Local player Caroline Hedwall and Ana Pelaez Trivino from Spain set the pace in the Helsingborg Open with a pair of four-under-par 68s at Allerum Golf Club on Friday morning.
Making the most of their early tee times, the duo made their scores in the calmer conditions before a cool breeze picked up and whipped across the course, making it trickier for the later starters.
Hedwall hit the front at six-under-par after making six birdies, but dropped two shots on her last hole, the ninth, to slip into a share of the clubhouse lead with Pelaez Trivino.
“It was unfortunate to finish with a double bogey on the last, but to be honest, it wasn’t that bad of a shot, it just got caught by the wind and that pushed down in the water,” said the 34-year-old four-time Solheim Cup player. “I’m pleased with how I played. I started a bit shakily, but I missed in the right places. I putted really well and actually played really well on my back nine. I’m pleased with my start and it’s good to be up there on day one when you’re playing at home. I used to live here in Helsingborg for 15 years so this feels like home and then we are going to Stockholm next week, which is home, so it couldn’t be better.”
The seven-time LET winner, whose most recent victory came in the 2022 season-ending Andalucia Costa del Sol Open de España, is looking for her first win on home soil and she added: “I’ve been close quite a few times so that’s the goal for the week, but I don’t want to push anything. I want to play well and hopefully I’ll be up there in contention on Sunday.”
Pelaez Trivino made an early bogey on the 11th, before picking up three birdies on the 13th, 18th and first holes. The highlight of her round was a brilliant eagle on the fifth, which she played as her 14th, after some discussions around club selection with her caddie.
She said afterwards: “I hit driver off the tee and had 180-something metres to the flag. It was whipping downwind and I asked my caddie, ‘Do you think 6-iron is the club?’ 165m was the front of the green. He gave me the best explanation as to why 6-iron was the perfect club and I was like, ‘Okay, so six or not?’ He said yes and we left it within two feet. After I made eagle, I said, yes, it was the perfect club.”
The 25-year-old from Malaga, who won the 2022 Comunidad de Madrid Ladies Open to secure her full card on the LET, has started the 2023 season strongly with five top 10s including two second places and sits in third position on the Race to Costa del Sol.
She added: “I look for a win at every single tournament I play in, so hopefully it’s this one. I have really good memories of Helsingborg. I came here in 2015, with my dad. It was my first LET tournament ever, so hopefully I can create more great memories in Helsingborg.”
Alexandra Swayne from the U.S. Virgin Islands was also on four-under-par after only six holes in her afternoon round having birdied the first, eagled the fifth and made another birdie on the sixth hole.
Nuria Iturrioz from Spain is in the clubhouse on three-under-par with Nicole Broch Estrup, the 2015 tournament champion, in a large group on two-under-par, alongside Lily May Humphreys, the recent Joburg Ladies Open winner who finished second on this course two years ago, in the LET Access Series’ Allerum Open.
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