Sweden’s Therese Larsson, leader after Round 1 (credits Fernando Molina)
The wind has been the key during the first round of the CostaBlanca Ladies Open, with gusts over 50 kph. No player was able to break par on the first day at Font del Llop Golf Resort, the course proving very challenging for all the players.
Therese Larsson, from Sweden, finished with a 75 (+3) and leads the CostaBlanca Ladies Open followed by Maria Beautell, Julie Tvede and Rebecca Green (+4) and two shots back, Spain’s Mireia Prat, Tara Delaney from Ireland, Scotland’s Heather Macrae and Pamela Feggans and Italy’s Elisabetta Bertini.
Larsson made two birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey on a tough day for all the competitors:
“It was hard playing because of the wind. It was crazy, but it was fun. I played good… I made two birdies and the best part of my game has been my putting and my short game into the green. I’ve been very consistent and steady. I have been pretty calm playing ‘shot by shot’. The course is very good and tough, but I like it. It is fun and in very good condition. The greens are great.”
Maria Beautell, tied for second and best Spanish player on the leaderboard
Maria Beautell in action during Day 1 (credits Fernando Molina)
Maria Beautell (76) is tied for second with Norway’s Julie Tvede and Australian Rebecca Green. Beautell was one of the first players to complete her round and Beautell felt more than satisfied with her round after seeing the final leaderboard:
“I started more or less well, then after the front nine, I messed up a bit because it was very difficult with the wind. I lost a little concentration but finished with two birdies on the last four holes and this helped me to get back again.”
“It was very windy, more than anything and this is the cause of your mental fatigue. Being there, five hours with the wind is very hard, but I’m very happy with my game today.”
Mireia Prat , leader of the Order of Merit and tied for 5th
Mireia Prat in action during Day 1 (credits Fernando Molina)
Spain’s Mireia Prat played with the peace of having secured her LET card for the next season. Current leader of the Order of Merit, Prat scored 77 and finished the day tied for fifth with four other players:
“The day was very hard from the very first hole. You needed to be patient. Despite my score, 77, I played very well, I managed to keep calm and not to lose concentration, which is the most important when we play on a day like this. You have to think shot by shot and if it is necessary to play 3 more clubs than with normal conditions, you play them…”
The CostaBlanca Ladies Open 2013, from 18th – 20th November played at Font del Llop Golf Resort, near Alicante in Spain, has been added to the this season’s LETAS schedule. The event is the second professional women’s tournament to be played in Spain within the LET Access Series in 2013 after the Ocho Golf Ladies Open, which took place in Galicia last May.
The CostaBlanca Ladies Open 2013 features a field of 68 players competing for a prize fund of 25,000 euros, with a cut to the top 25 professionals and ties after 36 holes.
Promoted by the Royal Spanish Golf Federation, along with the Golf Federation of the Valencian Community, the CostaBlanca Ladies Open will be also supported by the Tourist Board of Costa Blanca, which is in charge of promoting this area as a golf destination, with 15 golf courses within the Association of Golf Courses Costa Blanca, making it a prime location for the enjoyment of this sport. The superb weather in Alicante, with an annual average temperature of 17 degrees Celsius and more than 2,800 hours of sunshine yearly, combined with the superb cuisine based on rice, all together makes it a holiday destination difficult to beat.
The Font del Llop Golf Resort, which will also host the Professional Senior Championship from the 5 – 7 December, was opened in May, 2010 and is located just 10 minutes from Alicante airport. Designed by Blake Stirling and Marco Martin, it presents a links style technical golf course, with a number of water hazards that create additional challenges.
