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| Lucie André of France |
Australian Bree Arthur and Lucie André of France shared the lead on three under par 69 after the first round of the Allianz Ladies Slovak Open, played in hot and sunny weather on Friday.
Both players share similar resumés: they are in their second season on the Ladies European Tour, aged 24, with a career-best tie for 4th and looking for their first victories.
Arthur said that she ‘dinked it around’ Gray Bear Golf Course in Tale ski, golf and hotel resort near Brezno, at half her normal swing speed, as she was suffering from a mystery illness that left her feeling drained and dizzy.
“Last week I had to pull out. I was not well at all. I’ve been quite fatigued and had a massive headache for over a week and just can’t shake it,” said the Queenslander, who posted a career best tie for 4th two weeks ago in Germany. “I don’t know if it’s a bug going around or what but I feel really drained, very flat and no energy. I’m happy to finish today and even happier to be up there on top. We’ll see what the weekend brings.”
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| Australian Bree Arthur |
She had a rollercoaster of a front nine, mixing three bogeys with one birdie and an eagle at the fourth for a level par outward total of 36. She came back with three birdies on holes 10, 14 and 18.
“Considering how I was feeling before I teed off, I went out with no expectation and just really relaxed and it went very well. I’m not feeling great to be honest and I really don’t know how I did it so we’ll see how tomorrow goes,” Arthur said.
André posted the target early in the day and saw it stand up with only Arthur able to match it.
The 24-year-old from Bourg-en-Bresse, near Lyon, recorded five birdies in her first 12 holes, but double bogeyed the eighth, after a poor chip was followed by three putts.
“I played pretty good. It was solid. Every shot was pretty straight and I made a few putts, so it was good. I had one bad hole, so that’s alright,” said André, who posted a career best tie for 4th at last year’s Lacoste Ladies Open de France.
“The greens are difficult, I think and the course is not easy, so you have to play pretty good to have a good score.”
Seven players were tied for third place just one shot back, including Scotland’s Carly Booth, who claimed her maiden LET victory just over a month ago.
“I’m overall pretty happy but I left a couple of putts out there and a few shots I’m not happy with, but overall I was pretty pleased,” said Booth, who is suffering from a hip injury.
Joining Booth at two under par 70 were Swedish duo Carin Koch and Maria Ohlsson, Thailand’s Nontaya Srisawang, Italian Veronica Zorzi, Marjet Van Der Graaff from the Netherlands and Klara Spilkova of the Czech Republic.
The 17-year-old Spilkova has an element of home advantage as her regular caddie, Michal Engler, is a member of Gray Bear Golf Course and the pair are able to converse in each other’s native language.
“I’m pretty happy. I had four good birdies and two bogeys on the sixth and seventh. I’m pretty happy and really like this golf course. I think I will get the cut tomorrow so I will be very happy,” Spilkova said. “I played really bad the last two years so I think, make the cut and then win. It will be the best.”
Ten more players were another shot back at 71, two off the pace, including English amateur Lauren Taylor, who missed out on being selected for this week’s Curtis Cup.
Slovakian number one Zuzana Kamasova carded a three over 75 and found herself six back after the opening round.
“It was one of those rounds where it goes up and down, from driving to hitting greens, making putts so it was a mixture of everything,” she said. “I must say I’m glad I have it behind me. On the last hole I holed a 20 metre putt which made my day. It was a happy finish.
“I was happy people came out and cheered me on and cheered others on. I was very happy about the weather because we did hear thunder on the second hole but it stayed away and I’m hoping it’s going to stay this way.”
Allianz Ladies Slovak Open
Gray Bear Golf Course (par 72), Tale ski, golf and hotel resort
8-10 June, 2012
Scores at the end of round 1:
69 – Bree Arthur (AUS) , Lucie André (FRA)
70 – Carly Booth (SCO) , Maria Ohlsson (SWE) , Nontaya Srisawang (THA) , Carin Koch (SWE) , Klara Spilkova (CZE) , Veronica Zorzi (ITA) , Marjet Van Der Graaff (NLD)
71 – Line Vedel (DNK) , Barbara Genuini (FRA) , Rachel Bailey (AUS) , Jenni Kuosa (FIN) , Gwladys Nocera (FRA) , Jessica Yadloczky (USA) , Becky Brewerton (WAL) , Benedicte Toumpsin (BEL) , Lauren Taylor (ENG) , Nikki Garrett (AUS)
72 – Margherita Rigon (ITA) , Stephanie Na (AUS) , Esther Choe (USA) , Frances Bondad (AUS) , Pamela Feggans (SCO) , Kym Larratt (ENG) , Stacy Lee Bregman (ZAF)
73 – Stefanie Michl (AUT) , Tandi Cuningham (ZAF) , Monique Smit (ZAF) , Rebecca Artis (AUS) , Elisabeth Esterl (DEU) , Kylie Walker (SCO) , Caroline Westrup (SWE) , Danielle Montgomery (ENG) , Caroline Martens (NOR) , Rebecca Hudson (ENG) , Trish Johnson (ENG) , Emma Cabrera-bello (ESP) , Karolina Vlckova (CZE) , Sophie Sandolo (ITA) , Rachel Jennings (ENG) , Caroline Rominger (CHE) , Julie Greciet (FRA)
74 – Carmen Alonso (ESP) , Virginie Lagoutte-clement (FRA) , Helen Alfredsson (SWE) , Marion Ricordeau (FRA) , Viva Schlasberg (SWE) , Lee-Anne Pace (ZAF) , Matia Maffiuletti (ITA) , Stacey Keating (AUS) , Mikaela Parmlid (SWE) , Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) , Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA)
75 – Sahra Hassan (WAL) , Mireia Prat (ESP) , Zuzana Kamasova (SVK) , Vikki Laing (SCO) , Louise Larsson (SWE) , Kiran Matharu (ENG) , Yu Yang Zhang (CHN) , Alison Whitaker (AUS) , Caroline Afonso (FRA) , Lotta Wahlin (SWE) , Laurence Herman (BEL) , Eleanor Givens (ENG) , Connie Chen (ZAF) , Caroline Masson (DEU) , Vicky Tomko (BEL) , Holly Aitchison (ENG) , Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) , Dawn Shockley (USA)
76 – Erika Holmen (SWE) , Iliska Verwey (ZAF) , Stefania Croce (ITA) , Rebecca Codd (IRL)
77 – Lien Willems (BEL) , Kendall Dye (USA) , Alexandra Vilatte (FRA) , Martina Migliori (ITA) , Danielle Mcveigh (IRL) , Chrisje De Vries (NLD) , Hannah Burke (ENG)
78 – Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) , Marieke Nivard (NLD) , Mianne Bagger (DNK) , Maria Beautell (ESP) , Steffi Kirchmayr (DEU) , Cecilie Lundgreen (NOR) , Sophie Walker (ENG) , Liebelei Lawrence (LUX)
79 – Ashleigh Simon (ZAF) , Laurette Maritz (ZAF) , Laure Sibille (FRA) , Sandra Carlborg (SWE) , Sara Wikstrom (SWE) , Heather Macrae (SCO) , Charlotte Ellis (ENG), Daniela Prorokova (CZE)
80 – Celine Palomar (FRA) , Lauren Mielbrecht (USA) , Natalia Heckova (SVK) , Sharmila Nicollet (IND)
81 – Malene Jorgensen (DNK) , Gemma Webster (SCO) , Rachel Bell (ENG) , Smriti Mehra (IND) , Sara Djos (SWE) , Mary Mattson (USA)
82 – Dana Greenslade (ENG) , Carolina Cordieri (SVK)
83 – Julie Maisongrosse (FRA)
84 – Sara Ardstrom (SWE) , Lucy Davies (ENG)
87 – Joanne Clingan (ENG) , Lene Krog (NOR)
88 – Emma Klimentova (SVK)
90 – Kirsty Fisher (ENG)
RTD – Lisa Holm Sorensen (DNK)
RTD – Ana Larraneta (ESP)
RTD – Anna Scott (ENG)
DQ – Sabina Imboden (CH)
DQ – Vera Shimanskaya (RUS)
