Rebecca Coakley of Team Ireland was the best of the Irish trio with a level par round of 72 at the inaugural Sanya Ladies Open in China on Friday and trails the leader by 7 shots.
Austrian Stefanie Michl shot a career best round of seven-under-par 65 to lead the inaugural Sanya Ladies Open in China on Friday. The 24-year-old from Graz leads by three ahead of England’s Florentyna Parker, South
African Lee-Anne-Pace and Cecilie Lundgreen of Norway, who are tied for second on 68.
Michl was in scintillating form on a scorching day at the Yalong Bay Golf Club in Sanya, on Hainan Island, in southern China – taking advantage of the opening morning’s hot and benign conditions, with temperatures topping 31°C.
Parker, Pace and Lundgreen all played in the breezier afternoon conditions and were delighted to be in contention.
Lundgreen came to Asia as a reserve and only secured her place in the tournament on Monday. A strong result could see her secure her Ladies European Tour card for 2011.
Yang Hong Mei from the nearby city of Haikou was the top Chinese player on the leader board at three-under-par. She tied for fifth with big-hitting Marjet van der Graaff from the Netherlands, Spain’s Tania Elosegui and Samantha Richdale of Canada.
Australian Karen Lunn and Finland’s Hanna-Leena Salonen were a shot further back in a share of ninth place with three other players.
Martina Gillen is seven over par after signing for a first round 79.
Tara Delaney finished with an 80 to end day one 8 over par
The second round of the 54-hole tournament begins on Saturday, following which there will be a cut to the leading 60 professionals and ties.
