Becky Brewerton shares lead on 65in Open de Espana Femenino
FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Becky Brewerton is desperate to win this week’s Open de España Femenino, as she realises this could be her last chance to qualify for The 2009 European Solheim Cup team.
The 26-year-old Welsh player made a bold statement today as she opened with a seven-under 65 at Panorámica Golf Club in San Jorge, Castellon, sharing the lead with two other players: Spanish amateur Carlota Ciganda and Swede Maria Boden.
Brewerton needs to win a second Ladies European Tour title if she is to stand a hope of making a second straight appearance representing Europe, at Rich Harvest Farms near Chicago, in August.
“I’ve got to win to try to get into the Evian Masters. This is my last chance,” said the sixth year tour player. A place at next week’s lucrative Evian Masters in France would give her another opportunity to earn Cup points, which are doubled at the tournament.
“Obviously for The Solheim, I desperately need a win. I think if I could get into the Evian as well as playing in the British Open I fancy my chances of finishing definitely in the top 20 and you get so many more points for that. It’s kind of a last ditch push for The Solheim team because that’s just a massive thing. I don’t think anything else but a win is going to do me after this week otherwise I won’t get the points. I’ll be going for everything,” she said.
Impressively, Brewerton carded two eagles in her opening round, along with four birdies and a bogey. She rolled in a four-footer at the par-five 18th hole and holed a bunker shot for eagle at the par-five fourth hole.
She joined Ciganda, pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, at seven-under, after the 19-year-old Spanish sensation reeled off five birdies in her closing seven holes.
The two-time European Amateur champion and 2007 British Amateur champion, who was beaten by fellow Spaniard Azaharda Munoz in this year's final at Harlech, is in her first year on a golf scholarship at Arizona State University but had returned home to Pamplona in Spain when she received an invitation to play in the Ladies European Tour event.
Ciganda, who has won every Spanish amateur title, has the opportunity to become the LET’s first amateur winner since South Korean Amy Yang won the 2006 ANZ Ladies Masters in Australia as a 16-year-old.
“I’m feeling confident. I hit some great shots and the putting, I was happy with it. Over the last few holes it was incredible. I made five under in the last seven holes so it was so good,” Ciganda said.
Boden made a late charge with seven birdies for a faultless round and was thrilled to be in contention after a miserable run of three missed cuts.
“I’m just very happy because I’ve been struggling for the last three events. I wasn’t even close to a bogey. It was really solid,” she said.
Denmark’s Iben Tinning and Christel Boeljon of the Netherlands were a shot back on six-under-par. Tinning played the back nine in five-under 31 before adding a birdie at the fourth hole. The 35-year-old five-time champion felt extremely comfortable on a course where she won in 2005, having shot 63 in the second round.
“I hit a lot of greens and I’m just trying to attack out there. I’ve got nothing to lose, really. It’s been a long time since I won something and I’m just excited,” she said, adding that she also hopes to qualify for The Solheim Cup team.
Boeljon continued her strong track record on Spanish soil after winning the Comunitat Valenciana European Nations Cup at La Sella in Denia, Alicante, which was a team event, in April.
“I hit 12 fairways and 16 greens so I think it was pretty good. I made a few long putts so I think I can be satisfied,” she said.
The 26-year-old Welsh player made a bold statement today as she opened with a seven-under 65 at Panorámica Golf Club in San Jorge, Castellon, sharing the lead with two other players: Spanish amateur Carlota Ciganda and Swede Maria Boden.
Brewerton needs to win a second Ladies European Tour title if she is to stand a hope of making a second straight appearance representing Europe, at Rich Harvest Farms near Chicago, in August.
“I’ve got to win to try to get into the Evian Masters. This is my last chance,” said the sixth year tour player. A place at next week’s lucrative Evian Masters in France would give her another opportunity to earn Cup points, which are doubled at the tournament.
“Obviously for The Solheim, I desperately need a win. I think if I could get into the Evian as well as playing in the British Open I fancy my chances of finishing definitely in the top 20 and you get so many more points for that. It’s kind of a last ditch push for The Solheim team because that’s just a massive thing. I don’t think anything else but a win is going to do me after this week otherwise I won’t get the points. I’ll be going for everything,” she said.
Impressively, Brewerton carded two eagles in her opening round, along with four birdies and a bogey. She rolled in a four-footer at the par-five 18th hole and holed a bunker shot for eagle at the par-five fourth hole.
She joined Ciganda, pictured above by Cal Carson Golf Agency, at seven-under, after the 19-year-old Spanish sensation reeled off five birdies in her closing seven holes.
The two-time European Amateur champion and 2007 British Amateur champion, who was beaten by fellow Spaniard Azaharda Munoz in this year's final at Harlech, is in her first year on a golf scholarship at Arizona State University but had returned home to Pamplona in Spain when she received an invitation to play in the Ladies European Tour event.
Ciganda, who has won every Spanish amateur title, has the opportunity to become the LET’s first amateur winner since South Korean Amy Yang won the 2006 ANZ Ladies Masters in Australia as a 16-year-old.
“I’m feeling confident. I hit some great shots and the putting, I was happy with it. Over the last few holes it was incredible. I made five under in the last seven holes so it was so good,” Ciganda said.
Boden made a late charge with seven birdies for a faultless round and was thrilled to be in contention after a miserable run of three missed cuts.
“I’m just very happy because I’ve been struggling for the last three events. I wasn’t even close to a bogey. It was really solid,” she said.
Denmark’s Iben Tinning and Christel Boeljon of the Netherlands were a shot back on six-under-par. Tinning played the back nine in five-under 31 before adding a birdie at the fourth hole. The 35-year-old five-time champion felt extremely comfortable on a course where she won in 2005, having shot 63 in the second round.
“I hit a lot of greens and I’m just trying to attack out there. I’ve got nothing to lose, really. It’s been a long time since I won something and I’m just excited,” she said, adding that she also hopes to qualify for The Solheim Cup team.
Boeljon continued her strong track record on Spanish soil after winning the Comunitat Valenciana European Nations Cup at La Sella in Denia, Alicante, which was a team event, in April.
“I hit 12 fairways and 16 greens so I think it was pretty good. I made a few long putts so I think I can be satisfied,” she said.
Vikki Laing had arguably her best round since she made her debut on the LET - a bogey free round of five-under-par 67 with biries at the sixth, 11th, 13th, 15th and 16th.
FIRST ROUND LEADERS
FIRST ROUND LEADERS
Par 72
65 C Ciganda (Spain) (am), B Brewerton (Wales), M Boden (Sweden).
66 I Tinning (Denmark), C Boeljon (Netherlands).
67 D-C Becker (Germany), S Giquel (France), V Laing (Scotland).
Selected scores:
69 E Bennett (England), R Coakley (Ireland), K Caithness (Scotland), K Matharu (England), L Davies (England), H Aitchison (England).
70 M Thomson (Scotland), S Head (England), S Heath (England).
71 H Kavanagh (Ireland), L Kenny (Scotland).
72 C L Aitken (England), F Johnson (England), J Mundy (England), B Loucks (Wales), G Simpson England), F Parker (England).
73 E Lyons (England), C Coughlan-Ryan (Ireland), M Gillen (Ireland), Trish Johnson (England), T Delaney (Ireland).
74 C Queen (Scotland), J Morley (England), R Hudson (England), S Walker (England).
75 P Feggans (Scotland).
76 K S Taylor (England), L Hall (Wales).
78 J Pritchard (Wales).
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