Ashleigh Goes 4-Under in Holland

 

South Africa’s Ashleigh Simon fired a 68 to hold fifth place during the first round of the KLM Ladies Open at Eindhovensche Golf in the Netherlands, and will count herself lucky to have finished her round before play was suspended at 4:20pm.

 

Simon went one-up on the third hole, but soon regained her form to record two birdies for the front nine, and came home with four more, after dropping a shot at the 10th hole flag.

 

Her four birdies in the last five holes of her round will see her in great mental shape as the tournament continues on Saturday, and she’ll be hoping for a little assistance from the weather, seeing her 1pm tee-off in a threesome with Australia’s Nikki Garret and third-placed Ludivine Kreutz.

 

France’s Gwladys Nocera set the tournament pace with a course record eight-under-par 64, before thunder and lightning led to the suspension of tournament play, with the 60 players in the afternoon matches still to complete their first rounds.

 

Long-time stalwart Laurette Maritz ended the day one-under par, for a first-round share of 23rd place, and looks well-set to continue her great form, after finishing third in last weekend’s Northern Ireland Ladies Open.

 

Affected by the inclement weather stoppage was Lee-Anne Pace, who had the worst of the weather to contend with as she started on the back nine for a 3-over par through 17 holes for a share of 99th place in a group of ten golfers, including Nikki Garret.

 

Pace will have to improve her form dramatically tomorrow, in order to make the cut and avoid a consecutive disappointing weekend.

 

Nocera, a three-time Ladies European Tour champion, carded six birdies and an eagle in hot, airless conditions to take the clubhouse lead, while the USA’s

 

Laura Tereby reached six-under-par after 15 holes, and lay in second position.
Nocera, who last won almost a year ago in Spain, was defeated by England’s Lisa Hall in an eight-hole play-off at the Northern Ireland Ladies Open on Sunday.

 

Having come so close to her fourth LET victory, she admitted that she was determined to capitalise on her strong form of late. “I realised I could be there again,” said Nocera, a member of The 2005 European Solheim Cup Team.

 

“I am playing well. I am hitting the ball well but there is still room for improvement; I think I can hit the ball further with my drives. I’m playing pretty consistent. I’m also getting stronger with my mind so that’s good.

 

Nocera set off from the 10th tee and birdied holes 12, 17 and 18 on her front nine, reaching the turn in three-under 33. She then fired further birdies at the first, second and eighth holes before sealing her perfect round with an eagle at the par-five ninth, which was her final hole of the day.

 

France’s Ludivine Kreutz and 19-year-old Dutch amateur Christer Boeljon both carded five-under-par 67s and held joint third position.

 

Kreutz carded six birdies and one bogey continuing the tradition of French competitors playing well in the tournament.

 

Last year Stephanie Arricau became the sixth French winner of the event, and the second in succession, after Virginie Lagoutte-Clement won at Kennemer GC in 2005.
 
 
Latest scores for Round One (as at 4.20pm local time when play was suspended):  
-8 – Gwladys Nocera (FRA)
-6 – Laura Terebey (USA) [15]
-5 – Ludivine Kreutz (FRA), Christel Boeljon (Am) (NL)
-4 – Ashleigh Simon (SA)
-3 – Georgina Simpson (ENG), Rebecca Coakley (IRE), Anja Monke (GER), Benedicte Toumpsin (Am) (BEL) [16], Sophie Giquel (FRA) [12], Iben Tinning (DEN) [12]
-2 – Bree Turnbull (AUS), Nathalie David-Mila (FRA), Joanne Mills (AUS), Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (FRA), Marta Prieto (ESP), Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) [17], Sophie Walker (ENG) [14], Shani Waugh (AUS) [11], Amanda Moltke-Leth (DEN) [7], Lotta Wahlin (SWE) [7], Nicole Gergely (AUT) [6]
-1 – Suzanne Dickens (ENG), Rebecca Stevenson (AUS), Lora Fairclough (ENG), Laurette Maritz (SA), Mianne Bagger (DEN), Clare Queen (SCO), Jehanne Jail (FRA) [16], Maria Boden (SWE) [14], Lisa Holm Sorensen (DEN) [13], Stefania Croce (ITA) [12], Riikka Hakkarainen (FIN) [11], Anne Lise Caudal (FRA) [6]
Par – Melodie Bourdy (FRA), Jo Clingan (ENG), Ellen Smets (BEL), Sarah Kemp (AUS), Martina Eberl (GER), Leah Hart (AUS), Margherita Rigon (ITA), Lynn Kenny (SCO), Sophie Hunter (ENG), Emma Zackrisson (SWE) [17], Fame More (ENG) [15], Natascha Fink (AUT) [15], Lara Tadiotto (BEL) [14], Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) [14], Elisabeth Esterl (GER) [14], Samantha Head (ENG) [13], Danielle Masters (ENG) [13], Bettina Hauert (GER) [13], Anna Rawson (AUS) [13], Eleanor Pilgrim (WAL) [12], Sophie Sandolo (ITA) [12], Johanna Westerberg (SWE) [7], Rebecca Hudson (ENG) [7], Maria Beautell (ESP) [7], Lisa Jean (AUS) [7], Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) [7], Kristie Newton (AUS) [6], Anna Knutsson (SWE) [6], Judith Van Hagen (NL) [6], Antonella Cvitan (SWE) [6]
+1 – Kaisa Ruuttila (FIN), Claire Coughlan (IRE), Lill Kristin Saether (NOR), Marina Arruti (ESP), Mette Buus (DEN), Kiran Matharu (ENG), Beatriz Recari (ESP), Sofia Renell (SWE), Caroline Karsten (Am) (NL), Anna Tybring (SWE) [17], Anna Temple (USA) [16], Carmen Alonso (ESP) [14], Nienke Nijenhuis (NL) [13], Cecilia Ekelundh (SWE) [12], Kirsty S Taylor (ENG) [11], Cherie Byrnes (AUS) [6], Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) [6]
+2 – Marjet van der Graaf (Am) (NL), Tullia Calzavara (ITA), Anna Rossi (ITA), Sarah Heath (ENG), Sara Beautell (ESP), Felicity Johnson (ENG), Marlene Hedblom (SWE), Kyra van Leeuwen (Am) (NL), Kris Lindstrom (USA), Julie Tvede (DEN), Marieke Zelsmann (NL) [16], Eva Steinberger (AUT) [15], Louise Friberg (SWE) [13], Stephanie Arricau (FRA) [7], Ana B Sanchez (ESP) [6], Kathryn Imrie (SCO) [6], Henrietta Brockway (Am) (ENG) [6]
+3 – Elisa Serramia (ESP), Nikki Garrett (AUS), Ana Larraneta (ESP), Rikke Rasmussen (DEN), Lee-Anne Pace (SA) [17], Laura Cabanillas (ESP) [17], Christine Hallstrom (SWE) [16], Jade Schaeffer (FRA) [16], Isabella Maconi (ITA) [15], Hanna-Leena Salonen (FIN) [6]
+4 – Patricia Beliard (FRA), Mette Hageman (NL), Fany Schaeffer (FRA) [17], Elin Ohlsson (SWE) [15], Karen Lunn (AUS) [13]
+5 – Maria Verchenova (RUS), Marcella Neggers (NL), Julie Berton (FRA), Libby Smith (USA) [15], Helena Alterby (SWE) [7]
+6 – Martina Gillen (IRE), Nina Karlsson (SWE), Kirsty J Fisher (ENG), Frederique Seeholzer (SWI) [15], Federica Piovano (ITA) [13]
+7 – Nora Angehrn (SWI) [15]
+8 – Elizabeth McKinnon (NZ)
+12 – Cecilie Lundgreen (NOR)