The Czech women golfers got off to a great start in the opening round of the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open. The tropical weather at the Royal Beroun Golf Club spurred most of the eleven Czech players to outstanding performances, which—one-third of the way through the Ladies European Tour season—have resulted in one Top 5 finish and four Top 14 finishes.Sára Kousková had the best round, tying for 5th place, two strokes behind the leader, Lydia Hall of Wales. With a score of 63 (-9), Hall fell just one stroke short of last year’s course record, set by winner Casandra Alexander in the final round.
One stroke behind Hall, with a 64 (-8), are Blanca Fernandez (Spain), Vanessa Knecht (Switzerland), and Esme Hamilton (England). The superbly prepared course and favorable weather conditions allowed for low scores. Overall, 95 of the 132 competing golfers shot under par, and 111 finished at par!
Czech No. 1 Kousková shot a 65 (-7), with a 30 (-6) on the front nine and six birdies on that stretch, including four in a row from the 11th to the 14th holes. She carded her only bogey on the par-4 fourth hole but immediately responded with birdies on the par-5 fifth and seventh holes.
Behind the two-time LET winner are three other Czech players tied for 14th place with a score of 67 (-5): another two-time tour champion, Jana Melichová, the 2022 Beroun winner; Lucie Váchová, who is playing her first season on the LET; and Tereza Zapletal Koželuhová. She dazzled with two eagles, on the seventh and eighteenth holes, marking the first time in her career she’s recorded two eagles in a single round.
Both Melichová and Váchová carded bogey-free rounds with five birdies each. New tour member Patricie Macková and recent turn-pro Anna Andrýsová both finished with 69 strokes (-3), tying for 44th place. Macková shone with a smooth eagle on the par-5 seventh, and Andrýsová had six birdies against three bogeys. Natálie Saint Germain, who was the top Czech player in the tournament last year with a tie for ninth place, finished at par 72.
Results for other Czech players: Kristýna Napoleaová 74, Tereza Melecká 75, Kateřina Šmolíková (Am) 76, Annika Kohoutek (Am) 78.
The second round of the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open, with a cut for the top 60, will be played on Saturday, June 27, starting at 7:45 a.m. Live coverage on Oneplay Sport begins at 10:00 a.m.
