20 year-old Sharmila Nicollet of India and Dutch lady golfer Chrisje de Vries set the pace with scores of five under par on the opening day of the 2012 Ladies European Tour’s Final Qualifying School at La Manga Club in Spain.

Nicollet carded seven birdies and two bogeys for an opening 68 on the South Course whereas De Vries had four birdies, one bogey and an eagle two at the ninth hole in a 66 on the North Course.

Jodi Ewart of England, Germany’s Stephanie Kirchmayr, Swede Elin Emanuelsson and Laura Cabanillas of Spain were the next best placed players on three-under-par.

On two-under-par were Marjet Van der Graff, Alexandre Vilatte, Mary Mattson, Jessica Yadloczky, Caroline Martens and Eleanor Givens.

23 year-old De Vries was equally pleased after her round, having finished with an eagle at the ninth after holing her second shot with a five-iron from 143 metres.  

De Vries held limited membership of the LET in category 11a in 2011 and played in only three ladies golf tournaments, missing the cut in Holland, Morocco and Sicily. She also played on the LET Access Series with a season best finish of sixth at the LETAS Ladies Open in Hazlemere and feels that every competitive experience is improving her game.

At the other end of the experience spectrum, Cabanillas, from Malaga, has played on tour for 11 years and has returned to La Manga Club for the second successive year but feels no pressure to retain her playing privileges. She had three birdies in a round of 68 on the North Course.

24 year-old Ewart, born in North Allerton in Yorkshire but based in Florida, carded a 70 on the South Course containing two birdies, a bogey and an eagle.

26 year-old Kirchmayr from Nuernberg in Bavaria also shot 70 on the South Course after carding two birdies, a bogey and an eagle at the par-five 18th hole.

The LET 90-hole Final Qualifying School is being played over the La Manga Resort’s two world-class courses, the North and the South, for the first four rounds with a cut to the leading 50 lady golfers and ties after 72 holes. The fifth round will be played on the South Course on Thursday and the top 30 players will earn LET Membership in category 8a for the 2012 ladies golf season.

Golf Leaderboard:-

T1 DE VRIES, Chrisje Golfclub Houtrak 66 F (10) -5

T1 NICOLLET, Sharmila India 68 F (10) -5

T3 CABANILLAS, Laura Benahavis - Movistar Telefonic 68 F (10) -3

T3 EWART, Jodi England 70 F (1) -3

T3 KIRCHMAYR, Stephanie Germany 70 F (10) -3

T3 EMANUELSSON, Elin Sweden 68 F (1) -3

T7 VAN DER GRAAFF, Marjet Netherlands 71 F (1) -2

T7 VILATTE, Alexandra (am) France 69 F (10) -2

T7 MATTSON, Mary E USA 71 F (1) -2

T7 YADLOCZKY, Jessica L USA 71 F (1) -2

T7 MARTENS, Caroline Norway 71 F (10) -2

T7 GIVENS, Eleanor R (am) England 71 F (1) -2

T13 CUNINGHAM, Tandi M Wanderers GC, South Africa 72 F (10)-1

T13 CIGANDA, Carlota Spain 72 F (10) -1

T13 QUEEN, Clare Scotland 70 F (1) -1

T13 PLOYUMSRI, Piyathida Thailiand 70 F (10) -1

T13 CHRISTIANSEN, Monica V Simons Golf Club 70 F (1) -1

T13 BOWIE YOUNG, Heather USA 70 F (10) -1

T13 BURKE, Hannah Mid Herts Golf Club, England 70 F (1) -1

T13 DOUGLASS, Charlie Golfsmart, Abacus, Ping F (1) -1

Other Selected Golf Scores:-

T21 CONNOR, Rachel L Manchester GC, Aerotech Design F 72 (1) Par

T28 VERCHENOVA, Maria www.mariaverchenova.de 72 F (10) +1

T28 PRAT, Mireia (am) Spain 72 F (10) +1

T28 GILLEN, Martina Team Ireland Golf 74 F (1) +1

T28 SCOTT, Anna England 72 F (1) +1

Source: LET, powered by the Golfblogger Network