Denmark’s Sofie Kibsgaard and Poland’s Dorota Zalewska share the lead on day one at the Dutch Ladies Open, after the pair opened with rounds of 68 (-4) at Goyer Golf & Country Club.
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The leaderboard is tightly packed, with just two shots separating the top 15 players, setting the stage for an exciting weekend ahead.
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Kibsgaard carded a bogey-free round for the first 18 holes at the new venue for 2025. The 26-year-old had a solid start, securing three birdies on the front nine, before adding another on the 17th.
“I think from the outside it looks easier than it is”, said Kibsgaard. “The course is tough, it’s challenging with the wind, and it’s really firm. I just hit the right shots at the right time.”
Despite a few missed greens, she kept her round steady.
“I made some crazy up-and-downs, but overall it was very solid. It’s a tricky layout, kind of like Hilversumsche [where the 2024 tournament was held] – tree-lined, windy, and firm.”
After some time at home for a few weeks since South Africa, Kibsgaard said she has focused hard on her long game and green reading.
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“I’ve been doing a lot of work on my long game, my irons, drivers, a lot of green reading. It’s nice to see some of the work paying off.
“There’s still a lot of golf left for this tournament, so I’m just going to start a fresh tomorrow. I’ll just keep doing what I’ve been doing right now and be patient out there. I’m going to see Amsterdam tonight, take some time off and not think about golf.”
Zalewska also impressed with a composed first round that featured an eagle on the 12th. She dropped her only shot of the day on the 18th, to finish four-under par.
“It was a really good day”, said the 25-year-old. “The eagle on the 12th hole was great – I hit two solid shots. I think I had around 100 yards, 17 metres in, but I was blocked by the trees on the left, so I needed to draw it in. I saw where it landed and was like ok, that was a good shot.
“I did my work before coming here and hopefully that can pay off leading into tomorrow too. It’s been a long process, but I’ve worked on my swing quite a lot. I’m trying to be more calm on the course amongst other things so everything is kind of falling into place. It’s given me a bit more confidence in my putting too.”
With the course being close to Amsterdam, Zalewska has been exploring the city too and is enjoying her time in the Netherlands.
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It’s a tight leaderboard with five players in a share of third place. England’s Hannah Screen and Mimi Rhodes, New Zealand’s Amelia Garvey, Germany’s Laura Fuenfstueck, and Sweden’s Lisa Petterson, all fired rounds of three-under par for round one.
Screen had a bogey-free round for her scorecard. “It was pretty tough out there, so glad I could bounce back and avoid any bogeys on the card, which is very nice.
The 25-year-old is riding momentum from a recent win at the Rose Ladies Series last week. “It’s been great. I was struggling a little bit the week previously and in South Africa. I just got home, reassessed everything, changed a couple of things with the team back home, and then good to see it working with the win last week.”
