Flo Parker sets pace with a 67 in Morocco
NEWS RELEASE FROM LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
FROM BETHAN CUTLER, LET MEDIA MANAGER
FROM BETHAN CUTLER, LET MEDIA MANAGER
Rabat,
Morocco: England’s Florentyna Parker opened with
a five- under-par 67 on the Blue Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in
the Moroccan capital of Rabat today to
equal the women’s tournament course record in the Lalla Meryem Cup.
Seven
birdies against two bogeys saw Parker, pictured left by Tristan Jones of LET, move a stroke ahead of compatriot
Liz (Bennett) Young, Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord and Finland’s Oona Vartiainen.
The
shaft of Parker’s driver broke in half when it was accidentally caught
under a rope as she took a buggy ride to the course to play in the
Pro-Am on Wednesday and she was thrilled when a new
shaft arrived just before her afternoon tee time allowing her to use
the club.
“The
tour van only had extra stiff shafts and I play regular,” explained the
two-time LET tournament winner from Royal Birkdale, whose most recent
victory was the Italian Open in 2014. “I got
someone else’s shaft but it wasn’t the right one and then this morning,
luckily I had one sent from home.”
Parker
explained how having the correct shaft is paramount for a professional
golfer. “You either hit the fairway or you don’t, so that’s the big
difference. I would have had no chance otherwise.”
Her
best friend on Tour, Young, also played without high expectations as
she is four months pregnant.
After signing for a flawless 68, containing
four birdies, Young said: “I’m just taking it
one shot at a time and hopefully I can get the energy to play well
again tomorrow. I’m hoping to play for as long as I can until it’s too
much.”
The
long-hitter from Brokenhurst Manor in the New Forest continued: “My
short game really saved me today. I had 22 putts and my long game wasn’t
great but I kept it in play. Out here keeping
it on the fairways is crucial because this rough is so thick.”
While
both Englishwomen and Vartiainen played in the afternoon sunshine,
Skarpnord was among the early starters who contended with heavy
downpours and the three-time LET winner was delighted
with her bogey-free round.
She
said: “It was a bit cold and a bit wet this morning but we got off to a
good start with a couple of birdies on the front nine and kept the
momentum and made a couple on the back nine so it
was a good morning for me.
“I
hit every fairway until 16. On 16 and 18 I did not manage to get the
ball to the green with the second shot. The driving is so important
on this course because this rough is not very nice.”
While
the women on the Ladies European Tour play on the Blue Course, the male
golfers from the European Tour are playing the Trophée Hassan II on the
Red Course at the same venue this week, where
the leading score of four under par 68 is shared by three players:
Frenchman Thomas Linard, Italian Francesco Laporta and Australian Jason
Scrivener.
Both
courses have been set up the same with the rough at a height of 85 mm
and the greens at 11 feet on the stimpmeter, albeit the greens are
running marginally faster for the women on the Blue
course.
Set up at 6846 yards, the Red course is 496 yards longer than
the Blue, taking into account the difference in driving distance.
SCOREBOARD
par 72
SCOREBOARD
par 72
Labels: LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | 7:56:00 pm
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