On a day of mixed conditions at Woodbrook Golf Club, Anna Foster (Elm Park) plotted her way around the Bray parkland course excellently, carding a bogey-free opening round 68 to lead the Flogas Irish Women’s Amateur Open Championship by two shots after Day One.
Foster got her morning off to a fast start, carding a birdie on three to open her account and then following up with an eagle on the Par 5 fifth. Flurries of rain broke up the afternoon sunshine, but the Elm Park golfer kept the momentum going throughout her back nine, making three more birdies as she turned for home and signing for a six-under round of 68, two strokes clear of Dutch golfer Hester Sicking (-4).
“I just kind of kept it simple today, all I was really trying to do was play the Par 5’s well and just kind of hit fairways and greens on the other holes and if anything more could have come from that, that’s just a bonus for me,” said Foster.
“Just golfed my ball quite well. Bogey-free, I think that’s down to not thinking about the future or the past just kind of thinking about the next shot and what I can do from there.”
Recently graduating from Auburn University in Alabama, Foster has had a busy season in the U.S. and her return home to competitive Irish golf could not have gotten off to a much better start, as she enjoyed her play on the Wicklow course in between the showers of rain.
“The first eight holes were really nice and then we had a bit of a downpour for a hole and a half and then clear again and another downpour but when it was nice, it was really nice. It’s the same for everyone so you can’t really think too much into the conditions,” said the leader. “I’ve always enjoyed playing Woodbrook from when I was younger. It’s nice to be at home, to stay at home and all of that plays a part as well but I think it’s a great course, in great condition at the moment.”
Foster will get her second round underway at 12.10pm on Sunday, teeing up alongside two of the international contingent that have made the trip; English golfer Claudia Hastings (+6) and Sirah Steinhoff (+2) of Germany.
While Sicking is Foster’s closest challenger on -4, there are a host of golfers who have played their way into contention heading into the second round. Kath O’Connor (Wales), Isabella Hopkins (England) and Kate Lanigan (Hermitage) remain just four strokes back on -2.
Along with Foster, Lanigan was another of the competitors to card a blemish-free round on Day One, making the most of the accessible Par 5’s on the back nine to pick up two birdies coming in.
“Played very solid. Thinking back, I did actually hit 18 greens, one was from the fringe but I had a lot of putts for birdie, didn’t hole many, took advantage of a few of the Par 5’s coming in but was very solid,” said Lanigan.
“I think that might be my first bogey-free round to be honest. Obviously would have liked a few more birdies but 18 greens and two putts did the job.”
Round two of the Flogas Irish Women’s Amateur Open Championship gets underway at 8.30am on Sunday with Ellie Docherty (Scotland), Alice Spani (Elm Park) and Hanna Guerin (Royal Tara) first off the tee.
View the leaderboard and tee times here
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