Johanna gets a Head start in Dubai
Ladies Masters with a six-under 66

FROM THE LADIES' EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
England’s Johanna Head made the perfect start at the Dubai Ladies Masters with a flawless six-under-par 66 over the Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club today.
The Berkshire-born twin, whose sister Samantha is also competing this week, fired six birdies with three on each nine to finish two shots clear of her nearest rival, Germany’s Anja Monke. Sweden’s Maria Boden, Germany’s Katharina Schallenberg and Italian Veronica Zorzi all finished on three-under-par, one stroke clear of Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam.
Playing in her last tournament before stepping away from competitive golf on Sunday, the Swede shot 70 to trail Head by four strokes and share sixth place with ten others including Denmark’s Iben Tinning and England’s Laura Davies.
Head credited her performance to a recent short game master class by Ian Poulter, for whom her husband, Terry Mundy, caddies.
“He gave me a bit of a short game lesson and I’ve been working on that for the last couple of weeks. It’s been really helpful,” said Head, who has won three tournaments in 14 years as a professional but none on the Ladies European Tour.
“I’ll give Ian credit for helping me with my short game; definitely. He and my husband have been on at me to not chip short all the time and they are getting me to practise all the time so when on the fourth hole I chipped in I was thrilled.”
Head grabbed the early lead after four birdies in her first 10 holes and added two more at the 16th and 18th. The last time she shot 66 was in the first round of the Ricoh Women’s British Open and she was delighted to get back in the hunt.
“It’s a situation that you always want to get yourself into so whether I’m comfortable or not it’s where I want to be,” she added. “Every time you put yourself in a position like that it’s a new experience and you just enjoy it.”
Sorenstam was disappointed after her round, which included seven birdies, was marred by three bogeys and a double. Starting on the 10th, she looked unbeatable over the first four holes, but stalled with a bogey at the par-four 14th.
She took a 7 at the par-five 18th hole after her third shot span back into the water and three further birdies on the front nine were countered by back-to-back bogeys to finish.
“I got off to a tremendous start. Played well for about 14 holes, and collapsed on the other four, which is a bummer when you feel so good about something and then you come in with such a terrible finish,” she said.
“Luckily it's just Thursday and there's a long ways to go. The positive thing is I'm hitting some good shots and making some putts. Have to clean it up a little bit.”
She said she would treat her family to a desert experience before her second round at noon on Friday. At halfway a cut will be made to the leading 60 professionals and ties but there is only one amateur in the field: Kylie Walker from Buchanan Castle
FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72
66 J Head (Eng).
68 A Monke (Ger).
69 M Boden (Swe), K Schallenberg (Ger)(, V Zorzi (Ita).
70 C Alonso (Spa), I Tinning (Den), A Sorenstam (Swe), L Davies (Eng), S Giquel (Fra), F Johnson (Eng), E Cabrera-Bello (Spa), N Reis (Swe), V Lagoutte-Clement (Fra), T Johnson (Eng), A Simon (SAf).
Selected scores:
71 M Gillen (Ire), M Reid (Eng).
72 L Hall (Wal), S Head (Eng), J Morley (Eng), K S Taylor (Eng).
73 L Fairclough (Eng), L Hall (Eng), C Queen (Sco), C Matthew (Sco), B Brewerton (Wal).
75 R Coakley (Ire), G Nocera (Fra), K Matharu (Eng), H Zuel (Eng), S Walker (Eng).
76 R Bell (Eng), L Kenny (Sco), N C Booth (Eng) J Clinigan (Eng).
77 K Walker (Sco) (am), J Wilson (Sco).
80 D Masters (Eng)