Oona Vartiainen
Oona Vartiainen leads the EVLI Ladies Finnish Open after an opening 68, four under par at Hillside Golf Club in Vihti.
The 24-year-old Finn, a winner of last season’s Open Generali de Strasbourg, did not enjoy a great start to this year, missing the cut in the Terre Blanche Ladies Open and the PGA Halmstad Ladies Open in Sweden.
Vartiainen has performed better on the LET, with a season best of 10th at the Tipsport Golf Masters in the Czech Republic, taking some of the confidence gained into her home event this week.
Vartiainen will be chased by the in-form Sarah Schober of Austria, who recorded an opening 69, to sit at 3 under par. The 24-year-old finished in second place at the Norrporten Ladies Open and in third two weeks ago at the Drobak Ladies Open.
Three players, Julie Aime from France, Scotland’s Jane Turner and Malaysia’s Ainil Bakar are all a further shot back at 2 under par.