Kristie Smith leads the Lalla Meryem Cup leaderboard in first round – Golf news
Australian Kristie Smith, has secured the lead in the first round of the lalla Meryem Cup, scoring a 5-under for 67, at the scenic Soleil Golf Course in Agadir, Morocco. She is leading the leaderboard with two shots from a three-way tie for the second place.
Smith starting from back nine first in view of the scorching heat and unusually high winds, stumbling on a bogey on the 10th but recovered quickly by pulling in consecutive birdies at the 14th and 15th. She was again able
to card birdies on the three, five, seven and eight, playing the front nine later. Smith’s excellent form and putting can be judged with a 50-foot downhill putt which she sank at the par-four fifth.
“I don’t think anyone was expecting the wind to be up like it was this morning and it’s hot as well,” Smith said. “It’s definitely difficult out there and five under was a pretty good round.”
The 22-year-old Smith recorded her first victory on the European Ladies Tour in New Zealand Open, last month. Anne-Lise Caudal, Caroline Masson and Klara Spilkova are tied for the second slot on day one. A group of four sturdy players including Slovak Zuzana
Kamasova, Irish Martina Gillen, Swede Carin Koch and Australian Sarah Kemp are sharing the fifth place going down the leaderboard. The defending champion, Germany’s Anja Monke, finished for 1-over par to settle for the third place.
Lalla Meryem Cup, founded in 1993 under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Meryem, earned the Ladies European Tour status in 2010. The tournament features a full scale participation of 126 players with prize money of €275,000. The event takes
place adjacent to the King Hassan II Trophy, the men’s title, both ending for a combined prize distribution ceremony attended by His Royal Highness Prince, Moulay Rachid.
The event in its course of history has attracted some celebrated players of the sport including Laura Davies and Sophie Gustafson. Davies of England won the 2008 episode of the tournament while Swede Gustafson won the 1998 Lalla Meryem Cup. The tournament
will continue into the weekend with the final round and prize distribution ceremony scheduled on Sunday.
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