Local golfers Lynnette Brooky and Emily Perry are in a group of four players who share a one shot lead after the opening round of the New Zealand Women’s Open.
England’s Kym Larratt and Frenchwoman Joanna Klatten are with them ion the lead after shooting five-under-par on Friday at the Pegasus Golf and Sports Club, just north of Christchurch.
There were 40 players under par at the completion of round one, including 14-year-old world No.1 amateur Lydia Ko shot a three-under 69 to lie two strokes off the lead.
Australian defending champion Kristie Smith posted a 71 to be tied for 33rd.
Brooky, playing in her first national Open, shot six birdies, four of which came in her last nine holes after giving herself a pep talk with seven holes to play.
“I didn’t get up and down from the sand on two, and I said to myself ‘I want to be under par after the first round because of the good conditions’, so I said to Gavin (her caddie) ‘it would be nice to walk off with four-under’,” she said.
Putting was a key to her round and changing her putting routine worked for the four-time winner in Europe.
Larratt had eight birdies and three bogeys in her round.
Perry was out in the afternoon and posted an impressive bogey-free round of five birdies.
Nine players share fifth position at four-under par: Malaysia’s Jean Chua, England’s Elizabeth Bennett, New Zealand’s amateur Charlotte Thomas and Americans Jaclyn Sweeney, Hannah Jun, Gerina Piller, Amelia Lewis, Danielle Kang and Alison Walshe.