A windy opening day at the Hulencourt Women’s Open ends with four players tied at the top after India’s Diksha Dagar, South Africa’s Nadia van der Westhuizen, Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux and England’s Bronte Law all carded rounds of 68 (-4) in Belgium.
Teeing up in the morning wave, Dagar’s fine form continued as the Indian went bogey-free firing birdies at the 1st, 6th, 10th and 14th to set the early pace at Hulencourt Golf Club.
“It was a very steady day of golf,” the 25-year-old said. “It was really tough conditions, but still we continued and stay composed. I’m very happy that I went bogey-free. It was tough to read the greens so I focused on the speed. The greens are also much faster than last week.”
Dagar is in excellent form at the moment arriving in Belgium off the back of four top-20 finishes in a row dating back to the Lalla Meryem Cup. Two weeks ago, the Indian missed out on getting into a playoff by one shot at the Dutch Ladies Open finishing the week T3. She currently sits 11th on the LET Order of Merit thanks to the hot run of results.
“It doesn’t matter what the conditions are like, I know I can still play the same and the form is there,” Dagar said. “I think I’m very intuitive and go with my gut feeling a lot. I’m feeling very confident at the moment.”
After a breezy morning in Belgium, conditions would improve in the afternoon allowing several players to enter the mix and match Dagar’s early target. Teeing up in only her fourth sole LET event (the South African has competed in several co-sanctioned tournaments on her native Sunshine Ladies Tour), van der Westhuizen was first to sign as she fired five birdies and dropped just one shot which came at the par-4 16th.
“It was a very, very solid round,” the 24-year-old said. “This is my first year on tour and I’ve actually been playing very well the last two weeks, I’m just still learning a lot. Everything is starting to come together which is nice to see. It’s a big learning process coming from the Sunshine Ladies Tour. It’s good to be out of my comfort zone and I’m very excited to be here.”
Two-time LET winner Metraux would match the target soon after as the Olympian also carded five birdies and one bogey in Belgium. Metraux has been competing on the LPGA Tour ver the past few weeks where she recorded one top-10 alongside Perrine Delacour at the Dow Championship.
“I’m very pleased,” Metraux said. “The weather was pretty brutal the first nine holes. I had to keep it on the fairway which is key on this golf course. I missed a few birdie putts on the front-nine but on the back-nine more of them dropped. Bit of a weird day with the weather, for sure.
“I started with a new coach, Grant Waite, in November. He’s been really great. He’s been very involved in my development which has been great. The off-season was intense but it’s now good to see the results developing. I’m definitely trending and enjoying seeing the ball going where I want it to go now.”
Last but not least on Thursday, Law, a three-time LET winner, fired a 68 (-4) in only her third round of the season on the circuit to share the 18-hole lead in Belgium. The Englishwoman became a mum earlier this year when her partner gave birth to son Hugo. Both were in attendance at Hulencourt Golf Club watching from the sidelines – something which is giving Law a new perspective where it comes to approaching the game.
“They walked all 18 holes today which is a good effort when you’re only seven months old!” the 31-year-old said. “My wife did a good job keeping Hugo entertained on the course. It’s only my fourth event this year [including the U.S. Women’s Open Qualifier and U.S. Women’s Open]. It’s very different preparation for me and how I used to do things. But it’s super enjoyable and I’m really enjoying being a mum. Perspective is huge and I’ve realised golf isn’t the only important thing in my life anymore. It gives you a lightness about golf because you’re playing for other people. It’s so special that they’re able to come and watch.”
One back from the quartet in a tie for fifth on three-under sit Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab, winner of the 2023 LET Order of Merit, and Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom, now in her 23rd season on tour.
Teeing up in the morning wave, and closing with a wonderful birdie at the 18th, Cheenglab said: “This course, if you miss the fairway you have very long rough. You need to avoid it. My driver wasn’t too good and I pulled some irons but my putter today was super good. The speed of the greens and line and was good to me today. The greens are smooth and they’re rolling very well.“
Elsewhere in the morning, Australia’s Kirsten Rudgeley, England’s Meghan MacLaren and Slovenia’s Pia Babnik all started strong carding rounds of 70 (-2) to sit two off the pace. They would be joined in the afternoon on the score by India’s Aditi Ashok, Spain’s Carolina Chacarra, Sweden’s Corrine Viden, Australia’s Kelsey Bennett plus duo Hannah Screen and Liz Young. The group sit in a tie for seventh after round one.
Unfortunately the defending champion, Wales’ Darcey Harry, was forced to retire on day one with a hip injury.
The second round of the Hulencourt Women’s Open gets underway tomorrow at 7:45am in Belgium. Watch live and follow all the action throughout the tournament on our socials – @LETgolf on Instagram, TikTok and X, and Ladies European Tour on YouTube and Facebook. #HulencourtWomensOpen
