Lee-Anne Pace made six birdies and two bogeys on Thursday in the first round of the Ladies European Tour’s and LPGA Tour’s ISPS Handa World Invitational at Galgorm Castle and Massereene in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Playing her first round on the par-72 Massereene Golf Club course, Pace’s four-under 68 put her in a share of sixth place, just one stroke behind the leader Amanda Doherty of the United States, who carded a six-under 67 on the Galgorm Castle course which plays to par 73 for the women. There were four players in second: Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark and Lauren Coughlin of the United States carded 67s at Massereene, and Georgia Hall of England and Ireland’s Leona Maguire had 68s at Galgorm Castle.
Pace started her round on the 10th, and picked up a birdie immediately. She gave that shot back with a bogey on 13, but got back into red figures with a well-taken birdie on 15. She picked up another shot after the turn on the third, and then made three birdies in a row from the fifth to the seventh. She made her second bogey on the eighth.
Casandra Alexander had a level-par 73 at Galgorm Castle, while Nicole Garcia had a three-over 75 at Massereene. Paula Reto battled to a five-over 78 at Galgorm Castle.
