IT'S FRENCH MOROCCO AS SCHAEFFER, MAISONGROSSE LEAD

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
By BETHAN CUTLER, LET Media Manager
French duo Jade Schaeffer and Julie Maisongrosse fired matching rounds of four-under 67 to grab the first round lead at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco today.
The pair ended the day a stroke ahead of three other players after a hot and breezy day at Golf de l’Ocean in Agadir on Morocco's Atlantic coastline. England’s Sophie Walker, Swede Linda Wessberg and Rebecca Codd of Ireland shared third place on three-under, while there was a decidedly French feel to the leader board with five of the top 11 players coming from France. Frenchwomen Caroline Afonso, Virginie Lagoutte-Clement and Sophie Giquel-Bettan were a stroke further back in a tie for sixth place with Marjet Van Der Graaff of the Netherlands and Swedes Carin Koch and Erika Holmen, all on two under par.
Maisongrosse was the early clubhouse leader, having set out in a hot easterly breeze. The French 24-year-old made a strong start with birdies on the first, second, fourth and seventh holes to reach the turn in four under 32 and had another birdie on the par five 11th.
She dropped a shot at the long par-three 12th and found the water on 17, but steadied the card with a birdie on the par-four 18th. The third year LET player won the Dinard Ladies Open on the LET Access Series last season and has continued her rich vein of form on that tour with a fourth place finish at last week’s Terre Blanche Ladies Open.
She felt that the wind had an effect on her scoring. “The back nine are very hard with the wind behind and the second shot too and the putting. With the wind it’s very difficult and a lot of fairways are very sloped. On the front nine you don’t feel the wind and the back nine you feel it. The par fours are very long.”
Meanwhile Schaeffer played later in the day after the wind had changed direction and the temperature had risen to 34 degrees Celsius. The two-time Ladies European Tour winner, who most recently captured the 2011 Prague Golf Masters, felt that she had the advantage.
“The wind changed in the middle of my round. It was okay because it’s not a strong wind and sometimes the drives were difficult, but the rest was okay because I don’t have too many long shots, just on the par threes,” she said. The 25-year-old from Paris said it could have been even better had she taken her chances on the last two holes:
“I played very well today and very good up and downs. My putting is incredible and it’s unbelievable to have good putting because I have had so many problems with my putting for a long time and I try to have a good feeling.” Zuzana Kamasova, the 2011 event champion, opened with a five-over 76 to sit nine shots off the pace, while the only Moroccan player in the field, Maha Haddioui from Agadir, was two shots behind. She signed for a 78 having dropped seven shots in her last five holes.
Marion Ricordeau of France was another player who slipped back. She was tied for the lead on four under after 15 holes but dropped four shots over the last three on account of a migraine.
The second round commences at 8am local time on Friday and stronger winds are expected.
Co-leader Schaeffer will tee off at the 10th at 8.50am, while Maisongrosse will start from the same tee almost four hours later at 12.40pm.
FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Golf de l'Ocean Course, Agadir, West Morocco
Par 71
67 Julie Maisongrosse (FRA), Jade Schaeffer (FRA)
68 Linda Wessberg (SWE), Rebecca Codd (IRL), Sophie Walker (ENG)
69 Marjet Van Der Graaff (NLD), Erika Holmen (SWE), Carin Koch (SWE), Caroline Afonso (FRA), Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (FRA), Sophie Giquel-Bettan (FRA)
70 Caroline Martens (NOR), Eleanor Givens (ENG), Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) , Stacey Keating (AUS) , Tania Elosegui (ESP) , Carlota Ciganda (ESP) , Barbara Genuini (FRA) , Elena Giraud (FRA) , Stefania Croce (ITA) , Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) , Holly Aitchison (ENG)
71 Joanna Klatten (FRA) , Rebecca Hudson (ENG) , Caroline Rominger (CHE) , Marion Ricordeau (FRA) , Laura Cabanillas (ESP) , Malene Jorgensen (DNK) , Lisa Holm Sorensen (DNK) , Lucy Williams (ENG) , Tandi Cuningham (ZAF) , Henrietta Zuel (ENG) , Hannah Burke (ENG) , Connie Chen (ZAF) , Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) , Anja Monke (GER) , Stefanie Michl (AUT)
72 Sara Brown (USA) , Mary Mattson (USA) , Line Vedel (DNK) , Bree Arthur (AUS) , Karen Lunn (AUS) , Carmen Alonso (ESP) , Esther Choe (USA) , Matia Maffiuletti (ITA) , Rebecca Flood (AUS) , Caroline Westrup (SWE) , Georgina Simpson (ENG) , Stacy Lee Bregman (ZAF) , Gemma Webster (SCO) , Becky Brewerton (WAL) , Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) , Stephanie Kirchmayr (GER) , Valentine Derrey (FRA) , Alison Whitaker (AUS) , Lynn Kenny (
73 Trish Johnson (ENG) , Mireia Prat (ESP) , Cecilie Lundgreen (NOR) , Melodie Bourdy (FRA) , Lucie Andre (FRA) , Miriam Nagl (GER) , Morgana Robbertze (ZAF) , Veronica Zorzi (ITA) , Monica Christiansen (DNK) , Anais Maggetti (CHE) , Julie Greciet (FRA)
74 Charlie Douglass (ENG) , Louise Larsson (SWE) , Charlotte Ellis (ENG) , Florentyna Parker (ENG) , Carly Booth (SCO) , Margherita Rigon (ITA) , Kylie Walker (SCO) , Kaisa Ruuttila (FIN) , Kym Larratt (ENG) , Rachel Bailey (AUS) , Mikaela Parmlid (SWE) , Vikki Laing (SCO) , Marieke Nivard (NLD)
75 Alexandra Vilatte (FRA) , Sharmila Nicollet (IND) , Stephanie Na (AUS) , Alessandra Averna (ITA) , Laure Sibille (FRA) , Chrisje De Vries (NLD) , Elin Emanuelsson (SWE) , Clare Queen (SCO) , Manon Molle (FRA) , Sophie Sandolo (ITA) , Tara Davies (WAL)
76 Rachel Jennings (ENG) , Elizabeth Bennett (ENG) , Jessica Yadloczky (USA) , Zuzana Kamasova (SVK) , Ana Larraneta (ESP) , Viva Schlasberg (SWE) , Lene Krog (NOR) , Felicity Johnson (ENG)
77 Monique Smit (ZAF) , Sofia Harkonen (FIN) , Benedicte Toumpsin (BEL) , Laurette Maritz (ZAF)
78 Kiran Matharu (ENG), Celine Palomar (FRA) , Maha Haddioui (MOR)
79 Adriana Zwanck (ESP) , Ashley Knoll (USA) , Sarah Jones (WAL) , Maria Beautell (ESP) , Sara Djos (SWE) , Liebelei Lawrence (LUX)
80 Kirsty Fisher (ENG), Lien Willems (BEL), Lucy Davies (ENG)
82 Anna Rossi (ITA), Jacqueline Dittrich (GER), Ludivine Kreutz (FRA), Patricia Beliard (FRA)
84 Joanne Clingan (ENG)
85 Juan Ru Yin (CHN)
93 Sandra Carlborg (SWE)
RTD: Nicole Gergely (AUT)