Taylor off to a flier in Madrid

10/2/2008

England’s Kirsty S Taylor shot six-under-par 67 to lead by a stroke after the first round of the Madrid Ladies Masters.

The 29-year-old from Overton near Basingstoke in Hampshire carded seven birdies and one bogey in glorious weather at Casino Club de Golf Retamares.

She finished the day one ahead of Scotland’s Catriona Matthew and the Spanish duo of Paula Marti and Tania Elosegui.

The 2002 LET rookie of the year, Taylor hopes to improve on her career best finishes of third at the 2002 Wales WPGA Championship of Europe and joint third at the 2006 Tenerife Ladies Open this week.

Along with the other 39 players in the field, she is gunning for the first prize of €100,000 at the final event of the year in Europe.

South Korea’s Amy Yang, 19, who has won twice in 2008, at the HypoVereinsbank Ladies German Open and the Scandinavian TPC Hosted by Annika, was fifth on four-under 69.

A group of six players share sixth on 70: Johanna Westerberg of Sweden, Felicity Johnson and Laura Davies from England, Spain’s Carmen Alonso and the Danish duo of Lisa Holm Sorensen and Iben Tinning.

Leaderboard – Round 1:

1. Kirsty S. Taylor                         ENG  67 - 6
2. Tania Elosegui                          ESP  68 - 5
    Paula Marti                              ESP  68 - 5
    Catriona Matthew                     SCO  68 - 5
5. Amy Yang                               KOR  69 - 4
6. Johanna Westerberg                SWE  70 - 3
    Felicity Johnson                        ENG  70 - 3
    Carmen Alonso                        ESP  70 - 3
    Laura Davies                           ENG  70 - 3
    Iben Tinning                           DEN  70 - 3
    Lisa Holm Sorensen                 DEN  70 - 3

Source: Ladies European Tour