Feb 9, 2017: Dame Laura Davies turned back the clock to her glory days as the veteran English star made a spectacular start to this year’s Oates Vic Open at 13th Beach Golf Links in Australia. Aditi Ashok continued her run of impressive golf with a solid three under 70, lying in T13 after the first round on Thursday.
Aditi produced a clean effort at the Beach Golf Links. She coasted through the round without a blemish, striking birdies at 2, 7 and 12.
Indian golfers Amandeep Drall and Vani Kapoor also showed great determination to play themselves into the middle section of the leaderboard.
Amandeep survived a couple of bruising holes before recovering to a satisfactory 71. Her two under score included five birdies, a bogey and a double as she settled in at T22.
Vani came through the final seven holes without a spot on her card. She decorated her card with three birdies and two bogeys, making one under 72 in T35.
Davies showed why she’s one of the greats of the game after firing an opening round of eight-under par 65 around the Creek course, equaling the record around that layout set by Sarah-Jane Smith back in 2013.
The winner of more than 80 official tournaments leads by two shots from countrywomen Melissa Reid and Holly Clyburn, German Sandra Gal, Denmark’s Nicole Broch Larsen and West Australian Whitney Hillier.
That quintet also took advantage of the benign morning conditions on the Creek course to fire rounds of five-under 67.
Davies posted six birdies and an eagle in a bogey-free round and attributed a new putting technique – left hand low – which she learnt from watching Australians Rebecca Artis and Karrie Webb – for helping her get away to a great start.
“I’ve been working on my putting, that’s been the weakest part (of my game),” said Davies, who had 29 putts in her first round.
“I drove it well. It was just a really solid day. We were really lucky with the conditions, we hardly had any wind at all.”
Davies showed all her skills on the par-five seventh after her ball lodged under the lip of a fairway bunker off the tee. She had to chip sideways and then dropped her third shot into a greenside bunker.
Aditi Ashok carded three-under-70 with two birdies in the front nine at 2nd and 7th holes, and with another birdie in the back nine at 12th hole and tied at T13.
Amandeep Drall and Vani Kapoor started their debut in European tour with Oates Vic Open, starting from 10th tee of the back nine.
Amandeep started well with three birdies in the back nine at 15th, 16th and 18th holes and continued her flow to front nine with another birdie at 2nd hole. But a bogey and double bogey at the 3rd and 4th holes interrupted the form to let her end with two-under-71 by adding a final birdie to 10th hole.
Vani Kapoor also started her play in the back nine with a bogey at the 11th hole.
She regained the form in front nine to end with 3 birdies at the 2nd, 5th and 9th holes. But a bogey at the 7th hole made her to end with one-under-72 to tie at T35 after end of round one.
Ladies European Tour Report
