TEENAGERS SET PACE IN AUSSIE LADIES MASTERS

LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR NEWS RELEASE
By BETHAN CUTLER, LET Media Manager
Teenagers Su Oh (pictured in action today) and Eun Woo (Annie) Choi share the lead after the opening round of the RACV Ladies Masters on Queensland's Gold Coast in Australia.

The duo carded four-under-par rounds of 69 to hold a one-shot lead over a quartet of players, England’s duo of Holly Clyburn and Charley Hull, Norway’s Caroline Martens and the 2009 champion Katherine Kirk (Australia).  Six players are at two-under-par, including last year’s runner-up Camilla Lennarth, Aussie Rebecca Artis, England’s Florentyna Parker and Canadian Lorie Kane.
Australian Oh, who was out in the morning wave, got off to a sluggish start from the 10th tee and went out in one-over-par.
However, she went on a birdie blitz on her back nine, with four birdies in five holes.  She then finished off her round in style with an eagle on the par 5 ninth where she holed a 35ft eagle putt.
When asked about her round, Oh responded “You know, I got off to a really slow start, I was one over after 9 and then it all kind of unfolded at the end.  I’m happy with the finish.”
Oh is very familiar with the Ladies Masters and is comfortable and confident. “I think this is my fourth time to the Australian Masters and I’m feeling pretty good. I feel quite confident to be here and this is kind of where I want to belong."
The 19-year-old Choi from South Korea got it to six-under-par with two to play, but she  finished bogey-bogey to drop back into a share of the lead with Oh.
Right behind Oh is fellow compatriot Kirk, who played her first round with borrowed clubs and clothes. When it was proposed that, “You can play with any equipment you’re that good, and wear anything?” the Queenslander laughed and responded:
 “I don’t know about that, I think I just had a good day and got lucky I guess. I guessed a few clubs right and very unexpected but I’ll take it.”
The good news is that Kirk’s clubs have arrived and she was pleased when informed after her round.
“I have been told they’re here. So I’ll be getting the clubs out this afternoon and probably trying to hit a few with those, trying to get reacquainted with them and the feel. But I was fortunate, I went over to the Palm Meadows yesterday and Leigh and Peter Harrington have a fitting facility and Matt over there helped me out.”
South African Lee-Anne Pace, the highest ranked player this week at No. 29 on the Rolex World Golf Rankings, is at even par and tied for 22nd.  Also at even par is last week’s Oates Victorian Open winner Marianne Skarpnord.  
Dame Laura Davies is a further shot back and tied for 34th position, while Rachel Hetherington didn’t get off to the best start and is back in 76th place at four-over.
Vikki Laing, Michele Thomson and Pamela Pretswell were the joint best Scots on the day, each shooting a two-over-par 75.
Innerleithen-born teenage amateur Karis Davidson, who has lived with her parents in Queensland since they emigrated from Scotland eight years ago, had a 78, one better than  Heather MacRae (Gleneagles).

 
ALL THE FIRST-ROUND SCORES
Par 73
69 - Eun Woo Choi (SKOR) , Su-Hyun Oh (AUS)
70 - Katherine Kirk (AUS) , Caroline Martens (NOR) , Holly Clyburn (ENG) , Charley Hull (ENG)
71 - Florentyna Parker (ENG) , Lorie Kane (CAN) , Camilla Lennarth (SWE) , Hannah Green (AUS) , Rebecca Artis (AUS) , Pennapa Plusawath (THA)
72 - Esther So-jin Baik (SKOR) , Gwladys Nocera (FRA) , Eleanor Givens (ENG) , Melissa Reid (ENG) , Alison Whitaker (AUS) , Amy Boulden (WAL) , Whitney Hillier (AUS) , Jiwon Jeon (AUS) , Emma De Groot (AUS)
73 - Lee-Anne Pace (RSA) , Cheyenne Woods (USA) , Kristie Smith (AUS) , Pei-Yun Chien (TPE) , Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) , Da Eun Kim (SKOR) , Tiranan Yoopan (THA) , Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) , Laura Jansone (LVA) , Mireia Prat (ESP) , Felicity Johnson (ENG) , Sydney Cox (USA)
74 - Valentine Derrey (FRA) , Chloe Leurquin (BEL) , Su-Bin Jang (SKOR) , Michelle Koh (MYS) , Laura Davies (ENG) , Tonje Daffinrud (NOR) , Yu-Sang Hou (TPE) , Marta Sanz (ESP) , Rebecca Kay (AUS), Isabelle Boineau (FRA), Rebecca Codd (IRL) , Hannah Burke (ENG) , Adriana Brent (AUS) , Ssu-Chia Cheng (TPE)
75 - Hannah Collier (USA) , Lauren Hibbert (AUS) , Vikki Laing (SCO) , Christine Wolf (AUT), Connie Chen (RSA), Pamela Pretswell (Sco), Michele Thomson (SCO) , Kate Scarpetta (USA) , Bree Arthur (AUS) , Jenna Hunter (NZL) , Tamie Durdin (AUS) , Jessica Speechley (AUS) , Nicole Broch Larsen (DEN) , Nina Holleder (GER) , Grace Lennon (AUS)
76 - Danielle Montgomery (ENG) , Hsin Ning Yeh (TPE) , Georgina Simpson (ENG), Noora Tamminen (FIN), Victoria Lovelady (BRA) , Fabienne In-albon (SWI) , Marion Ricordeau (FRA) , Beth Allen (USA) , Anne Van Dam (NLD) , Hayley Bettencourt (AUS) , Ai-Chen Kuo (TPE) , Sophie Gustafson (SWE)
77 - Linda Henriksson (FIN) , Sophie Walker (ENG) , Yu-Ju Chen (TWN) , Mathilda Cappeliez (FRA) , Carly Booth (SCO) , Sally Watson (SCO) , Kylie Walker (SCO) , Jing Yan (CHN) , Sarah-Jane Boyd (ENG) , Nadine Smith (AUS) , Liv Cheng (NZL) , Ellen Davies-graham (AUS) , Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) , Cathryn Bristow (NZL) , Isabella Ramsay (SWE) , Stacey Keating (AUS) , Rachel Hetherington (AUS) , Yu Yang Zhang (CHN)
78 - Kristen Farmer (AUS) , Katy Jarochowicz (AUS) , Gennai Goodwin (AUS) , Nikki Garrett (AUS) , Nanna Madsen (DNK) , Elmay Viking (COK) , Daisy Nielsen (DEN) , Annabel Dimmock (ENG) , Alexandra Orchard (AUS) , Lina Boqvist (SWE) , Stacey Tate (NZL) , Karis Davidson (AUS) (am), Jordana Keaton (AUS) , Alex Stewart (USA)
79 - Julia Boland (AUS) , Patricia Sanz Barrio (ESP) , Heather MacRae (SCO) , Ann-Kathrin Lindner (GER), Jennifer Ray (AUS) , Ashleigh Blacksell (AUS) , Steffi Kirchmayr (GER) , Tamara Johns (AUS) , Amolkan Phalajivin (THA) , Lauren Blease (ENG) , Jemma Partridge (AUS)
80 - Samantha Troyanovich (USA) , Alexandra Vilatte (FRA) , Ashley Sholer (CAN) , Leigh Whittaker (GER) , Nancy Harvey (CAN)
81 - Michelle Bristow (AUS) , Joanne Mills (AUS) , Cherie Alison (AUS) , Katelyn Must (AUS)
82 - Jessica Dengate (AUS) , Ashley Ona (AUS)
84 - Breanna Gill (AUS) , Stephanie Na (AUS) , Elissa-Jayne Orr (AUS) , Carmen Railton (AUS)
85 - Sienna Lambert (AUS) , Rebecca Green (AUS)
DQ - Breanna Elliott (AUS)
RTD – Julie Greciet (FRA),  Jenny Kim (SKOR)