Gwladys Nocera

(Eindhovensche Golf, Valkenswaard, the Netherlands – Friday 8th June 2007) – France’s Gwladys Nocera set the pace with a course record eight-under-par 64 before play was suspended at 4:20pm during the first round of the KLM Ladies Open at Eindhovensche Golf in the Netherlands.

Thunder and lightning led to the suspension of tournament play, with the 60 players in the afternoon matches still to complete their first rounds.

The first round was rescheduled to resume at 7am on Saturday 9th June, weather permitting. The second round will start at 9am, one hour later than originally scheduled.

Nocera, a three-time Ladies European Tour champion, carded six birdies and an eagle in hot, airless conditions to take the clubhouse lead.

Laura Tereby from the United States had reached six-under-par after 15 holes and lay in second position.

France’s Ludivine Kreutz and 19-year-old Dutch amateur Christer Boeljon both carded five-under-par 67s and held joint third position. South Africa’s Ashleigh Simon fired a 68 to hold fifth place.

Nocera, who last won almost a year ago in Spain, was defeated by England’s Lisa Hall in an eight-hole play-off at the Northern Ireland Ladies Open on Sunday.

Having come so close to her fourth LET victory, she admitted that she was determined to capitalise on her strong form of late. “I realised I could be there again,” said Nocera, a member of The 2005 European Solheim Cup Team.

“I am playing well. I am hitting the ball well but there is still room for improvement; I think I can hit the ball further with my drives. I’m playing pretty consistent. I’m also getting stronger with my mind so that’s good.

Nocera set off from the 10th tee and birdied holes 12, 17 and 18 on her front nine, reaching the turn in three-under 33. She then fired further birdies at the first, second and eighth holes before sealing her perfect round with an eagle at the par-five ninth, which was her final hole of the day.

She hit driver, four-iron to six metres and holed putt. “I couldn’t have hit it better,” she said. “I really enjoyed my golf today. Even from the beginning, I didn’t expect to play that well, but I told myself to enjoy playing instead of being sad about my game and it turned out to be very good.”

Nocera’s fellow former Solheim Cup teammate Kreutz carded six birdies and one bogey continuing the tradition of French competitors playing well in the tournament. Last year Stephanie Arricau became the sixth French winner of the event and the second in succession after Virginie Lagoutte-Clement won at Kennemer GC in 2005.

“I played quite steady. The drives were on the fairways, the shots were on the greens,” said Kreutz, a three-time LET tournament champion whose last Tour victory was the OTP Bank Ladies Central European Open in Hungary. “I put a couple very close to the hole which helped. I put it to about a metre on holes 16, seven, eight and nine. I just lipped out on the eighth.”

A further four players were on three-under-par: England’s Georgina Simpson, Ireland’s Rebecca Coakley and Germany’s Anja Monke all carded 69, while Belgian amateur Benedicte Toumpsin was three-under-par after 16 holes.

Simpson, who set out at 8.30am, said: “It was very hot and there was no air at all this morning. I have started putting which has made the difference. I have been hitting it well for a few weeks now but I have finally started scoring, which is nice. It’s been quite frustrating at times. I haven’t had a good start to a tournament this year but I got off to a good start this morning and I felt in control.

“I put a six-iron to four inches at the last to go to three under and I had four birdies and one bogey. I always seem to play well here. I almost won in Kennemer and I came 11th here last year. I like Holland and the people are fantastic.”