Jessica Ross fired a sensational three birdies and an eagle on her way to opening a one shot lead as she aims to land her maiden Flogas Irish Women’s Amateur Open Championship at Newlands.
Teeing off in some testing conditions, Ross was understandable slow out of the blocks with a bogey on the par-5 2nd but she made hay while the sun shone with three birdies in a row on the 4th, 5th and 6th before bouncing back from a bogey on 7 with a hole out eagle two on the 8th to turn in 33.
The European Mid-Amateur champion admitted that her round was a tale of two nines with bogeys on the 11th, 14th and 16th although she did birdie the 13th as she signed for a 72 and a three-under total.
“The front nine had a lot of birdies and I struggled off the tee a little bit on the back nine but I am happy enough with the score I can’t complain,” said the Clandeboye woman.
“I didn’t realise that my ball was a foot away on the fourth and the same on the sixth I hit it to a couple of feet and then held out on eight so it was nice.”
Ross has a slender advantage over defending champion Louise Landgraf of France who carded the low round of the day with a 69 to reach two-under while England’s Ella Butteriss is a shot further back after a 73.
Girls’ champion Olivia Costello of Roscommon ground out a 75 to sit just three back on level-par alongside Kayleigh Mulholland of Moyola Park who shot 70 while Royal Portrush’s Hannah Lee-McNamara eagled the 18th for a 70 to sit on one-over-par.
Ross, who was second recently at the Scottish Women’s is relishing the prospect of a final round battle.
“Yeah for sure. I’ll just take very shot as it comes and see what happens in the end. I’ll take a lot from the final round in Scotland I shot four under there so I will try the same mentality.”
Landgraf though showed the class of her victory in Headfort last year rolling in five birdies in seven holes in a front nine of 31. The Junior Ryder Cup star and world number 50 is keen to retain her title.
“I would love it. It would mean a lot to be able to do that but I think I have to focus on my own game and not get distracted by others.”
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