The 2016 European Ladies’ Amateur Championship began in grand style. With 64 strokes (-8) and a new course record Diane Baillieux from Belgium is one clear at the top of the leaderboard after the first round.
18-year-old Baillieux, a Brussels resident, made five birdies on the front nine – four in a row from hole two to five – at the beautiful course at Hook’s Golf Club, south of Jönköping, Sweden.
“Actually, the score could have been even better. I missed three of those about two meter-putts”, Baillieux says.
Her greatest achievements so far, are a second place in The British Open Under 16 and a fourth place in a LETAS tournament played in France this April. Maybe she will perform even better this week in a Sweden that is really showing off with perfect conditions in nice and warm sunshine.
Bronte Law, 21, who was part of England’s winning team in the European Team Championship in Iceland two weeks ago, claims second place. With a score of 65 (-7) she held the leading position for almost five hours.
On third place: Stina Resen, Norway and Frida Kinhult, Sweden, with 67 strokes.
Resen, who was level par after the first nine holes, went on to birdie the holes eleven to fourteen plus hole sixteen to shoot up the leaderboard.
Kinhult, aged 16, played consistent golf throughout her round. A new strategy launched just last weekend served her well. The focus? Getting the ball in the hole, instead of focusing on the swing technique…
“It was a good strategy that really turned out to work”, says the Swedish National Team Player and younger sister of former National Team Player Marcus Kinhult who recently turned professional.
Now she and the other players are looking forward to another sunny day at Hook’s Golf Club alongside Lake Hookasjön – one of the thousands of glittering lakes in the Swedish county of Småland.
Diane Bailllieux
Bronte Law
Stina Resen
Frida Kinhult (All Photos by: Göran Söderqvist / SGF)