Aada Rissanen (Finland) holds a one-shot lead after the opening round of the Irish Women’s and Girls’ Amateur Open Championship at Co. Louth Golf Club. Benign autumn conditions allowed for low scoring on day one with the top-10 players all shooting under par on the Baltray links.
Rissanen, who carded 5 birdies and an eagle in her six-under par round of 68, admitted this is a career best score for her.
“It was my all-time best round, so I’m very happy to start this tournament with that,” she said. “The course played somewhat easy today, I got a lot of good rolls from my drives so some of the par fives were short and I made some very good putts to make some birdies.”
The wind could play a factor over the remaining 36-holes with gusts strengthening as the weekend progresses, however Rissanen is confident she can handle any worsening conditions.
“We don’t play links golf in Finland but I’ve played some, and I’m prepared for the wind to change directions, maybe it will get windier over the next couple of days but that’s OK.”
Sweden’s Moa Svedenskiöld and Charlotte Back (Germany) are tied for second on 5-under while Kirkistown Castle’s Beth Coulter is tied for fourth on 4-under alongside Tesssa Kremser, also from Germany.
“I didn’t do anything spectacular really,” said Coulter, whose first round included 6 birdies. “A couple of par fives I made some silly mistakes but on the par fours I gave myself some good chances for birdie and hit some good wedges in.”
Coulter had a hectic summer schedule, including her runner-up finish at The Girls’ Amateur, but has returned to playing Camogie with her club Ballygallet since September.
“After the Girls’ Amateur I wanted a little bit of a break and to slow things down, so I got back into camogie the last few weeks and enjoyed that.”
The wind is also on her mind heading into the weekend but it’s something Coulter is very used to playing in.
“I was surprised with the conditions today, we’ll never get a day like that again – it was so sunny and very little wind so hopefully that will blow a bit more tomorrow and play into our favour.”
Play resumes from 8.15am on Saturday morning and the field will be cut to the top 50 and ties for the final round on Sunday.
- Day one SCORING
| 68 | A Rissanen (Aura Golf) |
| 69 | M Svedenskiöld (Ringenäs Golfklubb); C Back (St. Leon- Rot) |
| 70 | B Coulter (Kirkistown Castle Golf Club); T Kremser (Frankfurter Golf Club) |
| 71 | S O’Dwyer (The Wynyard Golf Club) |
| 72 | E Nordstedt (Söderåsens Golfklubb); M Kraus (GC St. Leon-Rot); M Fischer (Munich Golf Club); E von Finckenstein (Hamburger Golfclub) |
| 73 | K Poots (Knock Golf Club); V Levy (Lausanne) |
| 74 | Y Beeli (Semparchersee); N Maertz (MGA); M Joyce-Moreno (Lllavaneras); A Hekkonen (Tuusulan Golfklubi); G Mayo (Newport (Gwent) Golf Club) |
| 75 | R Gardner (Clandeboye Golf Club); K O’Connor (West Byfleet Golf Club); J Haines (Burnham & Berrow Golf Club) |
| 76 | M O’Hara (Clandeboye Golf Club); A Roth (Golf Uppsala); C Brook (Parkstone Golf Club) |
| 77 | E Larsson (St Arilds GC); C Hastings (Royal Birkdale Golf Club); A Hios (MGA); H Holden (Huddersfield Golf Club); M Samervong (Landeryds GC); D Smith (Co. Louth Golf Club); N Borg (Ringenäs Golfklubb); C Walsh (Castlewarden Golf Club); A Walsh (Lahinch Golf Club); F Lindblom (Delsjo GC) |
| 78 | K Dwyer (Rossmore Golf Club); H Guerin (Royal Tara Golf Club); K Anglett (Stuttgarter GC Solitude); C Shippam (Ballykisteen Golf Club); N Wiktorson (Oijared GC); S O’Brien (Elm Park Golf & Sports Club Golf Club); L Coffey (Malone Golf Club); E Lundgren (Villa Condulmer) |
| 79 | E O’Shaughnessy (Co. Louth Golf Club); S Harz (Golfclub Freiburg); I Lindqvist (Timra GC); L Jones (Wrexham Golf Club); F Birch (Pennard Golf Club); T Laverty (Royal Portrush Golf Club); E Krause (Golfclub Berlin Wannsee ); E Levy (Lausanne); E Henningsson (Gränna Golfklubb); O Lucas (Lahinch Golf Club) |
| 80 | K Dillon (Oughterard Golf Club); O Currie (Royal Portrush Golf Club); O Costello (Roscommon Golf Club); A Molloy (Sandy Lodge Golf Club); A Greham (Ballina Golf Club); C Griffin (Killarney Golf Club); R Taylor (Laytown & Bettystown GC) |
| 81 | S Schifferegger (golf club Pustertal); A Pitts (Cainhoe Wood Golf Club) |
| 82 | M Björkman (Kumla GC); P Grant (Lisburn Golf Club); O Purfield-Goulding (Co. Louth Golf Club); M McLoughlin (Co. Sligo Golf Club) |
| 83 | J O’Driscoll (Muskerry Golf Club); M Abernethy (Cork Golf Club); B Pyke (Overstone Park Golf Club) |
| 84 | S McElroy (Grange Golf Club); E Murray (Co. Louth Golf Club); L Lemström (Pickala Golf Club) |
| 85 | E Fenlon (Grange Golf Club); E Park (Edmondstown Golf Club); A Abom (Edmondstown Golf Club); S Benedetti (Roscommon Golf Club) |
| 86 | L Kelly (Ballykisteen Golf Club); L Dancis (Grange Castle Golf Club) |
| 87 | S Bullock (Castletroy Golf Club) |
| 90 | E Earl (Thorndon Park Golf Club) |
| 92 | E Proctor (Royal Portrush Golf Club) |
| 93 | S Sharp (Royal Tara Golf Club); M Byrne (Baltinglass Golf Club) |
| 94 | R Wall (Forrest Little Golf Club) |
| 99 | E Lonergan (Westport Golf Club) |
| 102 | J Currie (Royal Portrush Golf Club) |
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