ALPG/LET - DAVIES' SOLID ROUND LEADS AUSSIE OPEN

(11 March 2010 – Melbourne, Australia)

Handa Women&aposs Australian Open defending champion, Laura Davies, has sent out an early warning to her rivals today with a well-crafted 5 under 68 opening round at Melbourne&aposs Commonwealth Golf Course.The 46-year-old holds a two shot lead over Coonabarabran&aposs Rebecca Flood, Victorian amateur Alison Whittaker, Italy&aposs Giulia Sergas, Korea&aposs Soo-Jin Yang, England&aposs Felicity Johnson and Finland&aposs Jenni Kuosa.

A shot further back in a tie for 8th is World No 1 amateur, American Alexis Thompson, Australian No.3 Lindsey Wright and Austrian Stefanie Michl.

The round one leader is in a confident mood and will take some chasing. After a bogey start on the tenth today, Davies played a strategic game around the Commonwealth sandbelt course. Often she opted for an iron off the tee, leaving her testing shots into greens, rather than potentially blasting her driver into trouble off the tee, in the hope of a shorter approach shot. "I took the decision to hit a couple of three irons that left me long shots in, but because I was swinging so well, I was not scared," she said.

"I had six birdies and a couple of up and downs to save good pars, which you have to do on a course like this. Luckily, I putted very well today."

She is not getting too carried away however. "I&aposve come in here in a confident mood, thinking I am one of the players with a chance to win if I play well and putt well," she said."As for winning it, there is so far to go that you don&apost even think about it. It is a perfect start but no more."

Victoria&aposs Whittaker is surprised with her 3-under par round today but credits her role as a senior at America&aposs famous Duke University, as her driving force."We are bred to be number one," she said. "I think I learnt how to win since moving away to college. I have had some good results when I&aposve come back here and I think that is indicative of the work that my team has done between my two years there."

Rookie professional Rebecca Flood was also pleased with her opening round despite carding two bogeys."It was a solid round. I didn&apost leave too many out there," she said. "I three-putted the first from nowhere and then missed a one and a half footer on 12, but other than that I hit the ball really well. I hit it in close and made some putts."

Third placed in the 2009 Australian Open, Britain&aposs Melissa Reid is in a tie for 12th on 1-under par 72 with a host of players, including Australians Katherine Hull, Kristie Smith and Sarah Oh and Korean LPGA No 1, Hee-Kyung Seo.

Last week&aposs ANZ Ladies Masters champion, Karrie Webb had a tough day at the office, posting a 3-over par 40 on her outward nine but was able to steady her round with a 3-under par 33 on the inward nine holes to finish at even par.

Other big names, World No 6 Yani Tseng and World No 7, Anna Nordqvist also struggled around the Commonwealth layout. Despite eagling the par-5 13th, Tseng could not break par. She started the day with three consecutive bogeys and finished at 1-over par 74.Nordqvist&aposs round was a similar story. The Swede was treading water on her front nine but a bogey and double bogey on her final nine ruined her card. A birdie on her last hole, the par-3 9th however, has given her hope for a better day tomorrow.

The marquee players, Davies, Webb, Hull, Tseng and Nordqvist will all tee off in tomorrow&aposs afternoon field for the second round.
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Photos by Paul Melville – ALPG.