Australia’s Minjee Lee fired a round of 67 (-5) to sit at the top of the leaderboard as the first round was suspended at the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open, but Leona Maguire, Stephanie Meadow and Lauren Walsh all have work to do.
It was an interrupted day of play at Dundonald Links with the start of the day’s play being delayed by an hour.
Then after the morning wave had got underway, weather conditions worsened with heavy rainfall and play was suspended at 11.24 am and didn’t resume until 1.30 pm. Maguire was among the early starters and faced the brunt of the weather, but after bogeying two of her opening nine and turning at +2, she battled her way back to level-par through 14 before dropping another shot on 16 and she’d reach the sanctity of the clubhouse at +1.
Walsh, whose hopes of a starting berth in the AIG Women’s Open at St. Andrews next week hinge on a strong performance this week, will have to do it the hard way. The Dubliner battled hard and managed to cover the first 13 holes in one-over, but two bogeys and a double over her closing five leave her on +5 and in need of a low round on Friday.
After the two weather delays, Meadow didn’t get on the course until well after 5pm, and managed to cover just 12 holes before play was suspended for darkness. Bogeys on her eighth and 12th and final hole of the day leave her on +2 and will be hoping for friendlier conditions on Friday morning when she resumes play on the 13th.
Australian Lee was in the afternoon wave so didn’t go out on the course until 3.52 pm (local time) but had an excellent day going bogey-free and rolling in birdies on holes two, six, 10, 14 and 18.
“I feel like I played pretty solid today,” said the two-time Major champion. “I had no bogeys today, so I’m always a happy girl after a bogey-free round. I feel like I played smart golf.
“I gave myself a lot of opportunities for birdie, but you know some putts went in, some putts didn’t. When I was in trouble, I kind of missed it in the right spots and could get up-and-down, so that was good.
“I think I got a little lucky with not playing in the morning with the rain, but it was pretty windy out there. So, I guess we just didn’t have the rain. I thoroughly enjoyed my day out there today.”
There are three players in a share of second place with Megan Khang of the United States, Korea’s A Lim Kim and England’s Lily May Humphreys all on four-under-par.
American Khang started her day with a bogey on the 10th but immediately bounced back with a birdie on 11.
The Solheim Cup star made back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15 before dropping another shot on the first.
However, three birdies in her last seven holes including a chip-in on the seventh saw her sign for a 68 (-4) on day one in Scotland.
“It was definitely tough out there,” said Khang. “I was eating breakfast this morning and looking out, looking at the weather, wasn’t the most thrilled but fortunately for me I actually didn’t get a chance to warm up before they called the first hour delay.
“I just stayed inside and stayed dry as long as I could. Then when it was time to go out, everyone was playing in the same conditions, and just had to embrace Mother Nature. I was very fortunate to get a few lucky bounces and also a chip-in today.
“Links-style golf, there is definitely a lot more imagination going on and especially with the wind kind of going sideways. It definitely can be fun. A little stressful sometimes but for the most part, I’m trying to make the most of it and trying to enjoy my walk out there.”
Korea’s Kim also produced a round of four-under 68 with two bogeys and two birdies on her front nine, but she finished strong with birdies on 10, 13, 14 and 18 to be in a share of T2.
“Today was a very tough day,” said Kim. “When we started before it was playing really hard, but after we came back out it was a pretty different course.
“I tried to enjoy it because sometimes golf is very hard and sometimes it is very easy. That is golf. My plan is always the same, focus on the line and hit it.”
Humphreys was in one of the later groups of the day so sits on four-under-par with six holes left to play having rolled in four birdies on day one.
Five players are in a share of fifth place with Lydia Ko, Nicole Garcia, Lauren Coughlin, Ayaka Furue and Lucy Li all on three-under-par.
A group of 12 players sit one shot further back on two-under including Olympic silver medallist Esther Henseleit, LET Order of Merit leader Bronte Law and Solheim Cup stars Charley Hull and Georgia Hall.
Thirteen groups still have to complete their first round and they will resume at 8.30 am with the second round getting underway at 9.