Kouwenaar, Mahe earn Spanish International Amateur titles

Koen Kouwenaar defeated Callum Farr in the final match of the Spanish International Amateur on Sunday, becoming the fifth Dutch winner in the event’s history. Kouwenaar adds his name to a list that includes Maarten Lafeber (1997), Joost Luiten (2005), Reinier Saxton (2009) and Jeroen Krietenmeijer (2015).

Kouwenaar was the last man standing at Las Colinas Golf and Country Club in Alicante, Spain, but it wasn’t an easy week. In particular, it wasn’t an easy Sunday. The Dutchman had to get past England’s Callum Farr in the 36-hole final. Farr was third at last year’s English Men’s Amateur.

In the final, Kouwenaar was 5 up after six holes, but Farr fought back. He took Kouwenaar to the 35th hole before losing, 2 and 1.

Last year, Kouwenaar won the Dutch National Open Championship. He was third at the Dutch National Stroke Play Championship. A start in the Euoprean Tour’s KLM Open resulted in a missed cut last fall.

In the women’s division, Frenchwoman Candice Mahe took a big win over Alessia Nobilio, No. 3 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

The two women walked off the 18th green tied. They also tied the next two extra holes, but Mahe prevailed on the 21st hole to become the first Frenchwoman to win it since Lucie André in 2008.