Four-time Solheim Cup player Caroline Masson, fired a consistent opening round of 72 (+1) to set one of the lowest scores of the early morning starters, just one-shot off the clubhouse lead set by Canada’s Alena Sharp.
The 31-year-old German has history at this event, finishing T5 in 2011 having led going into the final round as well as finishing T3 in 2017 at Kingsbarns. Using that experience, Masson produced two birdies and three bogeys, with the highlight coming on the 12th when she holed a lengthy putt from off the green.
“It was a funny day, I didn’t take advantage of all the chances that I gave myself but I got lucky a couple of times so think I am even for the day.”
“I really like the challenge of links golf, I like seeing different shots and using your imagination and you have to do all of that out there. I try to embrace it, have an open mind and stay patient. It is very easy to feel like it is too hard and you shouldn’t be playing but after a while you figure out that isn’t going to help you. I have learnt that over the years.”
The one-time LET winner was paired with Gemma Dryburgh and Slovenia’s Katja Pogacar, who found out that she was in the starting line-up late last night. Making the most of her opportunity, she posted an extremely respectable round of 75 (+4).
“I was already asleep and I got a call to my hotel room around midnight, which was a surprisingly pleasant wake up. I slept for about half an hour afterwards and went from planning how I was going to sit in the clubhouse all day to then being in my second major. It is all very exciting.”
As it stands, only two players on the course are under par with birdies hard to come by, especially on the front-nine.
Nelly Korda joined Masson in the clubhouse at one-over-par a few groups later, while 2018 champion Georgia Hall is not out of it, posting a round of 73 (+2).
Clubhouse leader Alena Sharp may have hit her opening tee-shot out-of-bounds but fought back valiantly with four birdies in the final eight holes to post a level-par round of 71.
“I have ancestry from here so I was so ecstatic to see that we were going to get to play Royal Troon. My grandmother was born in Greenock Mand and my uncle was born in Glasgow. I feel like they were watching over me today and giving me a little help out there.”
