After starting her round on the 10th on Friday, Nicole Garcia birdied her final three holes to move to five-under-par and a share of second after the first round of the Ladies European Tour’s Big Green Egg Open at Hilversumsche Golf Club in the Netherlands.
She was three shots off the lead which was held by Sofie Bringner of Sweden. Bringner carded an eight-under 64 which included three bogeys, and, sharing second with Garcia, was Bringner’s fellow Swede Sara Kjellker. There were four players on four-under in a share of fourth.
Garcia got off to a steady start with three pars in a row from the 10th, before making her first birdie on the 13th. She birdied 17, and an eagle-three on 18 saw her turn in four-under. But she dropped shots on the first and the fifth, before her closing rally with a hot putter saw her home in five-under.
“The course is really set up for some low scores,” Garcia said, who also eagled the 18th after reaching the green in two. “Luckily the putter was still hot from last week where I had a really good putting week so I was hoping it would continue and it did.”
Lee-Anne Pace also started solidly with a three-under-par 69 giving her a share of eighth.
Stacy Bregman opened with a four-over 76, and Cara Gorlei struggled to a nine-over 81.
