Katja Pogacar wants to put Slovenia on the map

Posted on | by systems

Katja Pogacar, who is Slovenia’s sole representative on the Ladies European Tour, has taken the clubhouse lead in the ActewAGL Canberra Classic after firing a scintillating seven-under-par 64 at Royal Canberra on Saturday morning.

Sitting at 11-under-par after 36 holes, Pocagar leads by one ahead of Scotland’s Carly Booth, with Belgian Manon De Roey a stroke further back in third place.

Pogacar started with a bogey on her first hole, the 10th, but birdied the next two holes before making an eagle on the par-5 18th. She then carded four more birdies on the front nine at the first, fourth, sixth and ninth, holing a breaking putt from 25 feet.

“It feels awesome. I’m really excited,” said the 24-year-old from Ljubljana. “I played some solid shots and I had to wait for the putts to roll in and I waited patiently until the end, so it was really nice, especially on the last hole, which was in all the way, with three percent break to the right. I was a really good one.”

The second year professional is leading a tournament for the first time in her career and hopes to become the first golfer from her country to win on tour.

“I have ‘Slovenia’ written on the back of my shirt so that people can see where I come from, but it’s really exciting, because it will put Slovenia on the map,” she added.

Another player who is keen to win is Booth, who lifted two titles on the LET in 2012. The 26-year-old from Perth had seven birdies and one bogey in a six-under 65 including three birdies in a row in the middle of her round.

She said: “I just was really comfortable over the ball today and I was comfortable with my putts, so that helped massively.

“I went flying from holes 10 to 12 and birdied those three, which were a bit unexpected really. I hit good shots and saw the putts, so I didn’t make any silly errors. I made one bogey where I missed the fairway on the right and blocked myself out but apart from that it was pretty solid and my pace putting has been really good. That has helped me visualise the pace and line of the putts and that makes such a difference.

“I’m feeling positive about this year. It’s a new year to get myself in gear and I feel it’s on the right track and a lot of it is self-belief. I’m starting to believe in myself again.”

De Roey, 27, from Antwerp, was four-under-par after two birdies and an eagle in her first six holes, but her momentum stalled in the middle of her round. She recovered from a bogey on her 12th with a final-hole birdie, making a putt from four metres.

“It was nice to go out in the first group,” said the winner of the 2018 WPGA International Challenge on the LET Access Series, the feeder tour to the LET.

When asked what it would mean to become the first Belgian winner on the LET in 25 years, she responded: “I’m looking forward to getting my first win on the LET. I won last year on the LET Access Series so I have a good feeling playing on this tour and I know I belong here. I’m excited for tomorrow.”