(Salamanca, May 29 2003) While the youth have plundered the silverware over the last couple of seasons on the Ladies European Tour, Australia’s Corrine Dibnah and Federica Dassu from Italy, two distinguished veterans, showed the juniors the way after posting five under par 67s to lead after the first round of the €250,000 Open de España Femenino at Campo de Golf de Salamanca.
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| Taylor – hoping for the car tomorrow |
Dibnah, whose last win came at the 1994 Italian Open has rejuvenated her game with the addition of a ‘belly putter’ and after hitting it close all day, the 39-year-old from Brisbane was happy to walk in with 67, but admitted to leaving a few shots out on the course.
“I played pretty well all day, knocked it pretty close and got on a good roll with the putter,” said Dibnah.
“I had a couple of unnecessary bogeys in there, but when you shoot 67, you’ve got to be pleased with that.”
Dassu, the oldest player on Tour, is now coaching the Italian Federation teams and after the round, the young Italianas were seeking advice.
“I am trying to get more of a team feeling going among the Italians – I’m trying to help them out on Tour,” said Dassu, who finished tied for tenth in Portugal last week and tied after the first round in the Italian Open two weeks ago.
“The trouble is, I’m not in it that team right now, but after my last couple of weeks on Tour, I might just pick myself for it again!”
“I was very steady today, I hit every green and I could have holed so many more putts – I’m surprising myself lately. I have no expectations, I’m very relaxed and everything is just a bonus at this stage of my career.”
Defending champion Karine Icher sits in a nine-way tie for seventh place on one under par and Portuguese Open champion Alison Munt is one shot further back in a ten way bun-fight for 16th spot.
