After 15 seasons and 210 starts, Ellie Givens can finally call herself a Ladies European Tour (LET) champion after coming from four shots back on the final day to win the 2026 VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open.
In a tense showdown at Golfpark Holzhäusern, Ellie fired a final round 66 (five under-par) to pip Whitney Hillier, Alexandra Forsterling and Anna Foster to the title with a winning score of 13 under-par.
The one-shot victory is Ellie’s first on the LET having joined the circuit in 2012. Since then, Ellie, from Darlington, has had several close calls and injury setbacks – even having to return to Q-School in December 2025 to fight for her playing rights.
“I can’t believe it,” said 37-year-old Ellie. “I’m so excited and really proud of myself. I’m a little bit in shock as well. I did feel pretty calm today, a lot calmer than I thought I would be. I just thought come on, let’s go for this. My week had a nightmare start [as my clubs arrived late] so it’s kind of fate that I managed to win this week. I took my chance.
“This is life changing. Last year I was looking at whether I still wanted to play or not. I decided, ‘no, come on, you’ve got this!’ You’ve got the ability to play and still compete. I’ve worked really, really hard behind the scenes, and to have this trophy means so much.”
Sweden’s Kajsa Arwefjall, a runner-up last year, held a three-shot lead before the start of play on the final day thanks to some exceptional golf on Thursday and Friday at Golfpark Holzhäusern. However, the 26-year-old dropped three shots in her first 10 holes to relinquish the lead and open the door to the chasing pack.
Ellie and Whitney, two veterans on tour, capitalised – going out in 32 (three under-par) and 33 (two under-par) respectively to share the lead as they made the turn. Ellie would make a clutch birdie at the 10th thanks to a fine approach and putt, before Whitney bounced back with a birdie of her own at the 14th following a pinpoint approach.
The short par five 17th would prove decisive. Ellie, playing in the penultimate group alongside Alexandra and Wales’ Chloe Williams, found the green in two giving her a comfortable two-putt birdie. Whitney meanwhile found trouble off the tee, forcing her to awkwardly punch out from under the trees, before missing a putt for birdie.
After Ellie made par on the closing hole, a nervous wait transpired as she watched on alongside compatriot and close friend Liz Young – winner of the VP Bank Swiss Ladies in 2022. Her Aussie counterpart would miss both the fairway and green on the 18th, eventually salvaging a par – a score which handed Givens a long-awaited LET victory.
“210th time lucky, right! No, I always knew I had the capability to win,” Ellie said. “This is actually really my first proper time being in contention. Some of just take longer than others.
“I’m so lucky I’ve got such an amazing group of friends on tour. Liz [Young] has won this event too, Christine [Wolf] won in India and it was her final event here this week before she retires. It makes me quite emotional seeing how happy they are for me. It’s cool I get to put my name on this amazing trophy. I can’t believe it.”
Despite finishing second, Whitney had a week to remember as she returned to her very best following several years of health troubles and challenges off the course.
“It feels so good,” said Whitney, who got into the KPMG Women’s Irish Open with the top 10 finish. “The feeling is addictive. You just want to compete, play, and get close to winning. I was bogey-free today. Technically I couldn’t do much else. I mean, I left so many putts out there, but it was tough to read the putts under that sun. It’s my first time contending since 2022 and it felt so good. I slept well and was in a good mental space. It’s just so nice to have my golf back to where it was.”
The Australian ended the week on 12-under par alongside Alexandra – winner of the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open in 2023 – and Irishwoman Anna, who secured her best finish on the LET. Kajsa’s wait for a first win on the LET continues after she fired a final round 72 (one over-par) to finish the week in fifth place.
On the LET Order of Merit, Ellie jumped to 23rd after collecting 500 points for the win. South Africa’s Casandra Alexander still leads the way on 1,899.98 points.
Next up for the stars of the LET is a trip to the K Club for the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, with the tournament set to get underway on August 27.
For the full results from Switzerland click here.
