Ladies European Tour report and scores
Emily Pedersen sets pace with a 70 in Hero
Women's Indian Open
NEWS RELEASE FROM LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
From Bethan Cutler, LET Media Manager
GURGAON (India):
Denmark’s
19-year-old rookie professional Emily Pedersen, winner of the British women's open amateur title two season ago, showed the way at the
Hero Women’s Indian Open with an opening round of two-under-par 70 on
the brand new ‘Black Knight’ Course at DLF Golf and Country
Club in Gurgaon.
At
the end of a scorching day, the first year Ladies European Tour player
made a two-foot putt for birdie on the par-four ninth hole in near
darkness to take a one stroke lead over Thailand’s Sarapon Chamchoi and Italy’s Giulia Sergas.
“I’m very happy with finishing minus two. I had a rough start, starting with hitting one
in the bushes and made a four by making a chip,” said Pedersen, who started on the 10th and played the more difficult back nine in level par 36 before picking up shots on the sixth and ninth holes.
“It
started up and down, didn’t hit my irons well but my chipping and short
game was good. On my back nine (the front) I only missed one fairway
and had lots of birdie
chances. The back nine is very tough.
"You have to place every shot on
every hole and the greens are very tough as well. My putting and short
game was good and that’s what kept me in the game.”
Sergas,
a member of Europe’s victorious 2013 Solheim Cup team, managed to play
the testing back nine in one under par with birdies on 16 and 18 against
a dropped shot
on 14.
The 36-year-old from Trieste is enjoying her first visit to
India and said: “When I saw the course in the practice round I knew it
was going to be difficult so I started to play today and I was very
protective and took everything slow.
“It
wasn’t a tough day but it was a tough course. There was no wind so it
could have been even tougher. No wind, no rain and a perfect day.
“The
bounces around the green, I would call it sometimes unfair, because
they ping 30, 40 yards sometimes, but I had three birdies on numbers 16,
18 and two. The key
is the long game, but it really is putting too. Thank God it’s three
days, as you can get mentally exhausted.”
Chamchoi,
23, from Bangkok, was also delighted with her 71, which contained four
birdies and three bogeys. The third year Ladies Asian Golf
Tour member, who is coached by European Tour player Thongchai Jaidee,
tied for third place in the 2013 tournament at Delhi Golf Club.
In
joint fourth place are Minea Blomqvist of Finland and Germany’s Sophia
Popov, on level par 72. All of the top five players played on the
late side of the draw. The five players who shot 73 in the morning were
later joined in a tie for sixth by Denmark’s Nanna Koertstz Madsen and
England’s Liz Young in a share of sixth on one over par.
Madsen
is currently leading a close race for the Ladies European Tour’s Rookie
of the Year title by 18,910 euros over Pedersen, who has her
eyes on the prize.
“If I could finish top ten on the order of merit
and win rookie of the year, it’s very high odds and I have to play
really well, but that would be fantastic. I’m already very happy with my
position now and my rookie year and I’m just enjoying
the rest of the year,” Pedersen said.
Meanwhile amateur Aditi Ashok, winner of the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews this past summer, is the best placed of the Indian players in a share of 19th on three over par. One group did not finish
due to darkness and will resume their first round at 6.45am local time on Saturday.
Bethan Cutler
Media Manager
Ladies European Tour
Tel: +44 (0)1895 831 028
Mob: +44 (0)7980056045
Labels: LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
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