CASSANDRA FROM PARIS LEADS AAM LADIES SCOTTISH OPEN
REPORT FROM LET COMMUNICATIONS
Cassandra Kirkland of France shot a four-under-par 68 on Friday to take
a one stroke lead over three players after the first round of the
Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open.
The 28-year-old from Paris had four birdies in a morning-round on the
Fidra Course at Archerfield Links in Dirleton, East Lothian. She birdied
the first, 11th, 13th and 14th in sunny conditions, before the skies clouded over and winds picked up for the afternoon.
“I’m hitting really well so I’m very confident with my long game and I
made a couple of putts,” said Kirkland, who won her lone tour title at
the Sanya Ladies Open in China in October.
She has a strong record in Scotland, with a tie for 10th in 2012 and equal 14th
place in 2011. “This is my fourth time here and I’ve had two holes in
one on this golf course so every time I go on a par three it’s kind of
nice feeling,” she said.
“Today, I almost made it on 13, with my 8-iron. Conditions were okay
until number 12 and it started being very windy on hole 13, so the last
six holes were tough. On 17 I hit a 5-wood but it was short, I should
have hit a 3-wood, so the wind is really, really strong.”
Fellow Frenchwoman Anne-Lise Caudal, South African Lee-Anne Pace and
England’s Trish Johnson all played later, in a wind requiring three
clubs extra. At three-under 69, they must all fancy their chances. Pace,
the European Order of Merit leader, has two wins this year, in Turkey
and Spain. She eagled the second and recorded three additional birdies
in her round.
All three are links experts with excellent records in windy conditions.
Caudal is from the surfing paradise of Saint Jean-de-Luz, while Pace
grew up at windy Mossel Bay and Johnson learned her golf on the Devon
coastline at Westward Ho!
“It was pretty tough and quite windy, especially on the back nine. It
does affect the ball quite a bit but I got through that in one under and
a solid front nine,” said Pace, who tied for fifth in 2011. “That last
hole played a good 25 metres extra into the wind, but I finished birdie,
birdie. The last hole was a hybrid into the green and I hit it well so
was happy about that. On a course like this, you can’t go for it. You
just have to play one shot at a time and make your birdies where you
can.”
Caudal shares a coach with Pace in James Petts and said: “I’m very
happy because it was tough today and it’s a long time since I had a
score under par, because I’m struggling this year. I made some changes,
changed coach, changed many things in my swing, so I’m very happy. I’ve
played well in this tournament and I’m trying to be patient. I try to
keep my concentration.”
Johnson is another woman with strong results at the venue. She tied for
fourth in 2012, ninth in 2011 and was equal second in 2010, when she
needed to birdie the par-five to force a play-off, but took six to drop
one behind the eventual winner, Virginie Lagoutte-Clement. Once again,
she is playing with BBC football pundit Alan Hansen, and will be hoping
to make it third time lucky in the professional and Pro-Am element.
English rookie professional Emily Taylor, Klara Spilkova of the Czech
Republic and Scotland’s Heather MacRae, who won the Solvesborg Open in
Sweden on the LET Access Series in May, were all two strokes off the
lead on 70.
Dunblane's MacRae, pictured left, is playing on an invitation this year and this is her
only LET start, as she plans to play 13 events on LETAS, the LET
developmental tour, as well as making appearances on the Paul Lawrie Scottish Ladies Open Tour.
Meanwhile, Solheim Cup heroine Catriona Matthew from nearby North
Berwick was locked in a four-way share of eighth position on 71 with
Swede Camilla Lennarth and English pair Florentyna Parker and Hannah
Burke.
The 2011 champion, Matthew was an early afternoon starter and played in
windy, overcast conditions before the heavens briefly opened at the end
of her round. She had a two birdies and one bogey and said: “I thought I
played well because it was tough. It got very difficult after the wind
picked up after four or five holes; it was a three club wind. The back
nine was more exposed, so I’m quite pleased.”
Tee times switch for Saturday, before a cut to the leading 50 and ties heading into the final round.
Round 1 scores
(par 72)
68 Cassandra Kirkland (FRA)
69 Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) , Lee-Anne Pace (RSA) , Trish Johnson (ENG)
70 Emily Taylor (ENG) , Klara Spilkova (CZE) , Heather MacRae (SCO)
71 Florentyna Parker (ENG) , Camilla Lennarth (SWE) , Hannah Burke (ENG) , Catriona Matthew (SCO)
72 Sophie Giquel-Bettan (FRA) , Marjet Van Der Graaff (NED) , Nontaya
Srisawang (THA) , Ann-Kathrin Lindner (GER) , Veronica Zorzi (ITA) ,
Ashleigh Simon (RSA) , Rebecca Artis (AUS)
73 Stephanie Na (AUS), Carly Booth (SCO), Nikki Garrett (AUS), Beth Allen (USA), Liz Young (ENG) , Caroline Afonso (FRA) , Maha
Haddioui (MAR)
74 Henni Zuel (ENG) , Julie Greciet (FRA), Vikki Laing (SCO) ,
Rebecca Hudson (ENG), Stefania Croce (ITA), Lydia Hall (WAL) , Louise
Larsson (SWE) , Maria Hernandez (ESP) , Carin Koch (SWE) , Holly Clyburn
(ENG) , Minea Blomqvist (FIN) , Pamela Pretswell (SCO) , Sophie Walker
(ENG) , Hannah Jun (USA)
75 Kylie Walker (SCO) , Sahra Hassan (WAL) , Stacey Keating (AUS) ,
Diana Luna (ITA) , Mikaela Parmlid (SWE) , Line Vedel (DEN) , Gwladys
Nocera (FRA) , Margherita Rigon (ITA) , Jade Schaeffer (FRA)
76 Valentine Derrey (FRA) , Linda Wessberg (SWE)
77 Tara Davies (WAL) , Kelsey MacDonald (SCO) , Connie Chen (RSA) ,
Marion Ricordeau (FRA) , Danielle Montgomery (ENG) , Melissa Reid (ENG) ,
Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA)
78 Tania Elosegui (ESP) , Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) , Bree Arthur (AUS) , Rebecca Codd (IRL) , Lucie Andre (FRA)
79 Anais Maggetti (SUI) , Alison Whitaker (AUS)
80 Holly Aitchison (ENG) , Titiya Plucksataporn (THA)
81 Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) , Nikki Campbell (AUS)
83 Georgina Simpson (ENG)
84 Katy McNicoll (SCO)
Bethan Cutler
Media Manager
Ladies European Tour
Mobile: +44 (0)7980056045
Labels: LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
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