Ladies European Tour rookie Lauren Holmey from the Netherlands birdied her last hole to move to six-under-par 67 and a one-stroke lead in the first round of the €300 000 Joburg Ladies Open at Modderfontein Golf Club on Wednesday, 1 March 2023.
Playing in just her second tournament on the Ladies European Tour – this one co-sanctioned with the Sunshine Ladies Tour – the 20-year-old overcame three bogeys with a flurry of nine birdies to edge one clear of Alice Hewson of England and Denmark’s Smilla Tarning Soenderby, who were on five-under in a share of second.
That flurry of birdies came after she started her round on the 10th with a bogey.
She regained that stroke with a birdie on 12, but then she made five birdies in a row from the 15th. “I think I have to thank my father, who was on the bag, for that,” said Holmey. “It was a really good day on the greens.
“The putts were all pretty much within 20 feet, as a result of good second shots to the green. I picked my spots on the greens quite well too, so I had easy uphill putts with not too much break. It was the first time I got so many birdies in a row.”
She is relishing the adventure of starting her rookie season in Africa: “I’m loving every moment,” she said. “I played in Morocco before this, so this is my second tournament and I’m just enjoying every moment. It’s just a lot of fun being a rookie on the LET.
“Tomorrow, I just have to keep playing like I did today. I have my dad and my mom with me, so I have my own little team. It’s someone who is always there for me. He’s been a great support to me, and we’ve been a great team for the past year now,” she added.
Hewson, the winner of the Investec South African Women’s Open in 2020 in her rookie season on the Ladies European Tour, finished last year’s Joburg Ladies Open in a share of third, and she went bogey-free around Modderfontein as she converted a hot start to a five-under-par 68.
“I birdied four of my first five holes,” said Hewson. “Hit the first in two which is always nice, and I had a nice easy two-putt. I hit it nice and tight into two and three. I just missed on four, unfortunately, but again, hit five in two for a two-putt birdie. And then the putter cooled down a bit for the rest of the round, but that’s okay.
“Had to stay patient on the back nine which is a bit trickier than the front nine. No bogeys on the card. I didn’t hit every shot perfectly today, did not hit everything as planned. I had a little luck and didn’t end up behind any trees or anything like that, which is always good. Plotted my way around the course really nicely.”
Her round is a continuation of what has been a solid start on the 2023 Ladies European Tour season, in which she is currently lying fourth on the Race to Costa del Sol. She finished in a share of fourth in the Magical Kenya Ladies Open and had top-20 finishes in the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco and the Saudi Ladies International.
She didn’t play South Africa in 2021, but she added a share of 11th in the Investec South African Women’s Open to her third at Modderfontein last year in the Joburg Ladies Open.
The leading South African after the first round was the evergreen Tandi McCallum, in a share of fourth after her opening four-under-par 69 which she made despite a double-bogey and two bogeys. Next best were Nicole Garcia, the impressive young rookie Kaleigh Telfer and Lora Assad, all on two-under-par.
ROUND ONE SCORES
67 – Lauren Holmey (NED)
68 – Alice Hewson (ENG), Smilla Tarning Soenderby (DEN)
69 – Moa Folke (SWE), Christine Wolf (AUT), Liz Young (ENG), Tandi McCallum
70 – Alessandra Fanali (ITA), Lily May Humphreys (ENG), Emma Spitz (AUT), Agathe Sauzon (FRA)
71 – Pranavi Urs (IND), Elin Arvidsson (SWE), Kaleigh Telfer, Linette Holmslykke (DEN), Genevieve Ling (MAS), Nuria Iturrioz (ESP), Anais Meyssonnier (FRA), Linnea Johansson (SWE), Nicole Garcia, Klara Davidson Spilkova (CZE), Lora Assad
72 – Wenyung Keh (NZL), Dorthea Forbrigd (NOR), Sanna Nuutinen (FIN), Luna Sobron Galmes (ESP), Ridhima Dilawari (IND), Sofie Bringner (SWE), Felicity Johnson (ENG), Nicole Broch Estrup (DEN), Becky Brewerton (WAL), Tiia Koivisto (FIN), Linnea Strom (SWE)
73 – Ana Dawson (IMN), Trichat Cheenglab (THA), Madelene Stavnar (NOR), Alexandra Forsterling (GER), Magdalena Simmermacher (ARG), Kiera Floyd, Carolin Kauffmann (GER), Amalie Leth-Nissen (DEN), Marianne Skarpnord (NOR), Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ), Laura Beveridge (SCO), Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA), Nastasia Nadaud (FRA), Casandra Alexander, Ana Pelaez Trivino (ESP), Momoka Kobori (NZL)
74 – Amy Taylor (ENG), Michele Thomson (SCO), Cara Gorlei, Emily Penttila (FIN), Paz Marfa Sans (ESP), Emma Grechi (FRA), Cara Gainer (ENG), Annabel Dimmock (ENG), Tiffany Arafi (SUI), Kylie Henry (SCO), Pasqualle Coffa (NED), Kim Metraux (SUI), Ursula Wikstrom (FIN), Lee-Anne Pace, Zethu Myeki
75 – Becky Morgan (WAL), Stacy Bregman, Julie Boysen Hillestad (NOR), Carmen Alonso (ESP), Gabriella Cowley (ENG), Ivanna Samu, Lejan Lewthwaite, Maria Hernandez (ESP), Vani Kapoor (IND), Linda Wessberg (SWE), Kirsten Rudgeley (AUS), Camille Chevalier (FRA), Marta Sanz Barrio (ESP), Aline Krauter (GER), Rosie Davies (ENG), Sara Kouskova (CZE), Camilla Lennarth (SWE), Chloe Williams (WAL), Isabella van Rooyen, Lisa Pettersson (SWE), Eleanor Givens (ENG), Nadia van der Westhuizen, Emma Nilsson (SWE)
76 – Tara Griebenow, Sideri Vanova (CZE), Kelsey Nicholas, Gabrielle Macdonald (SCO), Gabrielle Venter, Thalia Martin (ENG), Lauren Taylor (ENG), Amandeep Drall (IND), Elena Hualde (ESP), Emie Peronnin (FRA), Maiken Bing Paulsen (NOR), Johanna Gustavsson (SWE), Hayley Davis (ENG), Louise Duncan (SCO), Lea Anne Bramwell (WAL), Nikki Hofstede (NED)
77 – Yolanda Duma, Bonita Bredenhann (NAM), Virginia Elena Carta (ITA), Alexandra Swayne (ISV), Leonie Harm (GER), Michelle Forsland (NOR), Mireia Prat (ESP), Noora Komulainen (FIN), Kelly Whaley (USA), Anna Magnusson (SWE)
78 – Olivia Mehaffey (NIR), Sarah Schober (AUT), Laura Fuenfstueck (GER), Diksha Dagar (IND), Romy Meekers (NED), Verena Gimmy (GER)
79 – Hannah Burke (ENG), Jana Melichova (CZE), Patricia Isabel Schmidt (GER), Anne-Charlotte Mora (FRA), Jenny Haglund (SWE), Meghan MacLaren (ENG), Jane Turner (SCO)
80 – Sophie Witt (GER), Cloe Frankish (ENG), Lydia Hall (WAL)
81 – Celine Karlung (NOR), Tereza Melecka (CZE)
82 – Kim Williams
Photo 1 Caption: Dutch golfer Lauren Holmey Netherlands birdied her last hole on Wednesday to move to six-under-par 67 and a one-stroke lead in the first round of the €300 000 Joburg Ladies Open at Modderfontein Golf Club. Photo: Sunshine Ladies Tour
With editing by gsport