LARVIK, NORWAY (Thursday 2nd July 2009) – Lisa Holm Sorensen has equalled the LET’s all time lowest rounds with an eleven-under-par 62 on a scorching first day at the SAS Ladies Masters.
The 26-year-old Dane posted eleven birdies at Larvik Golfklubb in Norway. She fired six birdies over the back nine, which she played as her first, before carding a further five over the front nine.
The record of eleven-under-par was previously set by England’s Kirsty Taylor during the first round of the 2005 Wales Ladies Championship and then equalled by Swede Nina Reis at last year’s Goteborg Masters at Lycke Golf Club in Sweden. However both courses were par 72s, unlike Larvik, which is a par 73.
Lisa, who won the 2005 Finnair Masters in Finland when the final round was cancelled due to bad weather, hit 17 greens in regulation and had just 25 putts for her best ever round.
” I’m really pleased because I’ve been working really hard and today it just clicked, “she said.
The next best score was English player Samantha Head’s seven-under 66, which included eight birdies and two bogeys.
Sorensen, a fifth year tour player, who won the 2005 Finnair Masters in Finland where the final round was cancelled due to bad weather, hit 17 greens in regulation and had just 25 putts.
“I’m really pleased because I’ve been working really hard and today it just clicked, “she said.
“I’ve been waiting for it all to click and it started in Ireland last week. I had a bad finish but I came here with a really good feeling, especially with my irons.
“I’ve been working on my swing; mostly my backswing, to use my wrists a little bit more on the way back. It’s taking quite a long time.”
She credited the help of her coach, Marcus Brown, from her home town of Aalborg and the assistance of her caddie, fellow LET pro Jo Clingan from England.
“I hired her because I really need someone to help me read the putts because I’m not really confident on it. She is a fantastic putt reader so I really enjoyed that. I give her nearly all the credit,”she said.
England’s Samantha Head, Italian Veronica Zorzi and France’s Sophie Giquel were the next best placed players on seven-under 66. Head carded eight birdies in her round, with first in a row from the 10th hole, which she played as her first.
After five straight birdies, Head admitted to nerves.”The funny thing is I started getting nervous and then I thought, “You idiot. Why are you getting nervous? This should be a good thing.” “After five I parred the next three and birdied the 18th, which was my ninth and that got me back on a roll again. I thought,”What are you doing? Why get nervous?”If you get nervous, you miss putts.
“I’ve got to the stage where all year I haven’t made any birdie putts. Last week in Ireland I had three birdies in three days. I am absolutely sick of not holing putts. I had a different attitude. I just picked the line and hit it and literally it goes in. I was leaving them all short so I just hit them harder,”she said.
Last week’s AIB Ladies Irish Open champion, Italian Diana Luna, tied for fifth place on six-under 67 with Spaniard Carmen Alonso and England’s Melissa Reid.
Luna’s score included a hole-in-one at the par-three 15th, which was the ninth hole-in-one on the LET so far this year.
A shot further back in a share of eighth place were Spaniard Emma Cabrera-Bello, England’s Rebecca Hudson and Germany’s Katharina Schallenberg.