Caroline Rominger from Switzerland has posted an opening round of four-under-par 68 to take a two-stroke lead in the Santander Golf Tour LETAS El Prat, which is the season-ending tournament on the 2018 LET Access Series.
Rominger is two clear of England’s Cloe Frankish, Austrian Sarah Schober and Gudrun Bjorgvinsdottir, all on two-under-par. Recent European Team Championships gold medallist Linda Wessberg is in a group on one-under, along with LET Access Series Order of Merit leader, Emma Nilsson, who won the Belfius Ladies Open earlier this year.
Playing in warm and sunny conditions at Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona, the 35-year-old Rominger, from Samedan, started on the 10th hole and birdied the par-3 11th before dropping a shot on the long 18th for a back nine total of 36.
A holed approach shot for eagle on the par-4 second hole boosted her chances and she then carded two more birdies at the fourth and eighth holes for a front nine total of four-under-par 32.
“It was good. I started slowly actually, just par, par, par and then I had a birdie and a bogey. On my 11th hole, which is the second on the course, I holed out from almost 130 metres, which was pretty good. I was two-under on that nine and then I had another two birdies. I had a lot of chances,” said the 10th year LET member, whose best finish this year was a tie for third in the Bossey Ladies Open on the LET Access Series.
Looking ahead to the next two rounds, she said: “I’ll keep my game plan the same as today. The course is so nice and the greens are rolling amazing, almost too quick, so I’m going to do some putting. Otherwise I’ll keep everything the same.”
There are high stakes in Spain this week as a number of players have the chance to earn a Ladies European Tour card for the 2019 season. The leading five players, not otherwise exempt, will earn LET membership, while the players in positions 6 to 20 on the LETAS Order of Merit will have the opportunity to advance directly to the Final Stage of the LET’s Lalla Aicha Tour School.
