Three players are tied for the lead at the end of the first day of the 2024 Magical Kenya Ladies Open at Vipingo Ridge.
In the Ladies European Tour (LET) season-opener, Eleanor Givens, Cara Gorlei and Lauren Walsh all produced rounds of 69 (-4) on the Baobab Course to sit at the top of the leaderboard.
It was England’s Givens who set the clubhouse lead after teeing it up in the morning wave in Kenya.
The Englishwoman got off to an incredibly hot start with six birdies in her first eight holes, she dropped shots on holes five, 15 and 16, but made another birdie on 12 for her round of four-under.
“It’s the first event of the year, you don’t know what to expect! I had some decent practice at home, I’ve put a lot of time and made some improvements,” said Givens.
“I started birdie-birdie and thought here we go and then had six birdies in my first eight holes wasn’t what I was anticipating to happen. I’m really pleased with it, and I played well all the way around, but I just putted really well and kept it in flow.”
South Africa’s Gorlei, who secured her full LET status at Lalla Aicha Q-School in December, went bogey-free for her opening round.
The 27-year-old was in the afternoon wave and made her first birdie on the eighth and then added further birdies on 10, 11 and 13 to be in a share of the lead.
“It was a pretty good day,” said Gorlei. “I was solid and just stayed patient the whole day. I didn’t think much went right for me out there, but I just put myself in okay positions.
“I had a bogey-free round, no mess-ups really and could have come in with a few more birdies but it’s okay. I played in Nairobi in 2014 with Team South Africa where we did well, and it’s been a good week so far.”
Ireland’s Walsh, who is a rookie this year on the LET, was also in the afternoon wave and had no blemishes on her scorecard.
The 23-year-old had a steady first day in Kenya with birdies on the fourth, seventh, 11th and 18th holes to join Givens and Gorlei at the top of the leaderboard.
Walsh explained: “I played really nice, I was bogey-free and four-under. Everything was really solid today; I drove it really nicely. I hit some good irons as well and my putting was solid as well, I have a new putter in the bag this week to start off the season, so far so good. I really enjoyed it out there.
“I think you have to be quite accurate off the tee around here, which probably suits me, and I kept myself in position all day. I only missed one green and it was very solid. The one green I did miss, I made a really good up-and-down and I said to my caddie that’s probably the best up-and-down of the week.”
Three players are in a tie for second place with Northern Ireland’s Olivia Mehaffey, Italy’s Alessandra Fanali and Denmark’s Sofie Kibsgaard Nielsen all on three-under-par.
It was a good start to the season for Mehaffey who only had one dropped shot and rolled in four birdies for her round of 70 (-3).
“It was good,” said the Northern Irishwoman. “The off-season didn’t feel too long because I was at Q-School and then I’ve been in Arizona and put a lot of work in.
“I didn’t feel I had had a break because I’ve been playing a lot. It’s nice to shoot under-par round to start the year, I had some chances coming in and I didn’t make them but it’s a good round, it’s windy and this is a tough course. The scores are never too low and it’s a good test to start the year.”
Fanali had a more varied scorecard with an eagle, five birdies and four bogeys to sit at three-under-par in Kenya.
“I’m very proud of myself with how I played today and the last few holes because the wind got up and it was very hard,” said the Italian.
“I had a birdie chance on 18 and I missed it, but three-under for the start of the year is pretty good and it gives me more confidence for the next few rounds and tournaments as well. I’m pretty happy.”
While Kibsgaard Nielsen, who won the LET Access Series Order of Merit in 2023, had five birdies and two bogeys to her name.
The Dane said: “I played two LET tournaments last year and it made me calmer today. I just had to try to remind myself that it’s just another tournament and it’s just golf. I’m proud of myself as the first round of the year. I’m happy with it.”
Thailand’s Aunchisa Utama and India’s Diksha Dagar sit in a tie for seventh place on two-under-par.
There are seven players in a share of ninth place on one-under-par including two-time LET winner Alexandra Försterling.
The second round begins at 7.45 am (local time) and there will be a cut to the top-60 professionals and ties at the end of the day.
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