KYLIE WALKER, SALLY WATSON BOTH SHOOT TWO-UNDER 70s

FROM THE AUSTRALIAN LADIES PRO GOLF WEBSITE

ALPG / Narelle Spangher   

KRISTIE SMITH MAKES FLYING START 

WITH A 65 TO NEW SOUTH WALES OPEN

Some words of wisdom from her father were one of the keys to Kristie Smith's blistering start at the Bing Lee Fujitsu General Women’s New South Wales Open in Sydney.
The West Australian, pictured above, fired a seven-under-par 65 to sit atop of the leaderboard after the opening round.
Smith holds a two-shot lead over France’s Alexandra Vilatte and Spaniard Mireia Prat. England’s Felicity Johnson and Hannah Burke, American Beth Allen, Australian amateur champion Minjee Lee, South Australian Stephanie Na and ACT’s Nikki Campbell are all at four-under-par and right in the mix.
A large group of 11 players share 10th position at thee-under-par including crowd favourite Laura Davies and NSW Rebecca Artis.
Smith’s round included eight birdies, four on the front, 3rd, 4th, 6th and 8th holes and then another four on the back nine at the 10th, 11th, 13th and 15th holes. The only blemish came on the par 4 17th when the score board may have gotten to her.
“It was really solid today, obviously had one bogey on the 17th which was unfortunate but I haven’t been in that position for a while, my mind was racing a little bit coming into the last few holes.” Said Smith afterwards
“I hit it really solid, made the opportunities and capitalised on the par 5’s when I did and putted really well.”
“I have been hitting it really well over the last couple of weeks in the pro-ams, I just haven’t had the putts drop for me. I spoke to dad yesterday and we talked about trying to stay patient with the putter and it worked, today they went in.”
Other notable scores were Victorians Stacey Keating and Lindsey Wright and France’s Gwladys Nocera, all signed for two-under-par 70.
The cut will be made to the top 60 professionals and ties at the conclusion of the second round.

SCOTSWATCH  - Kylie Walker, winner of last week's ALPG event, is lying joint 21st alongside fellow Scot Sally Watson on the two-under-par 70 mark.

Kylie birdied the ninth, 14th and 17th, dropping her only shot at the 10th. Sally was three under par with two holes to play after birdies at the first, sixth and 15th. A bogey at the 17th knocked her back to two under.

Vikki Laing had a double bogey 6 at the third on her way to a two-over 74. The Musselburgh layer was three over par after only three holes, having also bogeyed the first but she didn't throw in the towel, covering her last 15 holes in one under par.

Laing birdied the long sixth and short 12th and bogeyed the 10th.

Pamela Pretswell had one of her worst rounds - a six-over 78 - since she turned pro. The Hamilton player will start the second round sharing 97th place with a mountain to climb if she is to figure among the 60 qualifiers after 36 holes.

Pretswell birdied the first, long fourth and sixth but these high points were offset by nine bogeys, five of them in succession between the ninth and 13th in halves of 38-40. 

FIRST ROUND LEADERBOARD

Par 72. Players from Australia unless stated

65 Kristie Smith

67 Mireia Prat (Spain), Alexandra Vilatte (France)

68 Beth Allen (USA), Hannah Burke (England), Nikki Campbell, MinJee Lee (am)

SELECTED OTHER SCORES

69 Laura Davies (England) (T10)

70 Kylie Walker (Scotland), Sally Watson (Scotland) (T21)

71 Liz Young (England) (T35)

72 Becky Brewerton (Wales), Trish Johson (England) (T41)

74 Vikki Laing (Scotland) (T61)

75 Danielle Montgomery (England) (T69)

76 Chloe Goadby (Scotland) (am).

78 Pamela Pretswell (Scotland) (T97)