Sophie Giquel from France

(Girona, Costa Brava - Friday July 21, 2006) – In fitting with a Ladies European Tour season that has so far been dominated by French players, European numbers one and six, Gwladys Nocera and Sophie Giquel, claimed the joint first round lead today at the Catalonia Ladies Masters.

Both players carded a three-under-par 69 on a scorching day at Golf D’Aro on Spain’s Costa Brava, to lead by a shot over England’s Kirsty S Taylor, Australia’s Sarah Kemp and Virginie Auffret, from France.

Nocera, 31, who has won twice this season and leads the Tour’s New Star Money List by almost 140,000 euros, was back on the LET after a week’s break spent practising at her home course Biarritz La Phare, in preparation for the forthcoming Evian Masters while Giquel, 24, burst back onto the LET circuit after a week at home in Lyon.

There have been four French wins in nine tournaments so far this season after Stephanie Arricau added two to Nocera’s total. With six strong French players in this week’s elite field of 40, another epic French battle is promised for the weekend. Nocera and Giquel have been paired together again as they were five weeks ago in the final round in Italy when Nocera claimed the victory.

Nocera, who has recorded seven top tens in eight starts, including two wins and a second place, slipped up only once today, when the wind picked up on the back nine.

Gwladys Nocera

She carded four birdies and a solitary bogey, compared to five birdies and two bogeys by Giquel.

“I’m hitting the ball well, it’s pretty solid,” said Nocera. “I spent last week practising my swing with my coach and after seven weeks on the road it was nice to be at home and to be able to sleep in my own bed.

“I’m looking forward to playing in the Evian Masters next week and everything I’m doing is building up to that really, just getting in shape.”

Giquel came off the course eager to see the current scores at The Open Championship as her boyfriend Axel Bettan, to whom she is due to be married next August, is caddying at Hoylake for European Tour professional Gonzalo Fernandez Castano.

He will be caddying for Giquel in a fortnight’s time when she tees up at Royal Lytham in the Weetabix Women’s British Open. It will be the second time that she has played in the major championship, and she missed the cut when she played at Sunningdale when England’s Karen Stupples won in 2004.

Giquel is understandably excited as qualifying was one of her main goals for the season, as was playing in the elite field at this week’s Catalonia Ladies Masters.

“I wanted to win a tournament, get in to Evian, the British, here and LPGA Q School,” Giquel said. She didn’t qualify for Evian but feels all four of her other goals are achievable: “Now I am having more top tens I feel like I am playing well enough to win.”

Sarah Kemp, an Australian rookie, who is only 20, was thrilled to be in this week’s tournament as only the top 30 in the New Star Money List qualify.

She said: “I had a great start but I could have kept it going.” England’s Kirsty S Taylor, from Basingstoke, was playing much better after a missed cut in Hungary last week. She said: “I’ve been working really hard on the range and it seems to have paid off.”

Spain’s Marta Prieto was the best Spanish player after she fired a one-under-par 71.