Lauren Walsh took full advantage of a last-gasp call-up and fed off the star atmosphere to open with a five-under 67 in the $2 million Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed in Sweden.
The new touring professional for Carton House only found out she’d made the field on Monday.
But despite her “chaotic” preparations, she made five birdies in a bogey-free 67 to share fifth placewith the likes of 2022 champion Linn Grant, just four shots behind home hope Sebastian Soderberg.
“I felt like the conditions were nice this morning,” said the Kildare star (23), who has made a brilliant start to her first season on the LET and sits fifth in the Rookie of the Year standings.
“I got off to a good start and I was three under through six and then the wind really picked up, so I was just hanging on for a while,” said Walsh, who followed birdies at the first, third and sixth with two more at the 16th and 18th.
“But honestly, I hit it pretty nicely. So, it was pretty stress-free. I think if I did miss a green, it was just on the fringe, and I was putting, and the one green I did miss long in the rough, I chipped into a foot.
“So it was very stress-free, which is nice in golf. They don’t come around too often. The wind definitely picked up, but it was nice to pick up two birdies there at the end as well.”
Former Wake Forest star Walsh missed just her second cut this season in last week’s Dormy Open, which was also staged in Helsingborg.
But after notching two top-tens, including a career-best tie for fourth in the recent Jabra Ladies Open, she was thrilled to get the call-up to remain in Sweden to tee it up alongside the men in the DP World Tour co-sanctioned event at Vasatorps.
“I checked the reserve list last week, and I thought I was way down,” the Castlewarden talent explained. “So I didn’t think there was a chance unless I played well last week.
“So I went back to Copenhagen on Sunday thinking I was flying home Monday morning, and then I checked the reserve list, and I was first reserve.
“I was like, right, I have to come back and see if I can get a chance to get in. It’s a great tournament to be able to be a part of so.
“And then I woke up Monday morning, and I was in, so it was a bit of a chaotic start to the week.
“I booked a hotel until Thursday because I thought I was first reserve and then realised yesterday, ‘Oh, I have to extend that’, so it’s been great. It’s been a fun week so far.”
Walsh loves the higher profile that DP World Tour co-sanctioned status brings to Vasatorps Golfklubb.
“It’s been great,” Walsh said. “It’s been fun. You know, watching the guys warm up on the range is pretty cool.
“It’s been nice for us to have the tour trucks here and it’s just a cool atmosphere. It definitely feels like it’s a little bigger stage. It’s just cool for us.
“I’ve loved it. I was really excited about it and I’m glad I could be part of it.”
As for her form, she was pleased to bounce back from last week’s missed cut after playing so well recently.
“Not only am I hitting it well, the greens are perfect out there,” she said. “So I feel if you put a good roll on it, the ball is going to go in, and I saw that today.
“Good greens coupled with how I’m hitting it right now, it’s made for a good combination today.”