Venezuela’s Vanessa Gilly may be leading a LET Access Series (LETAS) event for the first time in her career, but golf is the last thing on her mind.
The 24-year-old, who fired a bogey free five-under 68, is thinking about her fellow Venezuelans affected by last Wednesday’s back-to-back earthquakes which killed thousands in the country.
“Venezuela is going through a really hard time,” she said. “Representing Venezuela has always been an honour and I’m so proud of it.
Being able to shoot a round like this and being in contention for this tournament, while Venezuela is going through that, I am playing for my country.
“I am just so happy to be able to put the flag of Venezuela up there and making more people aware of what’s going on right now.”
Gilly leads Wales’ Ffion Tynan (69) by one stroke, while the trio of Spain’s Clara Moyano Reigosa, Denmark’s Cecilie Leth-Nissen and Sarah Skovgaard Bils (all 70) are tied for third at three-under overall.
Finland’s Tiia Koivisto, Spain’s Maria Hernandez and England’s Ellie Gower (all 71) trail by another shot at two-under for the tournament.
Hailing from the capital city of Caracas, many of Gilly’s family and friends were caught in the epicentre of the quakes.
“My family is alive, which is everything that matters right now,” she said. “From one day to another, we’re just so lucky to be alive.
“I have a lot of friends and family members helping the situation and trying to rescue people from under the buildings that were destroyed.
“It’s just really tough right now mentally to be here in Europe, and life continues, and I’m just like, wake up and go play golf, while that’s happening in my country.
“It’s just a really tough mental thing that I have to go through, but I think we as athletes have to try to be built for it and be able to separate and compartmentalise situations.”
Starting from the 11th tee, Gilly, who hit 13 greens in regulation, got off to a hot start with birdies on holes 13 and 14.
She added birdies on the first and eighth holes, before draining a 10-footer on the par-5 10th for a fifth birdie despite finding the greenside bunker.
“It was just really nice and simple golf,” she said. “One of those days where the misses were fine, so that really helped, and I was able to take advantage on the pins that looked like I could go for them.
“I’m really grateful because I’ve been playing good and it felt like my golf game was really good, but I was just waiting for a round like this to finally appear.
“I’m just sticking to the process and trusting the process. I don’t think my game changed today. It was just a lot of good and simple stuff done correctly.”
Gilly is playing just her fifth LETAS event and finds herself in on top of the leaderboard in a stacked field including the winners of all the opening six tournaments.
“It’s definitely a new position,” she said. “But my game plan stays the same. I just want to keep doing what I’m doing, keep it simple, trust my game and my swing.
“I know where my golf is right now. I’m doing the right things, just stay in the moment, shot by shot and stick to my strategy.
“It’s just one good round again tomorrow, and then the next day and we’ll see in what position that leaves me.”
Welshwoman Tynan is close behind after mixed five birdies and one bogey to card a solid round of four-under.
Another shot behind, Moyano Reigosa and Skovgaard Bils both shared similar scorecards with six birdies, one bogey and the same double-bogey on the par-4 17th.
With rain starting to hit the course at about 4pm local time, those with afternoon tee times had to navigate tougher conditions.
The best score from the later session came from England’s Gower, whose two-under 71 comprised four birdies and two bogeys.
Last week’s PGA Championship winner Elsa Svensson shot a one-under 72 to stay four strokes back, while Ladies German Challenge champion Moa Svedenskiold (74) is six shots behind.
Other notable scores include France’s Lauren Holmey (73), Iceland’s Hulda Gestsdottir (74), Germany’s Hanna Tauber (76) and Switzerland’s Caroline Sturdza (78) who all had morning tee times.
Round 2 resumes at 8.00am (local time) tomorrow with a cut to the top 45 professionals and ties ahead of Friday’s final round.
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