Johnson Fires a 65!

England’s Trish Johnson credited a red hot putter as she shot a seven-under-par 65 to take the first round lead in theTenerife Open de España Femenino at Golf Costa Adeje in the Canary Islands.

The recent Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open champion fired eight birdies and one bogey in hot and sunny conditions to end the day one stroke clear of Australian Whitney Hillier, with Scotland’s Kylie Walker and South African Stacy Lee Bregman a stroke further behind.

Johnson, the 2010 Tenerife Ladies Open champion at Buenavista Golf Club, fired three birdies on the first, fifth and sixth holes. She dropped a shot on the par-5 eighth but she gave an incredible putting performance with four birdies in a row from the 12^th, followed by another birdie on the par-5 18^th.

“I can’t really explain it because for the past two weeks I’ve been rubbish and Evian was embarrassing,” said Johnson, who three weeks ago became the LET’s oldest ever winner at the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open aged 48. “I think it’s just a case of when you go to some places you like the greens. Having said that, I did go on the putting green yesterday. I saw something playing at Evian, and I can’t remember who it was, but I remember thinking I like the look of that with the right hand and I just started to practice it and I felt comfortable straight away. I thought, ‘This feels really good,’ and I putted very well today.”

Hillier has twice led the first round of a Ladies European Tour event this summer, in Italy and Sweden and she proved that she has the game to contend with the best as she had seven birdies and one dropped shot in a 66.

After completing her round in windier conditions in the afternoon, Hillier said:

“I played well today and the only bogey I made was on three and I made birdie straight after that. I was like, ‘Wow! It just clicked.’ Obviously it was windy so it was a bit of a grind and I was hitting punch shots all day and just reading the greens really well. It was just another good day out. I’m slowly learning how to deal with pressure so I hope I can finish a lot stronger and have fun.”

Bregman mixed an eagle on the eighth hole with four birdies and one bogey. She said: “I putted really well today. I hit some really good putts and hit it on the fairways and knocked it close and gave myself a lot of chances. I’ve grown up playing courses that are inland, not coastal courses, but I do have a bit of experience with grainy greens. I saw everything today and it felt right. I was in the right frame of mind. I’ve been working on my putting and it seems to be paying off.”

Walker also played in the breezier conditions and commented:

“I played really solid and played 10 to 18 first and was five under for those holes. I eagled the 18^th, which was nice and dropped a couple of shots on one and two but it’s just so exposed. I guess that’s going to happen in those conditions but I held on and played solid and then had a couple of birdies towards the end. At times it was a three club wind. Most of the holes were a cross wind which actually makes it a bit tougher. If it’s straight into or straight down you can go at your target but you do need to allow for the wind to shape the ball.”

Solheim Cup team mates Charley Hull and Carlota Ciganda were among the group of seven players on four under par. Ciganda had a colourful round with a double bogey on the ninth and an eagle on the 13^th, with seven birdies and three bogeys on her card while Hull was disappointed after dropping a shot on her 17^th hole.

Collated scores after round 1:

65 - Trish Johnson (ENG)

66 - Whitney Hillier (AUS)

67 - Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA) , Kylie Walker (SCO)

68 - Carlota Ciganda (ESP) , Kelsey Macdonald (SCO) , Maria Balikoeva (RUS) , Anjelika Hammar (SWE) , Christine Wolf (AUT) , Connie Chen (RSA) , Charley Hull (ENG)

69 - Klara Spilkova (CZE) , Michele Thomson (SCO) , Maha Haddioui (MAR)

70 - Anais Maggetti (SUI) , Adriana Brent (AUS) , Nikki Campbell (AUS) , Azahara Munoz (ESP) , Karolin Lampert (GER) , Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) , Leigh Whittaker (GER) , Natalia Escuriola (ESP) , Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) , Amy Boulden (WAL)

71 - Caroline Afonso (FRA) , Beth Allen (USA) , Sophie Walker (ENG) , Hannah Burke (ENG) , Diana Luna (ITA) , Noora Tamminen (FIN) , Lydia Hall (WAL) , Marion Ricordeau (FRA) , Laura Jansone (LVA) , Vikki Laing (SCO) , Melissa Reid (ENG)

72 - Josephine Janson (SWE) , Nontaya Srisawang (THA) , Pamela Pretswell (SCO) , Florentyna Parker (ENG) , Jade Schaeffer (FRA) , Nicole Broch Larsen (DEN) , Krista Bakker (FIN)

73 - Mireia Prat (ESP) , Isabell Gabsa (GER) , Paula Hurtado (COL) , Nuria Iturrios (ESP) , Carmen Alonso (ESP) , Heather Macrae (SCO) , Henni Zuel (ENG) , Liz Young (ENG) , Celine Herbin (FRA) , Nicole Garcia (RSA) , Julie Greciet (FRA) , Luna Sobron (ESP) , Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) , Ann-Kathrin Lindner (GER) , Virginia Espejo (ESP) , Bree Arthur (AUS) , Minea Blomqvist (FIN)

74 - Patricia Sanz Barrio (ESP) , Holly Aitchison (ENG) , Charlotte Ellis (ENG) , Maria Beautell (ESP), Carly Booth (SCO) , Gemma Webster (SCO) , Chloe Leurquin (BEL) , Astrid Vayson De Pradenne (FRA) , Ainil Bakar (MYS)

75 - Silvia Banon (ESP) , Isabelle Boineau (FRA) , Patricia Lobato (ESP) , Tania Elosegui (ESP) , Sahra Hassan (WAL) , Cathryn Bristow (NZL) , Julie Tvede (DEN) , Holly Clyburn (ENG) , Sara Beautell Largo (ESP) , Alison Whitaker (AUS) , Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) , Linda Henriksson (FIN) , Malene Jorgensen (DEN) , Emma Cabrera-bello (ESP) , Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) , Stefania Croce (ITA) , Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA) , Lee-Anne Pace (RSA) , Kim Williams (RSA)

76 - Georgia Hall (ENG) , Charlotte Thompson (ENG) , Rebecca Sorensen (SWE) , Lucie Andre (FRA) , Lauren Taylor (ENG) , Victoria Lovelady (BRA) , Hannah Ralph (ENG) , Nina Muehl (AUT) , Margherita Rigon (ITA) , Araceli Felgueroso (ESP) , Georgina Simpson (ENG) , Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ) , Sally Watson (SCO)

77 - Becky Brewerton (WAL) , Nikki Garrett (AUS) , Melanie Maetzler (SUI) , Caroline Martens (NOR) , Sophie Sandolo (ITA) , Kiran Matharu (ENG) , Elina Nummenpaa (FIN) , Patricia Beliard (FRA) , Rebecca Codd (IRL)

78 - Rebecca Hudson (ENG) , Eleanor Givens (ENG) , Viva Schlasberg (SWE) , Maria Salinas (PER) , Fabienne In-albon (SUI) , Sophie Gustafson (SWE)

79 - Emma Westin (SWE) , Nina Holleder (GER) , Steffi Kirchmayr (GER) , Lucy Williams (ENG)

80 - Suzanne Dickens (ENG) , Louise Larsson (SWE) , Alexandra Vilatte (FRA)

81 - Julia Davidsson (SWE)

82 - Bonita Bredenhann (NAM)

83 - Laurence Herman (BEL)

84 - Pamela Feggans (SCO)