FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Scotland’s Kylie Walker fired a superb seven-under-par 64 to take a two-stroke lead over South African Lee-Anne Pace on day one of the Finnair Masters.
The 23-year-old Ladies European Tour rookie from Glasgow, courtesy of Cal Carson Golf Agency, carded seven birdies on a cool afternoon at Helsinki Golf Club, overcoming any nerves that may have hampered her career earlier this season.
She birdied the fourth, fifth and ninth on her way to an outward total of 31, returning in 33 with further birdies on holes 10, 12, 14 and 17.
After breezing through LET Qualifying School at La Manga in December where she finished ninth, Walker thought that life on tour would be ‘a doddle,’ but after making just two cuts from her first eight starts, she has finally started to find her feet over the last month, tying for 53rd, 24th and 25th at the last three tournaments in Ireland, Wales and Scotland respectively.
She explained the learning curve: “I thought turning pro, having had a good result in Q-School, I thought this is a doddle and I was ready for it. As a matter of fact, my first few events, I really struggled, not because of my game. I could have got it round in decent numbers but I was just so nervous and excited at the same time and different things were distracting me.
“Simple things like walking on the range and people you’ve idolised for years like Carin Koch and Laura Davies are standing next to you or walking past. I can’t help but look to see what they’re doing and things like that but I’m getting used to that now.”
Her closest challenger Pace moved to the top of the Henderson Money List with a tie for second in Scotland last week. The 29-year-old from Mossel Bay had a blazing front nine, containing four birdies and an eagle and dropped only one shot, at the eighth, on her back nine.
“I hit everything close from the start,” Pace said. “I had a very nice eagle on 17 and then kept hitting it close on my back nine but didn’t make a putt unfortunately.
“I pretty much hit everything within 20 feet on my back nine and two putted for par. I three-putted eight to lose a shot otherwise it was a perfect round. At least I’m getting up there and giving myself a good chance.”
Pace, a two-time Ladies European Tour winner this year in Switzerland and Wales, holed a one metre birdie putt at the 10th which she played as her first hole. She made a long birdie putt at the 13th and setting up her third birdie at the 15th, hitting an eight-iron to tap in distance from 120 metres.
At the par-three 16th, she missed the green left but explained, “I thought, ‘this is a good chip in chance’ and chipped in.”
She cut a three-iron around the trees to 20 feet from 170 metres at the par-five 17th and holed the eagle putt on her way to an outward total of six-under-par 31, coming back in one-over 35.
Pace has twice tied for 16th in Finland and is looking to put some distance between herself and No. 2 Melissa Reid of England in the money title race. She is €13,660 clear of Reid, who is skipping this week.
With season’s earnings of €218,530, she has pocketed almost €100,000 more from 16 LET events played this year than from her last three seasons combined. Her meteoric rise to fame inspired fellow South African Robbertze, who shot a career best round of four-under 67.
The 30-year-old from Johannesburg said: “We had dinner last night and had a good chat about the golf. I think she is in a very positive frame of mind and that’s quite an inspiration.
“I went out a bit more positive than I have been the last few tournaments so it all seemed very well. I think the key today was appreciation. I just appreciated every shot and made sure that I enjoyed every shot instead of thinking ahead.”
She explained how she practised hitting shots in bare feet in the rain on the eve of the tournament to help her balance. “My coach told me to stand and hit golf balls without my shoes on and that seemed to work.”
The 2005 champion Lisa Holm Sorensen and fellow Dane Malene Jorgensen also tied for third on 67 with Swedish amateur Caroline Hedwall.
Scotland’s Vikki Laing, Finland’s Kaisa Ruuttila, England’s Kiran Matharu and Jade Schaeffer from France tied for seventh on three-under-par.
The second round of the 54-hole tournament starts at 8.30am on Saturday, following which there will be a cut to the leading 50 professional players and ties.
FINNAIR MASTERS
Helsinki Golf Club, Finland
LEADING SCORES -- Par 71
64 Kylie Walker (Sco)
66 Lee-Anne Pace (Rsa)
67 Morgana Robbertze (Rsa), Lisa Holm Sorensen (Den), Caroline Hedwall (Swe) (am), Malene Jorgensen (Den)
68 Vikki Laing (Sco), Kaisa Ruuttila (Fin), Kiran Matharu (Eng), Jade Schaeffer (Fra)
69 Carin Koch (Swe), Anja Monke (Ger), Dewi-Claire Schreefel (Ned), Corisande Lee (Eng), Camille Fallay (Fra)
Other Scots:
72 Pamela Feggans, Krystle Caithness,
75 Lynn Kenny, Carly Booth,
76 Clare Queen