(4 March 2010 – Gold Coast, Australia)
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23-year old American Amanda Blumenherst has the first round lead at the ANZ Ladies Masters at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast, her opening round of 6-under par 66 establishing a one shot lead over defending champion, Katherine Hull.
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In fine and breezy conditions there was little evidence of the heavy rains that had fallen in recent days on the Gold Coast, the only giveaway being a &aposlift clean and place&apos rule being implemented for the areas deemed to be ‘closely mown’. Blumenherst turned professional in May of 2009 after one of the more significant amateur careers in women’s golf in recent times. The 2008 US Amateur Champion was a player good enough to have finished 10th at the US Women’s Open in her freshman year at Duke University and, ever since, her professional debut has been eagerly anticipated.
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Blumenherst served notice of just how successful she may become by immediately earning her LPGA Tour card late in 2009 when leading the LPGA Tour’s Qualifying School and, because of that and her stellar amateur career, earned an invite to the opening two events of the 2010 LPGA season in Thailand and Singapore. “The course was very wet today and it was extremely windy but I like it as the tougher the conditions the more it separates the players,” said Blumenhurst after her opening round.
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“I was really happy with my putting today and that’s been kind of struggling really, throughout my entire career. I have always been a fairly solid ball striker so I have been hitting it close but now I am getting the putts so it definitely helps.”
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“My uncle, Bill Blumenherst, is caddying for me this week and we did notice early in the week with these greens that they do not break as much as they look like they do and that knowledge has helped quite a lot.”
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Defending champion, Katherine Hull, was out twenty minutes later than Blumenherst but on the other side of the golf course and although she would make only steady progress through the opening nine holes, when she reached the turn things changed quickly. She birdied her 10th, 11th and 12th holes and added another at her 18th to finish at 5-under and just one behind Blumenherst. “It was pretty good out there,” said the Queenslander referring to the condition of the course after heavy rain. "It was soggy walking off greens and onto tees but overall it was good.”
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Hull is getting more and more comfortable with Royal Pines. “I have some good memories and good vibes. I am even starting to remember which way the greens break without referring to my yardage book and even with my approaches, knowing which way the grain runs helps as I can actually be a little more aggressive with some shots because the grain’s going to slow it up faster.”
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Amongst those poised just behind the leading two players are two of the pre- tournament favourites Karrie Webb and Anna Nordqvist. Webb was not happy with the way she played but happy with her score. “This is one of my better starts in probably five or six years,” said Webb referring to her round of 68. “I feel I got everything out of my round today. Playing in the wind the whole round you tend to fight it and get a little tight in the upper body. I felt like I played the first nine holes solidly but then I did not drive the ball well on the back nine. Shooting two under on the back was quite a feat the way I hit it.”
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Nordqvist is on the verge of a sensational career and has already given a clear indication of that. She won a major championship (McDonald’s LPGA) in her rookie LPGA season in 2009 and, after an indifferent start to her round, played the back nine in 3-under 34 to finish with 68.
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The afternoon field did not appear to be making a lot of progress on the early leaders until 19-year-old American Vicky Hurst moved into contention at 4-under through 14 holes. Hurst would eventually finish at 4-under but she served notice that she would well be a contender later in the week. The Duramed Futures Tour Rookie of the Year in 2008, Hurst played her first LPGA Tour season in 2009 and easily retained her status when recording three top ten finishes. Like Blumenherst, Hurst was one of the leading amateurs in the US prior to turning professional and by week’s end she might not be the relatively unknown name she was prior to this event. Hurst led the driving distance stats on the LPGA Tour in 2009 and today put that length to good use on a layout softened by so much rain of late.
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All the talk early referred to the amazing start by the 2009 runner-up Tamie Durdin who raced to the turn in 28 and at that point held a four shot lead. Things would change quickly for the South Australian however when she completed her final nine holes in 41 for a round of 69. A good round nonetheless, but one that definitely got away on her.
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Photos by Paul Melville – ALPG
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