Canice Screene shot a three-under-par 69 to hold a share of fourth place after the opening round of the LET Access Series’ Hauts de France Open.
The English-born Irish woman began on the 10th and made six birdies in total, with three of those coming in her final four holes to shoot up the leaderboard and she trails leader Lucie Malchirand of France by two.
Beth Coulter, who came into the week ranked ninth in the LET Access Series Order of Merit despite making just three previous starts, shot a one-over 73 and lies tied for 32nd.
The Kirkistown Castle woman, who won the Women’s Irish Challenge at Malahide on her professional debut back in August, found herself at +4 through 12 holes but she also found three birdies over the closing stretch to put herself back in touch with those at the top of the leaderboard.
23-year-old Malchirand leads the pair of Canada’s Ashley Chow and Austria’s Johanna Ebner (both 68) by one stroke at Aa Saint-Omer Golf Club.
This year’s tournament is once again co-sanctioned with the men’s Alps Tour. The 132-player field features equal representation from both tours, at 66 players apiece. While all players will compete on the same course under identical conditions, they will contend for separate prize funds and individual titles.
After a three-week break in the calendar, Malchirand marked her return to action with aplomb by stringing three straight birdies in her first three holes.
“It was a great round, I’m really happy with what I did,” she said. “It was a great day, played well, good driving, good wedging, great putting. It’s been three weeks that I was at home, so I think it was a nice break.
“After the break, birdie, birdie, birdie and then I made a bogey, then an eagle so I was like okay, it’s my day today. That was great. Just tried to keep my head down after the eagle, made some pars, some birdies again.”
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