South Australia&aposs Susie Mathews fired a round of 1-under par 71 to take the first round lead at the St Georges Basin Country Club Pro-Am today. In blustery conditions she was the only player to break par, with three players sitting just one-shot off the lead at even par 72. Denmark&aposs Mianne Bagger, and the New South Wales duo of Rachel Bailey and Angela Tunchon are at the front of the chasing pack level with the card. Seven players including defending champion Sarah Nicholson and LPGA player Sarah Kemp share equal fifth just one shot further back on 1-over par 73.
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Mathews, a former runner-up in the Australian Ladies Amateur Championship, fired an eagle, one birdie and one bogey on her outward nine to make the turn at 2-under par. After another birdie at her 10th hole (the 1st) she undid a lot of the good work with a double-bogey at the difficult 163m par-3 2nd to fall back to one-under. As the wind picked up, one more birdie and another bogey saw her finish with a solid 71. After her round she said, "It was a bit up and down but I&aposm happy to get in with that score with the way the wind is picking up. Yeah, that was ok." With her best finish being tied 4th, Mathews has a great opportunity to improve on that when the second round kicks off tomorrow.
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With 14 players within three shots of the lead, Mathews will need to play more solid golf to notch her first professional victory. The favourites amongst those chasing will be the two Sarah&aposs who have recorded victories at this event over the last two years, Kemp and Nicholson. Kemp is boarding a plane on Saturday morning to go back to the US to contest the Final Q-School with hopes of retaining her card on the LPGA for 2009. She will be looking for confidence before heading to this gruelling week of cut throat golf in Florida. Nicholson, looking fit and well, will be hoping to defend the title she won here last year.
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While not discounting any player&aposs credentials, Jo Mills will be another player the leaders will be looking over their shoulders at. In what should be an enthralling final day, it could be the player who handles the inclement weather the best, with rain and thunderstaorms predicted.
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For full first round scores click here.