Long hitting Swede Maria Hjorth powered her way to a five-under-par 67 to go a stroke clear of England’s Melissa Reid on day one of the AIB Ladies Irish Open.
Hjorth enjoyed a consistent round on a day of squally showers at Killeen Castle in Dunsany, County Meath, which is also hosting the 2011 Solheim Cup.
The 36-year-old was four under par after playing the back nine holes first and scored one under par on the front nine.
Reid also played the front nine in 32, but came back in level-par 36 after a colourful front nine which included an eagle, a birdie, a bogey and a double bogey.
The chasing pack on three under include contenders Anna Nordqvist of Sweden and South Korean In Kyung Kim, who are ranked ninth and tenth in the world respectively.
Carly Booth from Scotland, 18, who is in her rookie season on the Ladies European Tour, recorded a career best round of 69 to share third with Denmark’s Iben Tinning, Kristy McPherson of the United States, Italian Giulia Sergas and Finland’s Jenni Kuosa.
Hjorth, who won the most recent of her five international titles at the 2007 Navistar LPGA Classic, took advantage of her distance off the tee as she was able to reach three of the four par fives in two shots.
She said: ‘You can take advantage of being a longer hitter. There were a couple of par-fives where I can reach the green in two but I got in the greenside bunker and didn’t get up and down. There were a couple of par-threes where I made bogeys but overall I’m very happy.’
Hjorth made a flying start with an eagle on the par-five 12th, which is the signature hole at Killeen Castle.
She reduced the 454-yard hole to a driver, rescue 4 wood, which she played over the water to 25 feet. The four-time Solheim Cup player birdied the 13th, bogeyed the 14th and birdied holes 17 and 18.
She picked up another shot at the third, hitting a lob wedge in to a foot from 75 yards, bogeyed the par-three sixth and finished with a birdie on the par-four ninth, after hitting a seven-iron to eight feet.
The five-time tournament champion said that she was enjoying being back in Ireland, having tied for 26th at the 2009 event at Portmarnock Links and tied for seventh in 2008.
She said: ‘I really enjoy coming here and it’s great to be here at Killeen Castle as well and try out the course for Solheim which I’ll hopefully be back for next year.’
Another Solheim Cup prospect, Reid commented: ‘I felt I putted really well, front nine. I didn’t feel I could have done any better than four under front nine, so back nine, I just short sided myself once, made double and then just a three-putt for a bogey. All in all, a pretty good day and I’d probably have taken 68 if you’d have given me that on the first tee.’
Carlow’s Rebecca Coakley was the leading Irish player on one under par, with amateurs Lisa and Leona Maguire both a stroke back on 72.
The 15-year-old twin sisters are almost of completely equal ability and both recovered well after shaky starts. Leona, playing in the morning with Reid and the World number four Suzann Pettersen, double bogeyed her first hole but made four birdies in her last eight holes. Meanwhile Lisa, who played in the afternoon with Laura Davies and Katherine Hull, was out in 38 and back in 34.
Lisa Maguire said: ‘I heard she was done just before I went out so for bragging rights tonight I decided I better keep it close enough to where it was.’
Pettersen from Norway ended the day on two over par and she said: ‘My body’s not responding to my actions; I’m out of gas.’
