Switzerland’s Kim Metraux set the early pace on Hilversumsche Golf Club for the first day of the Ditch Ladies’ Open with a near perfect early morning round of seven-under. She sits one clear of Nobuhle Dlamini, England’s Gemma Clews and Laura Feunfsteuck at the top but with plenty of company in a packed leaderboard. Lauren Walsh sits in the middle order after a battling one-over first round.
Walsh was out in the afternoon session of day one and began from the 10th tee. It was a difficult start for the Dubliner going bogey-bogey to begin her week, and she was on the back foot early. She steadied the ship with birdie on the par-5 13th, however, before a run of five pars on-the-bounce saw the Carton House player turn on one-over. Another shot was won back on the second hole to see Walsh back on level-par before a pair of bogeys on the two par-4s, the fourth and sixth holes.
A characteristic of Walsh’s rookie season has been her resilience and the ability to bounce back after errors or misfortune. This was shown again as the 23-year-old fought hard to birdie straight away on the par-5 7th, followed up with a par-par finish to sit on one over in the clubhouse heading into day two. She sits slap in the middle of the order and will hope for more opportunities on Friday to make it safely into the final round of the Dutch Ladies’ Open on Saturday.
First round leader Metraux got off to a flyer in the morning groups on Friday with birdies coming quickly on the par-4s, the second and third holes. One more birdie came at the par-5 seventh as she carded a clean outward-nine to turn on three-under. An even hotter start to her back-nine followed as the Swiss went on a streak of five birdies in seven holes from the 10th to the par-4 16th. Just the solitary bogey of the round came on the 17th to deny Metraux equalling her career low round of 64 by a single stroke. She sits in pole position heading into day two and with an afternoon start tomorrow, will have the opportunity to see how the morning swing go before continuing her search for a first LET victory.
“It was a very enjoyable day actually, a very steady round of golf,” said Metraux. “Unfortunately, I had that bogey on 17 but other than that I had very solid shots and I made a few more putts than usual, I was very pleased with the day. I feel like everything was good,” she added. “I hit almost all the fairways and almost all the greens except nine and 17, so I gave myself some good opportunities and was able to convert quite a few of them.
“I grew up on a tree-lined course as well, it’s nice to have the trees around guiding you in the fairway. It plays a little bit softer than last year, so you can be quite aggressive with it. I really like the layout,” she went on to remark. “I want to keep enjoying it, try not to pressure myself too much. I just want to enjoy it, really focus on what I have to do and hit the good shots.”
The leading Dutch contender after day one on home turf is Nikki Hofstede, who sits in a group of six players in a tie for fifth spot on four-under-par, while Anne Van Dam had a more difficult day to sit on two-over in the clubhouse.
It will be an afternoon start for the leader on Saturday as Metraux will begin her second round off the tenth at 14.15. Walsh, meanwhile, will be in the morning groupings on the first tee. She kicks off at 9.36 looking to make progress and ensure she is around for Sunday.
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