Taylor still in touch with leaders
French pair Gwladys Nocera and Sophie Giquel shared the lead on three-under-par 69 after the first round of the Catalonia Ladies’ Masters but Hampshire’s Kirsty Taylor was poised for a weekend attack.
Taylor, without a win in six seasons on the tour, had three birdies and just one bogey in a tidy round of 70 that put her tied for third place with yet another Fench player, Virginie Asuffret, and Australian rookie, Sarah Kemp at Club Golf D’Aro near Girona.
The tournament is an elite field of 40, and Yorkshire’s Rebeccca Hudson was the next best of the British quartet on 74, with England’s Lisa Hall and Wales’ Eleanor Pilgrim both on 77.
Nocera is the leading player in Europe this ear with wins in the Swiss and Italian Opens and she opened her bid for a season’s title hat-trick with four birdies.
Giquel, seeking her first victory, had a handful of birdies while Kemp had the most up-and-down round with five birdies and an eagle plus a scattering of bogeys.
Taylor, 26, anticipates an exciting final two days on the Costa Brava.
“I’ve been playing well all season and it’s nice to be in such a good position,” said the player who has taken encouragement from Hudson’s maiden victory in last week’s Central European Open triumph in Hungary.
Hudson’s hopes of back-to-back wins were raised with a couple of eary birdies, but she had a poor back nine with bogeys at the 12th and 17th and a double-bogey seven at the 13th.
