SKARPNORD SETS PACE IN WINDY MOROCCO

NEWS RELEASE FROM LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR

FROM BETHAN CUTLER, L E T Media Manager

Marianne Skarpnord made a perfect start at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Agadir, Morocco today as she carded a five under par 66 at a blustery Golf de l‘Océan.

The Norwegian, a joint runner-up at the same venue last year, fired a five under par 66 in breezy conditions to end the day a stroke clear of South African rookie Melissa Eaton.

Although the course was bathed in sunshine, a fierce breeze was blowing in from the Atlantic western coast, making conditions tougher than expected.

“It’s so windy today. Yesterday was so nice,” said Skarpnord, 27, who was amongst the early starters. “I feel the score was fairly good. I played well today and my putter was working until I reached the 15^th. I three putted there but besides that I played nicely.”

The two-time Ladies European Tour winner carded four birdies on the front nine and picked up two more shots at 11 and 13 before dropping her only shot of the day on the 15^th.

While she was tearing up the course at Golf de l’Océan, her boyfriend Richard Green carded a 75 in the Trophée Hassan II being played on the nearby Golf du Palais Royal. 

Meanwhile, Eaton was five under with three to play but bogeyed the par-3 16^th. She is riding a wave of confidence having collected her maiden title as a professional at Florida’s Natural Charity Classic on the Symetra Tour in the United States last week.

The 28-year-old, originally from Port Shepstone, said: “I just hit it really, really solidly today and hit a lot of greens which helped me because I had to make some pars and let the birdies happen. I made one bogey today so I’m happy about that in these conditions.

“On the one hole I miss hit a wedge shot and then I ended up holing a chip shot. On another hole I actually hit into the hazard with my ball in between some rocks and ended up on a nice fluffy piece of grass, so I got away with that one too. Overall it was just a really fun experience. It’s my first event out on the Ladies European Tour so I’m excited to be here and to play solid my first round.”

Next best on three under was young Briton Charley Hull, 17, who made a blistering start with four birdies in her first six holes. However she came back in one over after bogey on the 12^th.

Although Hull played a warm-up event on the LET Access Series in France last week, this is her first start on the LET since turning professional in December.

She said: “It feels good. I played in quite a few events as an amateur last year but I was a little bit nervous, but I just went out there and played. I said to my dad at the beginning of the round, I’d be happy with four under but three under is not bad because it was very windy out there.”

Impressive Thai rookie Ariya Jutanugarn, also 17, was a shot back in a group of four players on two under par alongside English trio Melissa Reid, Sophie Walker and rookie Holly Clyburn, another of the 38 rookies in the tournament.

Of that group, only Reid and Curtis Cup star Clyburn played in the afternoon, when winds dropped slightly, but Clyburn said it was a tricky, swirling breeze.

“I didn’t expect it to be this windy,” she said. “I was just expecting to enjoy it as this is my LET debut and I played really nicely. There are some big names out there so at the start of the day I would have taken two under in these conditions.

“I didn’t hole enough putts. I stuck it close but didn’t get it past the hole. I hit it well off the tee and my iron play was good. I missed a few greens but that didn’t matter. Tomorrow I’m off early so I might get the better of the greens. I’ll just go out there and enjoy it.”

A group of seven players is a shot further back on one under par, including Scottish amateur Kelsey MacDonald and American rookies Mallory Fraiche and Katie Burnett.

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 71

66 Marianne Skarpnord (NOR)

67 Melissa Eaton (RSA)

68 Charley Hull (ENG)

69 Ariya Jutanugarn (THA) , Melissa Reid (ENG) , Sophie Walker (ENG) , Holly Clyburn (ENG)

70 Lee-Anne Pace (ZAF) , Valentine Derrey (FRA) , Beth Allen (USA) , Kelsey MacDonald (SCO) (amateur) , Katie Burnett (USA) , Emma Cabrera-Bello (ESP) , Mallory Fraiche (USA)

71 Margherita Rigon (ITA) , Nikki Campbell (AUS) , Line Vedel (DNK) , Zuzana Kamasova (SVK) , Trish Johnson (ENG) , Laura Davies (ENG)

72 Jacqueline Hedwall (SWE) , Tara Davies (WAL) , Celine Palomar (FRA) , Anais Maggetti (CHE) , Megan Grehan (USA) , Stefanie Michl (AUT) , Veronica Zorzi (ITA) , Caroline Afonso (FRA) , Felicity Johnson (ENG) , Cheyenne Woods (USA) , Smriti Mehra (IND) , Jade Schaeffer (FRA) , Sarah Kemp (AUS) , Elizabeth Bennett (ENG) , Gwladys Nocera (FRA), Pamela Pretswell (SCO) , Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) , Karen Lunn (AUS) , Klara Spilkova (CZE)

73 Margarita Ramos (MEX) , Isabell Gabsa (GER) , Steffi Kirchmayr (GER) , Nina Holleder (GER) , Connie Chen (ZAF) , Patricia Sanz (ESP) , Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) , Georgina Simpson (ENG) , Julia Davidsson (SWE), Linda Wessberg (SWE), Maha Haddioui (MAR) , Mikaela Parmlid (SWE)

74 Melanie Maetzler (SWI) , Noora Tamminen (FIN) , Joanna Klatten (FRA) , Lydia Hall (WAL) , Jia Yun Li (CHN) , Jessica Karlsson (SWE) , Stacy Lee Bregman (ZAF) , Tania Elosegui (ESP) , Julie Otto (ENG) , Sara Wikstrom (SWE) , Mireia Prat (ESP) , Ann-Kathrin Lindner (GER) , Tanaporn Kongkiatkrai (THA) , Marjet Van Der Graaff (NLD) , Sophie Sandolo (ITA) , Malene Jorgensen (DNK) , Stefania Croce (ITA)

75 Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA) , Bree Arthur (AUS) , Marta Silva Zamora (ESP) , Elina Nummenpaa (FIN) , Hannah Burke (ENG) , Virginia Espejo (ESP) , Katy McNicoll (SCO) , Helena Callahan (SWE) , Daniela Holmqvist (SWE) , Xi Yu Lin (CHN) , Bonita Bredenhann (NAM)

76 Barbara Genuini (FRA) , Tandi Cuningham (ZAF) , Carly Booth (SCO) , Amelia Lewis (USA) , Isabella Ramsay (SWE) , Sahra Hassan (WAL) , Caroline Westrup (SWE) , Rebecca Hudson (ENG) , Yu Yang Zhang (CHN) , Paula Hurtado (COL)

77 Cecilie Lundgreen (NOR) , Vikki Laing (SCO) , Lucie Andre (FRA) , Julie Maisongrosse (FRA) , Rebecca Artis (AUS) , Becky Brewerton (WAL), Florentyna Parker (ENG) , Laurette Maritz (ZAF) , Kylie Walker (SCO), Melodie Bourdy (FRA), Maria Salinas (PER) , Fiona Puyo (FRA)

78 Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) , Holly Aitchison (ENG) , Cathryn Bristow (NZL) , Eva Bjarvall (SWE) , Maria Balikoeva (RUS) , Liebelei Lawrence (LUX) , Sharmila Nicollet (IND) , Morgana Robbertze (RSA)

79 Ana Larraneta (ESP) , Emily Taylor (ENG) , Stephanie Na (AUS) , Alison Whitaker (AUS) , Whitney Hillier (AUS) , Louise Larsson (SWE) , Alexandra Vilatte (FRA) , Laura Cabanillas (ESP) , Rochelle Morris (ENG)

80 Marion Ricordeau (FRA) , Camilla Lennarth (SWE)

82 Amy Boulden (WAL) (amateur)

83 Charlotte Ellis (ENG)

84 Kaisa Ruuttila (FIN) , Rebecca Sorensen (SWE) , Leigh Whittaker (GER)

86 Laura Jansone (LVA)

 

 

 

Bethan Cutler

Media Manager

Ladies European Tour

Mobile: +44 (0)7980056045

E: bcutler@ladieseuropeantour.com

www.ladieseuropeantour.com