DUBAI WOMEN'S MASTERS:HAZEL KAVANAGH of Grange Golf Club was the leading Irish player on the opening day of the Omega Dubai Women's Masters yesterday, with her level-par round of 72 leaving her five shots behind the leader, Florentyna Parker of England.
Martina Gillen of Team Ireland shot a 76 and Rebecca Coakley was four shots further adrift after a triple bogey and five bogeys. Tara Delaney signed for an 81.
Parker leads by a stroke after setting a blistering pace with five birdies in seven holes on the Majlis course at the Emirates Golf Club. The Hamburg-based player, a member at Royal Birkdale in Lancashire, started with consecutive birdies at the long 10th and the short 11th holes.
She then picked up another shot at the 540-yard par-five 13th and then made a fantastic save on 14.
“I hit it really close and made the putts. It was really fun,” said Parker, who captured her maiden Women’s European Tour title in the Netherlands in June and has recorded six more top 10 finishes.
Conditions in the desert sun were a far cry from the freezing temperatures at home in Germany but Parker had been acclimatising over the last fortnight. She had been practising at nearby Al Badia Golf Club where her cousin, Matthew Parker, is the club professional.
Russian Maria Verchenova, fighting for her Women’s European Tour card, fired a 68 and was a stroke behind Parker.
American Michelle Wie signed for a one-under 71 after an eventful round that included three birdies, a bogey, an eagle at the par-five third hole and a triple bogey at the par-four eighth.
Wie got into trouble on the eighth, which she played as her 17th hole, after hitting her driver left into a sandy area by a tree and took an unplayable drop.
After she dropped, the ball plugged in the sand and she hit a 52 degree wedge out, followed by a pitching wedge left of the green but didn’t make it up and down.
In-Kyung Kim’s defence of the tournament also started with a one-under 71.
Laura Davies struggled in her battle with Lee-Anne Pace for the 2010 Henderson Money List. Davies was tied for 58th after a three over 75 and blamed a lack of sleep after receiving a late night phone call, after which she could not get back to sleep.
