Amandeep Drall leads the way through 18 holes at the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open after the Indian fired a 64 (-8) at Royal Beroun Golf Club – her best ever round on the Ladies European Tour (LET).
On a Friday full of birdies, Drall, playing in only her second LET event of the season, read the low-scoring script carding nine birdies and dropping just one shot in the Czech Republic.
“I’m very happy,” the Indian said. “Especially after last week [missing the cut in Belgium]. Line reading was definitely the difference. I hit the ball well last week but I couldn’t read the lines at all. I was so confused on the green. But coming into this week, I focused a lot on my putting. I concentrated on my stroke and my line.”
This scorecard included four birdies in a row at the 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th to give the 32-year-old a one-shot lead.
Drall’s career-best round was made all the more impressive given her absence from the LET in 2025, with the Indian only teeing up for the first time at the Hulencourt Women’s Open because of VISA issues. She would miss the cut last week in her season debut.
“I was probably making up for lost time,” Drall said. “I was really sad that I missed out on three events because of my VISA. But I’m happy now. I’ll stick to what I’m doing and trust my stroke on the greens.”
Hot on Deep’s heels after a birdie bonanza on Friday are a trio of English players, led by veteran Florentyna Parker. The three-time LET winner was celebrating her 36th birthday and carded a bogey-free 65 (-7) to sit one off the lead.
“It was incredible actually,” Parker said. “In 17 years, I’ve never shot level-par or better on my birthday. So today has come as a nice surprise to me. I played great out there. It was really solid and maybe 36 is my year!
“I just gave myself a lot of chances. I played really well in Belgium last week which gave me some momentum. Even though I didn’t score great it gave me a lot of confidence heading into this week. I’m going into Prague tonight to celebrate my birthday, then back again tomorrow. Hopefully I can keep it up over the next couple of days.”
Matching her score and sharing second place after 18 holes is compariot Lianna Bailey. The Englishwoman, who also plays on the LET Access Series (LETAS), had her best round to date on the LET firing a 65 (-7) which included an eagle at the par-5 18th.
“I’ve been hitting the ball well the last couple of weeks but have struggled the putter,” Bailey said. “Today, it all just seemed to come together which was great. It felt effortless and I really enjoyed it.
“I’m pleased with the progress I’m making. It’s been tough because I was out injured in the winter. I’m picking up LET starts when I can get them and am just trying to play the best I can.”
One back from the pair is rookie Esme Hamilton who carded a bogey-free 66 (-6) in the morning at Royal Beroun – also her best ever round on the LET. She is joined in fourth position by Alexandra Swayne from the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Hamilton said, who made her first cut on the LET at the Hulencourt Women’s Open last week. “I felt like I’ve nearly been there for quite a few tournaments recently so it’s nice that finally, a few putts dropped and I got a good score.”
Six players round out the top-10 in a tie for sixth on five-under par. This group includes Germany’s Chiara Noja, Denmark’s Sofie Kibsgaard Nielsen, Sweden’s Michaela Finn, England’s Rosie Davies plus Spanish duo Harang Lee and Luna Sobron Galmes.
Unfortunately the tournament’s defending champion, Marta Martin from Spain, was forced to withdraw before play started on Friday due to a neck injury.
The second round of the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open gets underway tomorrow at 7:45am local time. Follow along on our socials – @LETgolf on Instagram, TikTok and X, and Ladies European Tour on YouTube and Facebook – #TipsportCzechLadiesOpen.
