Denmark’s Smilla Tarning Soenderby secured her second Ladies European Tour (LET) title becoming the first-ever winner of the 2026 MCB Ladies Classic – Mauritius with a birdie on the last hole.
It was a day full of twists and turns on the Legend Course at the Constance Belle Mare Plage in Mauritius.
But Soenderby came out on top after reaching the green in two on the par-5 18th and then rolling in her birdie putt to clinch the title with a score of 14-under-par.
“It feels unbelievable! It’s going to be the most special thing we will ever experience together and I’m so grateful for it,” said Soenderby.
Memories made in Mauritius 🏆🇲🇺#MCBLadiesClassic pic.twitter.com/qOXv5giioq
— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) May 3, 2026
Soenderby began the day with three pars before a dropped shot on the fourth but made an excellent eagle on the sixth and back-to-back birdies on nine and 10.
The Dane remained in contention at the top of the leaderboard on the back nine as she rolled in a birdie on 13 before a bogey on 14.
However, she finished strong with birdies on 15 and 18 to seal a round of 67 (-5) and a second LET victory with her mum Kirsten on the bag alongside her.
Smilla’s winning moment in Mauritius 🏆#MCBLadiesClassic pic.twitter.com/rA2X5Orqdy
— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) May 3, 2026
She continued: “It was so nice to have my mum with me. It reminds me of junior days when she used to come and caddie for me, and we haven’t done this since back then. It was so nice.
“I had no idea of the situation as we were coming down 18. When I made the birdie putt, I had to check the leaderboard to see what it was actually for. That was nice to realise.”
Sweden’s Kajsa Arwefjäll ended the week in a share of second place alongside South Africa’s Casandra Alexander one shot behind Soenderby.
Smilla finishes number one in Mauritius 🏆#MCBLadiesClassic pic.twitter.com/ShQKE0S6cw
— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) May 3, 2026
Arwefjäll fired a bogey-free 66 on the final day to set the clubhouse target of 13-under-par in Mauritius.
“It was so fun,” she said. “I was enjoying myself out there. It was nice to play and finish with a good round. I was nervous, I’m not going to lie. I was shaking a little bit, but it’s always fun.
“I felt like I was doing a lot of good things out there. I was hitting my driver well and giving myself a lot of birdie opportunities. Some short ones didn’t go in sadly, but then I made some five metre ones. I feel like maybe it evened out.
“It was lovely! I was very close to that hole-in-one on 17 to win that week stay here, so I thought dang it. I will come back; I loved it so much. My family really enjoyed themselves, they loved it. It was a ten out of ten. Maybe for it to be above a ten would have been to get the win.”
South Africa’s Alexander also ended the week in T2 after rolling in a birdie on the 16th and then sinking her eagle putt on the last.
Italy’s Anna Zanusso set the early clubhouse target firing a sensational bogey-free round of 63 (-9), the best-ever on this golf course and her lowest as a professional, to finish in solo fourth place.
“It was a bogey-free round, I started playing very solidly and then at the end I finished with three birdies in the last four. I’m very happy with that round,” said Zanusso.
“It means a lot. It means my game is really solid. I have been p;aying great the whole week, I was making some mistakes, and everything came together today. I’m very happy. I am surprised with the nine-under, but not the bogey-free element.”
Five players ended the week in a share of fifth place with England’s Alice Hewson, France’s Agathe Laisné, Australia’s Kirsten Rudgeley and German duo Alexandra Försterling and Celina Sattelkau all on 10-under-par.
In the LET Order of Merit, France’s Laisné leads the way with 1,428.70, but Alexander has closed the gap in second and is only 46.05 points behind.
Germany’s Försterling has moved up to fourth place with Arwefjäll now sixth, and Soenderby has jumped from 117th to 10th with her victory.
The LET takes a one-week break before the European swing starts with the Amundi German Masters at Green Eagle Golf Courses from May 14-17 in Hamburg.
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