Denmark’s Sofie Kibsgaard and Poland’s Dorota Zalewska share the lead on day one at the Dutch Ladies Open, after the pair opened with rounds of 68 (-4) at Goyer Golf & Country Club.
The leaderboard is tightly packed, with just two shots separating the top 15 players, setting the stage for an exciting weekend ahead.
Denmark’s Sofie Kibsgaard carded a bogey-free round for the first 18 holes at the new venue for 2025. The 26-year-old had a solid start, securing three birdies on the front nine, before adding another on the 17th.
“I think from the outside it looks easier than it is”, said Kibsgaard. “The course is tough, it’s challenging with the wind, and it’s really firm. I just hit the right shots at the right time.”
Despite a few missed greens, she kept her round steady.
“I made some crazy up-and-downs, but overall it was very solid. It’s a tricky layout, kind of like Hilversumsche [where the 2024 tournament was held] – tree-lined, windy, and firm.”
After some time at home for a few weeks since South Africa, Kibsgaard said she has focused hard on her long game and green reading.
“I’ve been doing a lot of work on my long game, my irons, drivers, a lot of green reading. It’s nice to see some of the work paying off.
“There’s still a lot of golf left for this tournament, so I’m just going to start a fresh tomorrow. I’ll just keep doing what I’ve been doing right now and be patient out there. I’m going to see Amsterdam tonight, take some time off and not think about golf.”
Poland’s Dorota Zalewska also impressed with a composed first round that featured an eagle on the 12th. She dropped her only shot of the day on the 18th, to finish four-under par.
“It was a really good day”, said the 25-year-old. “The eagle on the 12th hole was great – I hit two solid shots. I think I had around 100 yards, 17 metres in, but I was blocked by the trees on the left, so I needed to draw it in. I saw where it landed and was like ok, that was a good shot.
“I did my work before coming here and hopefully that can pay off leading into tomorrow too. It’s been a long process, but I’ve worked on my swing quite a lot. I’m trying to be more calm on the course amongst other things so everything is kind of falling into place. It’s given me a bit more confidence in my putting too.”
With the course being close to Amsterdam, Zalewska has been exploring the city too and is enjoying her time in the Netherlands.
It’s a tight leaderboard with five players in a share of third place. England’s Hannah Screen and Mimi Rhodes, New Zealand’s Amelia Garvey, Germany’s Laura Fuenfstueck, and Sweden’s Lisa Petterson, all fired rounds of three-under par for round one.
Screen had a bogey-free round for her scorecard. “It was pretty tough out there, so glad I could bounce back and avoid any bogeys on the card, which is very nice.
The 25-year-old is riding momentum from a recent win at the Rose Ladies Series last week. “It’s been great. I was struggling a little bit the week previously and in South Africa. I just got home, reassessed everything, changed a couple of things with the team back home, and then good to see it working with the win last week.”
Her new partnership with caddie Tom also got off to a promising start. “He’s been great. He’s learning my game more with every hole”, she continued.
Like lots of other players, Screen also has plans for a taste of local culture. “We’re going into Amsterdam this afternoon, which will be really fun. Everyone’s really friendly here. I think a stroopwafel is definitely on the cards. We’ve seen a couple of the other girls had them and they look so good.”
Also commenting on her first 18 holes, Garvey said: “It was a really good day. I just stayed patient. It’s a really tricky course, especially because of the wind. It’s kind of hard to judge how a course like this is going to play, so I’m just happy to be up on the leaderboard.”
Arriving straight from the Aramco Korea Championship, the rookie has been trying to get as much rest as possible, practicing the course only once before today. Garvey has her cousin Jamie on the bag and said they have been sticking to the game plan. “The course might play different the next couple of days but we navigated it pretty well today”, she continued.
The 24-year-old explored Amsterdam yesterday with some of the other players. “We went out yesterday in Amsterdam and got some waffles. It was awesome. It’s a beautiful city. One of my best friends from back home moved here a few years ago, so I wanted to see what the fuss was about. It definitely lived up to expectations,” she said.
Just one shot behind are eight players in a share of eighth place on two-under par after round one. Sweden’s Sofie Bringner, France’s Nastasia Nadaud, Ecuador’s Daniela Darquea, New Zealand’s Momoka Kobori, England’s Thalia Martin, Scotland’s Lorna Mcclymont, Ireland’s Lauren Walsh and Morocco’s Maha Haddioui.
Round two of the Dutch Ladies Open continues tomorrow, with the first two groups going out at 8am (local time).
After players finished their round, some took part in a LET’s Beat The Pro on hole 19, in front of a grandstand of 250 spectators. Just for rounds one and two, it took place on a specially constructed par 3 of 90 metres, complete with a grandstand for 250 spectators. Players competed against an amateur (approx. 90 metres): 1 Amateur vs. 3 Pros. Prizes included Solheim Cup tickets and Pin High travel vouchers.
Follow all the action throughout the tournament on our socials – @LETgolf on Instagram, TikTok and X, and Ladies European Tour on YouTube and Facebook –#DutchLadiesOpen.
