Day one of the Lacoste Ladies Open at Golf Barrière in Deauville in France began on Thursday as the race to climb the Order of Merit rankings heats up with five tournaments left of the 2025 season.
The Emerald Isle have four representatives teeing off in France, each seeking their maiden win on the Ladies European Tour.
The best of the Irish bunch after round one is Cork’s Sara Byrne as the 24-year-old posted a two-under-par 69 to occupy T18 heading into round two.
Byrne got off to a slow start with a bogey on the par-5 2nd before a run of pars until another bogey came on the par-3 eighth.
Needing to settle her nerve, Byrne was delighted to see the scorable par-5 ninth was next to come and she took full advantage, making birdie on the turn.
That much needed birdie seemed to light a fire in Byrne, as she went on to birdie to first three holes of the back nine. The birdie train stopped as she parred the remaining holes to post a well-deserved 69.
Dublin’s Anna Foster succumbed to some wayward tee shots as the 24-year-old hit only 7/13 fairways but scrambled well to get back to the clubhouse at even-par, in T38.
Foster’s first bogey came on the par-4 sixth, before bouncing back on 10 and 11 with back-to-back birdies.
Two more bogeys came on 16 and 17 but the Elm Green golfer will be happy to have birdie the last to stay level par.
Armagh’s Annabel Wilson will be disappointed with her two-over-par round one as the 24-year-old showed some promise for an under-par round if her driver could stay in tune.
With two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine, Wilson misses off the tee really made things difficult as she only three fairways. Struggling with her tee shots, Wilson went three-over on the final five holes to head into round two in T70.
It was also an off day for Dublin’s Lauren Walsh as the 25-year-old posted a rollercoaster three-over-par round to sit T82 after round one.
Walsh, who is having a solid year and is 11th in the OOM rankings, made seven bogeys and four birdies to see her with a mountain to climb if she is to compete amongst the top.
Italian rookie Alessia Nobilio leads the pack by one stroke on six-under-par as the 24-year-old went bogey free throughout 18-holes.
x“I’m very happy about it, I played very solidly,” said the Italian. “I think I hit 17 greens and holed a few long putts, which helped. The key was staying patient out there because it wasn’t easy with the wind in the afternoon.”
“I think I started off very well, I made three birdies in the first six holes with a lot of wind, so that gave me a lot of confidence going into the back nine as well. I was steady all day. I will go and rest now, I really enjoyed it,” added the rookie.
Germany’s Helen Briem is in solo second after posting a five-under-par round. Briem is on the hunt for her second win on the LET.
“It was actually pretty good, I hit many fairways and many greens and only made one bogey,” said Briem. “That’s a huge step forward compared to the last few tournaments, so I’m really happy.”
Five players end day one in a share of third place with Japan’s Ayako Uehara, Australia’s Kirsten Rudgeley, Wales’ Lydia Hall and French pair Ariane Klotz and Charlotte Liautier on four-under-par.
Round two will begin at 8:15am (local time) and there will be a cut to the top-60 professionals and ties at the end of the day.
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