AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S OPEN

                     Suzann Pettersen in action today.

SUZANN PETTERSEN CLICKETY-CLICKS 

IN A  HOT START  AT MELBOURNE

NEWS RELEASE
World No. 2 Norwegian Suzann Pettersen posted a six-under-par 66 to take a one-stroke lead at the end of the first round at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open at Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne today.
Pettersen made the most of the excellent morning conditions, shooting nine birdies and three bogeys on the way to the lead over a group of four players tied in second place.
“I felt like I played good and gave myself a lot of good chances, putted, for the most part, well.  It was a little bit of a mixture but 66 opening round, I'm very, very happy,” Pettersen said.
The 32 year-old will take over the World Number 1 position if she finishes in second place or higher this week.
“I really just want to see how good I can be.  I know I'm good.  If I play like I did today and trust my swing and trust what I'm working on, I just want to see how far I can get and I don't really measure myself up against other players, they're just my competitors,” Pettersen said.Jessica Korda and Jaclyn Sweeney, South Korean Hee Young Park and France’s Marion Ricordeau all posted five-under par 67s to be tied in second place.
A log-jam of players are tied in sixth place at 4-under par, including American Paula Creamer, Kiwi Lydia Ko and Spain’s Azahara Munoz.
Ko said she was pleased with her start.“It was a really good round.  I made a couple of silly mistakes like making a bogey on 8, which was a par 5. 
"Most of the time you make a birdie, then a bogey, so I was a little upset about that but then I kind of finished it well with another birdie,” she said.
Sarah-Jane Smith and amateur Minjee Lee are the leading Australians at 4-under par.

Australia’s Karrie Webb finished at 1-under par 71.

SCOTSWATCH: Carly Booth who has been out of sorts as regards golf form Down Under this year came back to something nearer her best with a 71 but so high is the standard of play that even a one-under-par round left her only joint 42nd.
The Comrie player had an eagle 3 at the long eighth and birdies at the first, second, long ninth, 13th and long 17th in halves of 34 (two under) and 37 (one over).
She double-bogeyed the par-4 sixth and also dropped shots at the seventh, 12th, 14th and 16th.
So Carly is still making too many unforced errors to be a title contender again.

World ranked former British Open champion Catriona Matthew from North Berwick could not manage anything better than a 74 which leaves her in joint 100th position and needing to improve to survive the halfway cut which is forecast to be level par 144.
Uncharacteristically, Matthew had not one but two double bogey 6s - at the third and 13th in halves of 39 (three over) and 35 (one under). She birdied the long ninth, the 12th, short 14th and 15th.
Bogeys at the fifth and sixth had her four over par on the seventh tee so she was two under par for the rest of the round.
There are only two Scots in the quality field. 

FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 72

66 Suzann Pettersen (NOR)

67 Hee Young Park (SKOR), Jessica Korda (USA), Jaclyn Sweeney (USA) , Marion Ricordeau (FRA)

68 Sydnee Michaels (USA) , Sarah-Jane Smith (AUS) , Paula Creamer (USA) , Caroline Hedwall (SWE) , Giulia Sergas (ITA) , Carlota Ciganda (ESP) , Lydia Ko (NZL) , Azahara Munoz (ESP) , Holly Clyburn (ENG) , Minjee Lee (AUS)

69 Alison Walshe (USA) , Mindy Kim (SKOR) , Valentine Derrey (FRA) , Katie Burnett (USA) , Tiffany Joh (USA) , Hannah Jun (USA) , Morgan Pressel (USA) , Karine Icher (FRA) , Nikki Campbell (AUS)

70 Perrine Delacour (FRA) , Lexi Thompson (USA) , Diana Luna (ITA) , Dori Carter (USA) , Julieta Granada (PAR) , Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) , Julia Boland (AUS) , Min-Sun Kim (SKOR) , Becky Morgan (WAL) , Trish Johnson (ENG) , Kelly Tan (MYS) , Chella Choi (SKOR) , Ayako Uehara (JPN) , Eun Hee Ji (SKOR) , Dewi Claire Schreefel (NED) , Brooke Pancake (USA) , Haru Nomura (JPN)

71 Karrie Webb (AUS) , Stacy Lewis (USA) , Jessica Speechley (AUS) , Amelia Lewis (USA) , Jing Yan (CHN) , Sarah Kemp (AUS) , Brittany Lincicome (USA) , Alison Whitaker (AUS) , Pernilla Lindberg (SWE) , Carly Booth (SCO) , Maria Hjorth (SWE) , Ryann O Toole (USA) , Lorie Kane (CAN) , Marina Alex (USA) , Paolo Moreno (COL) , Breanna Elliott (AUS) , Candie Kung (TPE) , Yani Tseng (TPE)

72 Jennifer Kirby (CAN) , Stacey Keating (AUS) , Jennifer Song (USA) , Hannah Burke (ENG) , Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA) , Maria Hernandez (ESP) , Anna Nordqvist (SWE) , Mi Hyang Lee (SKOR) , Austin Ernst (USA) , Lee-Anne Pace (RSA) , Joanna Klatten (FRA) , Christel Boeljon (NED) , Beatriz Recari (ESP) , Sandra Changkija (USA) , Amy Anderson (USA) , Sue Kim (CAN) , Erica Popson (USA), Caroline Masson (GER) , Emma De Groot (AUS), Ashlee Dewhurst (AUS) , Paz Echeverria (CHL)

73 Lisa Mccloskey (USA) , Ashleigh Simon (RSA) , Caroline Bon (NZL) , Katherine Kirk (AUS) , Laura Davies (ENG) , Rebecca Lee-Bentham (CAN), Kris Tamulis (USA), Ji Young Oh (SKOR) , Mina Harigae (USA) , Pornanong Phatlum (THA) , Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA), Rebecca Artis (AUS) , Tamara Johns (AUS), Line Vedel (DEN), Megan Grehan (USA) , Kristie Smith (AUS) , Tamie Durdin (AUS) , Sandra Gal (GER) , Lindsey Wright (AUS)

74 Kristy Mcpherson (USA), Alena Sharp (CAN) , Su-Hyun Oh (AUS) , Christine Song (USA) , Giulia Molinaro (ITA) , Mi Jung Hur (SKOR) , Danielle Montgomery (ENG) , Cathryn Bristow (NZL) , Catriona Matthew (SCO) , Jenny Shin (SKOR) , Charley Hull (ENG) , Victoria Elizabeth (USA) , Cheyenne Woods (USA) , Yu Yang Zhang (CHN) , Mirim Lee (KOR) , Heather Bowie Young (USA) , Vicky Thomas (AUS)

75 Gerina Piller (USA) , Anya Alvarez (USA) , Xi Yu Lin (CHN) , Ann-Kathrin Lindner (GER) , Whitney Hillier (AUS) , Gwladys Nocera (FRA) , Jaye Marie Green (USA) , Kathlyn Ekey (USA) , Belen Mozo (ESP)

76 - Ariya Jutanugarn (THA) , Becky Brewerton (WAL) , Irene Cho (USA) , Corie Hou (AUS) , Beth Allen (USA) , Karen Pearce (AUS) , Moira Dunn (USA) , Katie Futcher (USA)

77 - Cydney Clanton (USA) , Ashley Ona (AUS) , Jane Park (USA) , Vicky Hurst (USA) , Konomi Matsumoto (JPN)

78 Mo Martin (USA) , Thidapa Suwannapura (THA) , Courtney Massey (AUS) , Stephanie Na (AUS) , Nikki Garrett (AUS)

79 Sarah King (AUS) , Patcharajutar Kongkraphan (THA) , Moriya Jutanugarn (THA) , Maude-Aimee Leblanc (CAN)

80 Mariajo Uribe (COL) , Cindy Lacrosse (USA) , Melissa Reid (ENG) , Bree Arthur (AUS) , Sophie Gustafson (SWE)

82 Kim Welch (USA) , Jacqui Concolino (USA) , Paula Reto (RSA)

83 Pat Hurst (USA)

Interviews

Check out the scores in the first round of the Australian Women's Open.
Carly Booth has had a 71; Catriona Matthew a 74

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