Valentine Derrey
France’s Valentine Derrey and Elia Folch from Spain, shot opening rounds of 68, 4 under, to lead the Terre Blanche Ladies Open at Terre Blanche Resort in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.
Derrey, a winner of the LET Turkish Ladies Open in 2014, played solidly besides her one blemish, a double bogey on the reachable par 5, ninth hole. The Parisian who now resides in Biarritz, felt comfortable on the challenging Riou course on a perfect scoring day.
“I played pretty steady golf. I hit almost all the fairways, a lot of greens, made some putts. I just had a double on hole number nine but I just stayed patient for the end of the round and it worked out.”
“I really liked my shot on hole number 12. I was on the left side of the fairway and in the rough and I hit a really nice 8 iron and it landed probably pin high and it was a birdie putt but I didn’t make it.”
“I really like this place. I think it’s a great venue for a LET Access Series event. I feel good here in Nice, it’s a nice region. I like to come here, I’m enjoying it.”
Folch, who earned her LET card at the Lalla Aicha Tour School in Morocco last December, started slowly with an outward nine of one over par, 37. The 26-year-old completed the back nine in 31, 5 under par, finishing with an eagle on the par 5, 18th hole.
“I saved a couple of pars on the first nine on the 3rd and the 5th and that kind of like pushed me to keep fighting.”
“I was actually playing really well and some of the putts dropped in on the last nine and on the last hole I made a good shot in and made an eagle so that was it. The course looks great and the weather is great.”
France’s Ariane Provot, winner of the 2015 Solvesborg Ladies Open in Sweden, opened with a 69, three under par, to lie in third position on her own.
England’s Gabrielle Crowley and Agathe Sauzon are a further shot back at 2 under, 70. Five players, Austrian Sarah Schober, Sophie Keech of England, Norway’s Tonje Daffinrud, Klara Spilkova from the Czech Republic and French amateur Yvie Chaucheprat are all tied for 6th place at one under.
