so high. Until this year, −2 had sufficed for the bronze medal. The championship record (−12) from last year remains untouched.

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Ladies’ golf, however, got a new champion. Triin Marleen Ustal, who played on her home course, took the lead from day one and finished the third day with an under-par result for the first time in her life. The final result was +8 (76, 78, 70) and only twice before in the history of the Estonian Championships has the winner achieved a better total score (+3). Nicky Zoe Lautre who tied for the first place on day one received her first medal – the silver one – with the final score of +15 (76, 80, 75). Elizaveta Sofia Reemet exchanged her last year’s silver medal in for the bronze this time, her final score was +17 (78, 81, 74).

Special awards for mid-amateurs went to Marten Palm (Niitvälja Golf Club) and Getter Saaroja (Rae Golf Club). Special awards for seniors, however, belonged to Kaupo Pastak (Saaremaa Golf & Country Club) and Anneli Esken (Estonian Golf & Country Club.)