Curtis Cup reserve Sahra
Hassan sets early pace
in Helen Holm with 68

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Curtis Cup reserve Sahra Hassan from South Wales, first-round leader in the Helen Holm Scottish women’s open amateur stroke-play championship over the Troon Portland links today, will be kicking herself she did not hit this kind of form BEFORE the GB&I international selection committee named their team of eight to play the Americans over the Old Course, St Andrews at the end of May.
The 20-year-old former Welsh girls champion from Bridgend and a member at Vale of Glamorgan Golf Club shot a bogey-free round of seven-under-par 68, which represented very good golf indeed in squally conditions of wind, rain – and the coldness of a Scottish spring.
A member of the GB&I team who were walloped by the Continent of Europe at St Andrews Bay last summer, and recently named second reserve for the Curtis Cup match, Sahra (image above by courtesy of Cal Carson Golf Agency, all rights reserved), plundered Troon Portland’s par-5s which have become two-shotters with the advance in ball and club technology which the late Helen Holm would have revelled in.
Miss Hassan had eagle 3s at the par-5 sixth and 15th and birdie 4s at the long second and long 18th. Her only birdie at a par-4 came at the seventh in halves 34 out (four under par) and 34 back (three under par).
The 54-hole event, the first major tournament of the European women’s amateur calendar – a designated event for European Golf Association ranking points, will see another round over Troon Portland on Saturday before the final 18 holes over the brutal (if the wind blows) Royal Troon Open championship links on Sunday.
Hassan will start the second round with Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall, whose +6 handicap makes her one of the world’s highest-rated female amateur players, and Laura Stempfle from Hamburg breathing down her neck on 69.
Best of the Scots in the big international field were youngsters Jane Turner (Craigielaw) and Kelsey MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar) in joint fifth place on four-under 71.
Curtis Cup selections Breanne Loucks from Wrexham and Michele Thomson (McDonald Ellon) scored 72 and 77 respectively.
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD

Troon Portland. Par 75, CSS 75

68 S Hassan (Vale of Glamorgan).
69 C Hedwall (Swe), L Stempfle (Ger).
70 N Kitching (Claremorris).
71 M Vizcarrondo (Spa), J Turner (Craigielaw), L Ball (Matfen Hall), M Enarsson (Swe), K MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar).
72 K Larratt (Kibworth), L Andre (Fra), B Loucks (Wrexham), L Larsson (Swe).
73 S Attwood (Gog Magog), H Barwood (Knowle).
74 S Garbutt (Ganton), S Nuutinen (Fin), S Birks (Wolstanton), C MacDonald (Gullane), H Clyburn (Woodhall Spa), C Ellis (Minchinhampton, S Harju (Fin), N Muhl (Aut), M Ricordeau (Fra), L Van Gerven (Bel), M Dunne (Skerries), L Hendry (Routenburn) B Genuini (Fra).
75 A Ramsay (Kirriemuir), C-M Carlton (Fereneze), L Murray (Alford), T Davies (Holyhead), L Collin (John O’Gaunt), D Smith (Co Louth), S Hoglund (Fin), J Hedwall (Swe), R McQueen (Troon Ladies), C Herbin (Fra).
76 E Nummenpaa (Fin), J Carthew (Ladybank), R Livingstone (Musselburgh), S James (Bristol & Clifton), P Prestwell (Bothwell Castle), H Aitchison (Bedfordshire), A Provot (Fra), A Laing (Vale of Leven), A Korkella (Fin), K Walker (Buchanan Castle).
77 K Crooks (Saltburn), M Uusi-Simola (Fin), E Alonso (Fra), R W Thomas (Vale of Glamorgan), J Van Baarte (Bel), C Abrahamian (Fra), L Charpier (Fra), D Holmqvist (Swe), M Thomson (McDonald Ellon), L Chemarin (Fra).
78 C Julien (Fra), B Harries (Haverfordwest), A Decharne (Fra), L Kenney (Pitreavie), R Crepiat (Fra), C Douglass (Brocket Hall).
79 L Harvey (Richmond), C Hargan (Mortonhall), I Boineau (Fra), S Vass (Tain), A Bushby (Strathmore), L Grillot (Fra), M Dupas (Fra).
80 H Grant (Enmore Park), L Henrikson (Fin), M Briggs (Kilmacolm), J Haggblom (Fin), K Rands (Burhill), M Kotnik (Aut).
81 E Moffat (St Regulus), S Jackson (Ladybank), K Brotherton (Forrester Park), A Goumard (Fra), N Tamminen (Fin), A Riguelle (Fra)..
82 H Jenkins (Cradoc), A Bonetti (Fra), I Lescudier (Fra), T Boyes (Meon Valley), M Ivanoff (Fra).
83 C Gruber (Royal Dornoch), E Fairnie (Dunbar), L Barton (Coventry).
84 G Monteith (Portpatrick Dunskey), A Hakula (Fin).
88 P Desurmont (Fra).
89 A Vilatte (Fra).