Anna Highgate

(Chart Hills GC, Biddenden, Kent – October 6th 2006) – Cardiff’s Anna Highgate made an early charge during a rain soaked first morning at the BBC Radio Kent Ladies’ English Open at Chart Hills GC in Kent, south east England.

The 23-year-old Southerndown based player carded a three-under-par 69 in difficult conditions to tie for the lead with England’s Danielle Masters and Denmark’s Amanda Moltke-Leth, who both finished the day on three-under-par after completing only 12 holes.

Play was suspended during the afternoon after torrential rain flooded the greens and bunkers but the tournament resumed at 4pm. Play was eventually called for the day at 6.30pm due to poor light conditions with half of the field still to complete their first round.

A total of 20 afternoon matches were due to resume the first round at 7.30am on Saturday with round two scheduled to commence at 9.00am, an hour and a half later than originally intended.

Highgate took advantage of her early tee time to card six birdies and three bogeys and she admitted that her 69 was one of her best rounds this year on the Ladies European Tour.

The former Curtis Cup player, now in her second year as a professional, admitted: “On hole-16 the weather was terrible but then on 17 and 18 I holed two 25 foot putts for birdie so I was quite happy.

Natalie Booth and her caddy former European Tour pro Martin Lemeseurier

“I knew there were some tough conditions out there so I had a good chance of having one of the best scores of the morning. I think the wet conditions suit me because I fly the ball in the air and I need a lot of carry.”

Like Masters and Moltke-Leth, Germany’s Martina Eberl had completed 12 holes when play came to a close for the day and she sat one shot off the lead on two-under-par.

She finished the day one stroke ahead of England’s Natalie Booth, who posted a one-under-par 71.

Booth, from New Milton in Hampshire, was playing in only her third Ladies European Tour event of the season and her caddy was the former European Tour pro Martin Lemeseurier, who played at Chart Hills a fortnight ago in the European Tour’s stage one Qualifying School, where he finished 19th with a total score of nine-under-par over four rounds.

Booth tied with compatriot Rebecca Hudson of Doncaster, who was one-under after 12 holes and Australia’s Alison Munt, who was one-under after 15.

Natalie Booth

Booth said: “I holed some really nice putts on the front nine and we were lucky because we played for about six holes without the rain. On the back nine I three putted and just bogeyed the last. Other than that it was just very, very steady. It was really nice to get the best of the course and set the pace for everyone else.”