DOHA: Wales’ Lydia Hall and Finland’s Noora Tamminen sit atop the Qatar Ladies Open leaderboard on five-under after the first day of action at the history-making Ladies European Tour (LET) event held at Doha Golf Club on Wednesday.
The pair remained bogey-free on the opening day to post rounds of 67, with Kylie Walker and Anna Nordqvist in joint-third on four-under as women’s professional golf arrives in Qatar for the first time. Scot Walker shot an impressive back-nine of 31, including five birdies, while LPGA player Nordqvist showed her pedigree as the 14th ranked player in the world in her third LET event of the season.
The 28-year-old Hall missed almost all of the 2015 season after a serious knee injury, but has enjoyed a resurgent year back on tour and is clearly enjoying her golf in the penultimate tournament of the season.
Hall said: “It was really solid out there today. I think I hit 17 greens in regulation and got my putter going throughout the middle part of the round, so I’m playing well.
“I’ve been playing well all year really, after injury last year. I came back with a fresh set of eyes. I’ve been focusing on playing rather than on technical things.”
Co-leader Tamminen is another who has struggled with the rigors of the worldwide tour schedule with a persistent back injury that has troubled the Finn this year. After overcoming the problem with her coach in recent weeks, the 26-year-old is now looking for her maiden victory on tour.
She said: “I felt really confident and calm this morning. My long game was super good and I hit all the greens. I had some bad drives but they weren’t that bad, so it was a steady round.
“I just want to enjoy the game and have no pressure. I really like playing in the Middle East. Everything is well organized and I love that we have Abu Dhabi and this one. I really like the course, especially that you have to be good from the tee.”
Elsewhere in the 108-strong field, Connie Chen made history of her own with an incredible hole-in-one at the par-three 13th. It capped off a great hour for the South African after she eagled the 10th hole to go four-under through 4 holes.
It seemed the players favored the more attackable back-nine, with a flurry of birdies and eagles coming in across the field on the closing holes. Chen’s compatriot, Nicole Garcia, was one of those to take advantage, with five birdies after the turn leaving her on three-under for the tournament.
Garcia said: “Conditions were good and the weather was perfect, with no wind at all. The course was great but I struggled with my putting on the front nine and I was two-over with two three-putts. On the back nine I was five-under, so it was a good finish.”
Away from the world-class golfing action, the QLO Village opened up its gates to tournament visitors at Doha Golf Club with a range of fun activities on offer, including golf, volleyball, table tennis and football games, as well as a Batak reaction wall.
Fans also enjoyed culinary delights from the Belgian Cafe while taking in the golf from a superb location overlooking the 18th green.
To round off the opening day of the QLO, the Hospitality Pavilion held a networking event for the Qatar Womens Professional Network (QWPN), featuring LET professional Rosie Davies and some of the region’s most influential women.
The QLO is open free to the public and runs until Saturday at Doha Golf Club. For more information visit: www.qatarladiesopen.com or connect to QLO via social media on Instagram and Twitter (@qatarladiesopen), and on Facebook.
The pair remained bogey-free on the opening day to post rounds of 67, with Kylie Walker and Anna Nordqvist in joint-third on four-under as women’s professional golf arrives in Qatar for the first time. Scot Walker shot an impressive back-nine of 31, including five birdies, while LPGA player Nordqvist showed her pedigree as the 14th ranked player in the world in her third LET event of the season.
The 28-year-old Hall missed almost all of the 2015 season after a serious knee injury, but has enjoyed a resurgent year back on tour and is clearly enjoying her golf in the penultimate tournament of the season.
Hall said: “It was really solid out there today. I think I hit 17 greens in regulation and got my putter going throughout the middle part of the round, so I’m playing well.
“I’ve been playing well all year really, after injury last year. I came back with a fresh set of eyes. I’ve been focusing on playing rather than on technical things.”
Co-leader Tamminen is another who has struggled with the rigors of the worldwide tour schedule with a persistent back injury that has troubled the Finn this year. After overcoming the problem with her coach in recent weeks, the 26-year-old is now looking for her maiden victory on tour.
She said: “I felt really confident and calm this morning. My long game was super good and I hit all the greens. I had some bad drives but they weren’t that bad, so it was a steady round.
“I just want to enjoy the game and have no pressure. I really like playing in the Middle East. Everything is well organized and I love that we have Abu Dhabi and this one. I really like the course, especially that you have to be good from the tee.”
Elsewhere in the 108-strong field, Connie Chen made history of her own with an incredible hole-in-one at the par-three 13th. It capped off a great hour for the South African after she eagled the 10th hole to go four-under through 4 holes.
It seemed the players favored the more attackable back-nine, with a flurry of birdies and eagles coming in across the field on the closing holes. Chen’s compatriot, Nicole Garcia, was one of those to take advantage, with five birdies after the turn leaving her on three-under for the tournament.
Garcia said: “Conditions were good and the weather was perfect, with no wind at all. The course was great but I struggled with my putting on the front nine and I was two-over with two three-putts. On the back nine I was five-under, so it was a good finish.”
Away from the world-class golfing action, the QLO Village opened up its gates to tournament visitors at Doha Golf Club with a range of fun activities on offer, including golf, volleyball, table tennis and football games, as well as a Batak reaction wall.
Fans also enjoyed culinary delights from the Belgian Cafe while taking in the golf from a superb location overlooking the 18th green.
To round off the opening day of the QLO, the Hospitality Pavilion held a networking event for the Qatar Womens Professional Network (QWPN), featuring LET professional Rosie Davies and some of the region’s most influential women.
The QLO is open free to the public and runs until Saturday at Doha Golf Club. For more information visit: www.qatarladiesopen.com or connect to QLO via social media on Instagram and Twitter (@qatarladiesopen), and on Facebook.
