CLARE QUEEN'S GOOD START IN AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S OPEN

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Clare Queen, who had to pre-qualify on Monday to get into the event, has made a very good start to the Handa Australian Women's Open at the Commonwealth Golf Club on Melbourne's Sand Belt.

The Scot, pictured, shot a two-under-par 71 to be four shots off the lead, shared by Jiyai Shin and Jennifer Song and in joint 16th place overall.

The other Scots in the field, all of whom were exempt from the pre-qualifying event, did not do quite so well.

Carly Booth had a 77 (36-41), reaching the turn in creditable figures - one bogey (at the third) and one bogey  (at the fourth) - but it unravelled after the turn. She bogeyed the 11th and 12th, birdied the short 15th, but then had a disappointing finish of bogeys at the last three holes.

Vikki Laing had a desperate start on her way to an 83 (41-42). She had a double bogey 7 at the long second and then quickly slipped to five over par after five holes with bogeys at the ythird, fourth and fifth. The Musselburgh player stopped the rot with a string of pars before the inward half brought her down again. She bogeyed the 11th and 16th and had a triple bogey 7 at the 17th.

Kylie Walker had an 84 (43-41). Like Vikki Laing, she did not have a single birdie to brighten the gloom. Kylie bogeyed the first, and then had double bogey 6s at the fifth and eighth, followed by a double bogey 5 at the short ninth.

She bogeyed the 12th, double-bogeyed the 16th and bogeyed the 18th.

Krystle Caithness was out in two-over-par 38 with bogeys at the second and eight. Her inward half of 46 must rank as one of her worst since she turned pro. The Fifer bogeyed the 10th, 11th and 13th, then had a double bogey 6 at the 14th. She bogeyed the 15th and 16th - got her sole birdie at the 17th - but then finished catastrophically with a triple bogey 7 at the 18th tfor a round of 84.

LEADERBOARD
Par 73
67 Jiyai Shin (S Korea), Jennifer Song (US).
68 Rebecca Coakley (Ireland).

SCOTS' SCORES
Par 73
71 Clare Queen (T16).
77 Carly Booth (T98).
83 Vikki Laing (143rd).
84 Krystle Caithness, Kylie Walker (T144).

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REPORT FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
By: Hamish Jones
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World No 1 lady pro Jiyai Shin fired a blemish-free six-under par 67 to share the lead with American Jennifer Song in the opening round of the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open at Commonwealth Golf Club.
Shin finished with three birdies on either side of the course, including three straight birdies on holes 12, 13 and 14 to give her a score that was better than her daily goal.
“This morning my goal was five under par because I had a good feeling. It is not an easy course but I am very comfortable,” Shin said.
“I played early morning so I played without the wind. There was a little bit of rain that soaked the greens so I was really aggressive with every shot to the pin. I missed three or four greens but my short game and putting were good.”
American Jennifer Song, on her first visit to Australia, also finished with three birdies on either side of the course to share the lead.
“I was draining a lot of putts from everywhere, like if I had birdie chances, close putts, I definitely made it and I made a couple of long putts that really got me going,” the LPGA Tour rookie said.
Ireland’s Rebecca Coakley is in outright third place following her five-under par 68.
Canberra local and Japanese Tour player Nikki Campbell is one of three players tied in fourth place following her opening round four-under par 69 and said she was still adjusting to the Australian conditions.
“Whenever I play in Australia it takes me a while to feel comfortable because it is such a fast game. The ball rolls a lot more. In Japan we allow for elevation, 10 yards for uphill or downhill. Here is is one or two,” Campbell said.
Australia’s Karrie Webb finished with a one-under par 72 to be in a tie for 24th.
“My whole round was very scratchy,” Webb said.
“I actually hit more quality shots in my first nine holes than I did on the back nine. I managed to get it around. I did some good things.”
Defending champion Yani Tseng bogeyed her final hole to finish at three-under par.
England’s Laura Davies is in a tie for 16th place following her two-under par 71.