Walshe tied for lead with Caudal

GOLF:AS LISA Maguire, Europe's top amateur, acted like a magnet for those thousands of spectators who traipsed through the dancing fescue grasses here at Killeen Castle in Co Meath yesterday afternoon, another Irish-born player – Alison Walshe, born in Galway but reared in Massachusetts – went quietly and diligently about her business in moving to the top of the leaderboard in the Ladies Irish Open.

In near-perfect conditions, with barely a breath of wind, players went hunting for birdies. And nobody did it better than Walshe, who had seven in a round of 66, six-under, which left her tied for the first-round lead with French player Anne-Lise Caudal.

“I definitely had my expectations,” said the 26-year-old, who divides her time playing between the LPGA and the LET tours.

Walshe is the one who got away, as far as Irish golf is concerned. Having represented the United States in the Curtis Cup as an amateur – in a career that saw her win seven times on the collegiate circuit as a student at the University of Arizona – Walshe briefly switched allegiance to Ireland when informed she couldn’t represent the USA in the Solheim Cup, because she was born here. She subsequently changed back to playing under the USA flag again, however.

The links with Ireland remain strong, ranging from extended family – uncles, aunts and her grandmother – forming part of the support gallery to having a four-leaf clover with Celtic imagery on her putter head cover.

Walshe’s form coming into the €400,000 tournament, having finished in 27th position in the recent US Open, hinted at a potential to contend. The setback of an early bogey on the 14th, having started on the 10th, was more than compensated for by her ability to bounce back with a hat-trick of birdies from the 15th.

“It was nothing to be frazzled about,” said Walshe of the bogey, as she responded with a birdie on the par five 15th and then hit a five-iron tee shot to 25 feet on the 170 yards par three 16th before hitting a sand-wedge to six feet on the 17th to complete the sequence.

“I’ve been playing well, hitting the ball well. I felt I could come out and get a good round,” said Walshe, who has been juggling playing on both sides of the Atlantic. She added: “You get used to it, playing on both tours and coming back and forth. I’ve learned how to manage it, not to play a thousand holes before a round and not to exert all your energy beforehand.”

Her first round joint-leader Caudal, a 27-year-old Frenchwoman with one career win, shot a 66 that included two eagles – on the 532 yards par five second, she holed out from 80 yards with what she described as a “controlled 52-degree wedge” shot, and then reached the 460 yards par five seventh in two with a five-wood approach and holed from five feet – to get into contention.

Yet, Walshe and Caudal needed to cast only the briefest of glances at the names behind them – with Sweden’s Maria Hjorth in a group of three just a shot behind and defending champion Sophie Gustafson and Laura Davies in a bunch of seven just three back – to know that the hard part of the task comes over the weekend. Indeed, only four shots separate the top 30 players, while world number three Suzann Pettersen lurks menacingly after an opening 71.

Lisa Maguire, who heads the home challenge, also opened with a 71 that demonstrated an impressive short game, while her twin sister Leona showed great fortitude in covering the last eight holes in four-under (including a hat-trick of birdies to finish) en route to a 73.

Rebecca Codd had a 73 that saw putts “lipping out instead of lipping in. I just have to keep staying patient, that’s the main thing,” said Codd.

Unquestionably, the largest gallery of the first day was drawn to the three-ball that featured Azahara Munoz Guijarro, Becky Brewerton . . . and a certain Lisa Maguire. She didn’t disappoint. Although shorter off the tee than the more experienced tour players, Maguire – winner of the European Amateur championship last month – consistently hit greens and gave herself birdie chances.

“I putted quite well all day and I put myself in good enough spots to have a go at the putts. If you are in the wrong spot on those greens you are in bother, so I gave myself a good few chances and got most of them anyway,” said Maguire, who rolled in putts of 15 feet and 20 feet respectively on the 11th and 12th for back-to-back birdies, to move to two-under, before dropping a shot on the 17th where she went at a tight pin, was bunkered and failed to get up and down.

She added: “I played well in Europe and I was playing well in the practice rounds over the last few weeks, so I just hoped I could bring my game. It’s not a bad start. I didn’t set a finish (as a goal), just to put in three good, solid rounds – three rounds under par preferably – and we’re on track for that.”

Her sister Leona had a far more varied round – struggling to five-over through 10 holes – then produced the best finish of anyone. Having started on the 10th, Leona got a birdie back on the second before lighting the fireworks with a finishing run that produced birdies on the seventh, eighth and ninth holes (with the longest putt being from 10 feet) as she rescued her round. “If I can play like I played on the back nine, I should be alright,” she said.