GALWAY GIRL ALISON WALSHE LEADS AUSSIE LADIES MASTERS

               Alison Walshe in action in Australia today.
                                    Picture by courtesy of Scott Powick SMP Images

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE LADIES' EUROPEAN TOUR

Queensland, Australia - Galway-born Irish-American Alison Walshe sits atop of the leaderboard after the opening round of the Volvik RACV Ladies Masters being played at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast.

On a sunny day Walshe, who was out in one of the last groups, surged to the top with a flawless round of six-under-par 66.  The 27-year-old holds a slender one shot advantage of fellow compatriot Jessica Korda, who was at the top of the leaderboard for the majority of the day after teeing off early. 

 

Australian Stacey Keating, Spain’s Belen Mozo, Thailand’s Nontaya Srisawang and American Dori Carter are at four-under-par, while South Korean Chella Choi, Sweden’s Daniela Holmqvist and rookie Ariya Jutanugarn from Thailand share seventh position a further shot back.

 

A group of 12 players sit at two-under par and are right in the mix, including seven-time Masters champion Karrie Webb, the French pair of Gwladys Nocera and Joanna Klatten and Australians Bree Arthur, Kristie Smith, Nikki Campbell and amateur Minjee Lee.

 

Walshe started her round on the 10^th tee parred her first five holes before rattling off four straight birdies to go out in 32.  The 27-year-old then birdied the 3^rd and 8^th holes to post an inward 34. 

 

The 27-year-old was asked if she thought this kind of round was coming, “Yeah, I put a lot of work into my off season and what not and its the first round of the year, and I don’t know, I felt really confident, I've been hitting about with my coach, and I had a pretty positive and confident mind set coming into today and now to play the way I did just kind of solidified that and puts me in a good spot.”

 

She nominated her putting as her strongest part of her game today. “I have been putting a lot of work into that. It was pretty slow, so I just had to really give it a firm hit or what not, I made a lot of good putts, so I was happy with that.”

 

Korda, the defending ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open champion, also posted a bogey free round.

 

The young ^Irish-born  American was very pleased with her start “It’s nice to have the first round of the season under my belt and for it to be a good one, but still a lot of rust to shake off.”

 

Keating, who was paired with one of her idols Karrie Webb, was nervous as she expected to be on the opening hole but handled it well. After her round she commented,

 

“More nerves than I’ve ever felt I think, definitely.   I was very nervous but I was very excited, so I was happy to get the first one airborne and I was away.  I’m very fortunate that I’ve been able to get to know Karrie quite well.  I’ve played a lot of rounds with her actually but never actually a competition round.  I think it was a little bit different but I just enjoyed her company out there. “

 

The two-time LET winner was happy with her opening round of 68 since she was struggling with her driver.

 

Mozo was battling with illness during her round, said it actually helped her focus more and was very happy with her score. 

 

Defending champion Christel Boeljon opened with a one-over-par 73 to be tied for 47^th position. Other notables in the field include Rolex World No. 7 So Yeon Ryu and South Korean Jiyai Shin, both shot 71, while three time winner of the event, England’s Laura Davies posted a 76. Cheyenne Woods carded a 74.

 

The cut will be made to the top 50 professionals and ties after the second round.

  FIRST-ROUND SCOREBOARD
  Par 70

66 - Alison Walshe (USA)

67 - Jessica Korda (USA)

68 - Nontaya Srisawang (THA) , Dori Carter (USA) , Belen Mozo (ESP) , Stacey Keating (AUS)

69 - Daniela Holmqvist (SWE) , Ariya Jutanugarn (THA) , Chella Choi (KOR)

70 - Pernilla Lindberg (SWE) , Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) , Gwladys Nocera (FRA) , Nikki Campbell (AUS) , Karrie Webb (AUS) , Caroline Bon (NZ) , Kristie Smith (AUS) , Maria Hernandez (ESP) , Su-Hyun Oh (AUS) , Bree Arthur (AUS) , Joanna Klatten (FRA) , Linda Wessberg (SWE)

71 - So Yeon Ryu (KOR) , Jiyai Shin (KOR) , Min Jee Lee (AUS) , Carly Booth (SCO) , Sarah Kemp (AUS) , Amelia Lewis (USA) , Frances Bondad (AUS) , Jee Young Lee (KOR) , Beth Allen (USA) , Mi Hyang Lee (KOR) , Diana Luna (ITA) , Pornanong Phatlum (THA) , Vicky Thomas (AUS)

72 - Jennifer Gleason (USA) , Dawn Shockley (USA) , Hannah Burke (ENG) , Annie Choi (KOR) , Antonella Cvitan (SWE) , Karen Lunn (AUS) , Marion Ricordeau (FRA) , Sarah-Jane Smith (AUS) , Lacey Agnew (USA) , Alexandra Vilatte (FRA) , Sara Maude Juneau (CAN) , Caroline Hedwall (SWE)

73 - Lee-Anne Pace (ZAF) , Jacqueline Hedwall (SWE) , Christel Boeljon (NLD) , Aimee Neff (USA) , Inhong Lim (KOR) , Rebecca Lee-bentham (CAN) , Tania Elosegui (ESP) , Jessica Speechley (AUS) , Felicity Johnson (ENG) , Stephanie Na (AUS) , Giulia Sergas (ITA) , Tamara Johns (AUS)

74 - Il Hee Lee (KOR) , Rachel Bailey (AUS) , Valentine Derrey (FRA) , Rebecca Artis (AUS) , Jody Fleming (AUS) , Ryann O Toole (USA) , Corie Hou (AUS) , Holly Aitchison (ENG) , Giulia Molinaro (ITA) , Anais Maggetti (CHE) , Samantha Whittle (AUS) , Jade Schaeffer (FRA) , Katherine Hull-kirk (AUS) , Sophie Gustafson (SWE) , Xi Yu Lin (CHN) , Cathryn Bristow (NZL) , Cheyenne Woods (USA) , Mallory Fraiche (USA) , Caroline Masson (DEU) , Becky Brewerton (WAL) , Alison Whitaker (AUS) , Cecilie Lundgreen (NOR) , Joanne Mills (AUS) , Elizabeth Bennett (ENG)

75 - Ashlee Dewhurst (AUS) , Geraldine Brown (AUS) , Carlota Ciganda (ESP) , Connie Chen (ZAF) , Jessica Noh (AUS) , Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA) , Veronica Felibert (VEN) , Julia Boland (AUS) , Elena Robles (USA) , Pamela Pretswell (SCO) , Becky Morgan (WAL) , Courtney Massey (AUS) , Tamie Durdin (AUS) , Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) , Daniela Iacobelli (USA)

76 - Nicole Smith (USA) , Lorie Kane (CAN) , Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) , Kate Little (AUS) , Kylie Walker (SCO) , Sophie Walker (ENG) , Jennie Lee (USA) , Elisa Serramia Neundorf (ESP) , Laura Davies (ENG) , Jean Chua (MYS) , Whitney Hillier (AUS) , Charlotte Ellis (ENG) , Laurette Maritz (ZAF) , Nancy Harvey (CAN) , Esther Choe (USA)

77 - Nikki Garrett (AUS) , Emma De Groot (AUS) , Ginny Brown (USA) , Heather Bowie Young (USA) , So Hyun Bae (KOR) , Lynnette Brooky (NZL) , Danielle Montgomery (ENG)

78 - Lydia Hall (WAL) , Camilla Lennarth (SWE) , Hyun Myung Kim (KOR) , Seon Woo Bae (KOR) , Katelyn Must (AUS) , Sahra Hassan (WAL) , Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) , Jana Welsford (AUS) , Phyllis Meti (NZL) , Emily Taylor (ENG)

79 - Lee Park (AUS) , Sarah King (AUS) , Verity Turner (AUS) , Christina Kim (USA)

80 - Mianne Bagger (DNK)

82 - Rebecca Green (AUS) , Rebecca Kay (AUS) , Hee Won Na (KOR)