SCOT LEADS LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR FIELD

KYLIE WALKER LEADS BY TWO AT

LADIES OPEN IN AMSTERDAM

LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR NEWS RELEASE
REPORT BY BETHAN CUTLER

Glasgow's Kylie Walker opened with a four-under par 69 at The International in Amsterdam on Friday to take a two stroke lead after the first round of the Deloitte Ladies Open.

Playing under clear blue skies in temperatures of 20C, the 27-year-old Carrick on Loch Lomond player took advantage of the near perfect scoring conditions to reel off six birdies and two bogeys in the late afternoon sunshine, breaking two clear of nine other players.

“I had great conditions to play in. The weather has been pretty perfect all day which has been great, especially compared to last year,” said the Mar Hall player. 

“I just played really solid, hit fairways and greens and the right parts of the greens. There were occasions where I hit the wrong part and was left with a horrific first putt, but I only did that once or twice and the rest of the time I was hitting the ball in decent spots and giving myself chances.”

“I hit it on in two on the par-5 third, on eight I was on in two and then on nine I hit it in quite close. 15: par-5, wedged it in close, 16, wedged it in close again. I was driving it well so I was giving myself good chances from the fairway. On 18 I was just off the green in two and two putted so I made my score on the par fives.”

Two behind Walker are fellow Scot Vikki Laing, Russian Maria Balikoeva, England’s Hannah Burke, Moroccan Maha Haddioui, Italian Diana Luna, Frenchwoman Jade Schaeffer, Ainil Bakar of Malaysia and Swedes Julia Davidsson and Anjelika Hammar.

Laing and Balikoeva are both in rich form having tied for fourth at the recent Turkish Airlines Ladies Open.

Balikoeva felt that playing conservatively was the key to her score. “You’ve got to be smart off the tees here; I hit lots of 3-woods and 5-woods off tees and didn’t get into trouble,” she said.

Laing added: “Eight birdies today was pleasing and I hit the ball solidly with my irons and made a few putts. I’m playing well so I’m just trying to keep knocking on the door.”

Schaeffer, a two-time Ladies European Tour champion, felt that her length off the tee was an advantage on the 6371-yard, or 5827-metre set-up.

She said: “I think it’s a good golf course but very tough. We have a lot of longer irons for the second shot. I have a lot of 5-irons, 6-irons and 4-irons sometimes and I think it’s a long course. We don’t play a lot of courses like this, but the greens are very nice, very difficult.”

Playing in her first competitive round on the Ladies European Tour and only two strokes off the lead, LET rookie Hammar was particularly impressed.

She said: “When I came here, I just loved the course. I think it’s so well done and the green keepers, I have never putted on these kind of greens, ever. They are so firm and smooth. The ball goes directly where you aim the putt and the fairways are marvellous. I have my coach here this week, Steven Simpson. We have been working a lot for the last two months on my mental game. I think that is the key to why I feel comfortable when I’m playing. When I make a birdie, I’m in balance, when I make a bogey, I’m in balance.”

Defending champion Holly Clyburn from England posted an even par 73 to end the day in a share of 26^th position only four shots off the pace, but Dutch star Christel Boeljon was further back in joint 83^rd place after a round of 77, four-over-par.

Amateur Anne Van Dam was the leading Dutch player on one-under-par in a share of 11^th place with 14 other players. The 18-year-old’s round was boosted by an eagle on the par-four 11^th hole, where she holed her second shot from a fairway bunker.

Collated Scores at the End of Round 1:

69  Kylie Walker (SCO)

71 Maria Balikoeva (RUS) , Hannah Burke (ENG) , Maha Haddioui (MAR) , Diana Luna (ITA) , Jade Schaeffer (FRA) , Julia Davidsson (SWE) , Anjelika Hammar (SWE) , Vikki Laing (SCO) , Ainil Bakar (MYS)

72 Nikki Campbell (AUS) , Becky Brewerton (WAL) , Sophie Gustafson (SWE) , Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) , Julie Greciet (FRA) , Nontaya Srisawang (THA) , Miriam Nagl (GER) , Klara Spilkova (CZE) , Beth Allen (USA) , Alison Whitaker (AUS) , Krista Bakker (FIN) , Melissa Reid (ENG) , Ariane Provot (FRA) , Anne Van Dam (NLD) , Mallory Fraiche (USA)

73 Margherita Rigon (ITA) , Sophie Walker (ENG) , Marion Ricordeau (FRA) , Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) , Valentine Derrey (FRA) , Holly Clyburn (ENG) , Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) , Carly Booth (SCO) , Liz Young (ENG) , Linda Wessberg (SWE)

74 Malene Jorgensen (DEN) , Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA) , Patricia Sanz Barrio (ESP) , Lydia Hall (WAL) , Pamela Feggans (SCO) , Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) , Isabelle Boineau (FRA) , Trish Johnson (ENG) , Nicole Garcia (RSA) , Gwladys Nocera (FRA) , Stephanie Na (AUS) , Amy Boulden (WAL) , Lauren Taylor (ENG) , Sally Watson (SCO) , Louise Larsson (SWE) , Maria Salinas (PER) , Charlotte Ellis (ENG)

75 Charlotte Thompson (ENG) , Laura Jansone (LVA) , Kim Williams (RSA) , Isabell Gabsa (GER) , Stefania Croce (ITA) , Veronica Zorzi (ITA) , Laurette Maritz (RSA) , Cathryn Bristow (NZL) , Ann-Kathrin Lindner (GER) , Caroline Martens (NOR), Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA) , Heather MacRae (SCO) , Sahra Hassan (WAL) , Alexandra Vilatte (FRA) , Florentyna Parker (ENG) , Kelsey Macdonald (SCO) , Camilla Lennarth (SWE)

76 Mireia Prat (ESP) , Karolin Lampert (GER) , Noora Tamminen (FIN) , Sophie Sandolo (ITA) , Leigh Whittaker (GER) , Dewi Weber (NLD) , Viva Schlasberg (SWE) , Caroline Afonso (FRA) , Minea Blomqvist (FIN) , Georgina Simpson (ENG) , Holly Aitchison (ENG) , Nina Holleder (GER) , Cassandra Kirkland (FRA)

77 Ana Larraneta (ESP) , Rebecca Sorensen (SWE) , Emily Taylor (ENG) , Sharmila Nicollet (IND) , Manon De Roey (BEL) , Hannah Ralph (ENG) , Eleanor Givens (ENG) , Victoria Lovelady (BRA) , Nina Muehl (AUT) , Christel Boeljon (NED) , Rebecca Hudson (ENG) , Mia Piccio (PHL)

78 Fabienne In-albon (SUI) , Henni Zuel (ENG) , Elisabeth Esterl (GER) , Mikaela Parmlid (SWE) , Carin Koch (SWE) , Nicole Broch Larsen (DEN) , Steffi Kirchmayr (GER) , Lucie Andre (FRA) , Lucy Williams (ENG) , Julie Tvede (DEN)

79 Elina Nummenpaa (FIN) , Pamela Pretswell (SCO) , Chrisje De Vries (NED)

80 Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ) , Chloe Leurquin (BEL) , Celine Herbin (FRA) , Mette Hageman (NLD)

81 Josephine Janson (SWE) , Whitney Hillier (AUS) , Melodie Bourdy (FRA)

82 Virginia Espejo (ESP) , Ileen Domela Nieuwenhuis (NLD) , Charlotte Puts (NLD) , Maggie Yuan (AUS) , Christine Wolf (AUT) , Bree Arthur (AUS)

83 Laurence Herman (BEL)

85 Anais Maggetti (SUI)

RTD - Stefania Avanzo (ITA), Adriana Brent (AUS), Rosie Davies (ENG)

DQ - Tania Elosegui (ESP)