English pair fly the flag

A pro making her way on the tournament circuit and a teenage amateur kept the English flag flying highest in the WPGA International Challenge at Stoke by Nayland.

Charlotte Ellis, 28, and 18-year-old Ellie Goodman both negotiated the Gainsborough Course at the Suffolk resort in three-under-par 69s to open up a one-stroke lead at the end of day one.

Hot on their collective heels in pursuit of the €4,800 first prize is France’s Melodie Bourdy, the sister of European Tour pro Gregory, and Daisy Nielsen of Denmark.

Bourdy, who was in one of the first trios to tackle the par 72 course, held the lead for most of the day until late starters, Ellis and Goodall, improved on her two-under.

For a while, however, Spain’s Marta Sanz Barrio, pictured, looked as though she would end the first of the tournament’s three rounds at the head of the 93-strong field.

Four-under after 14 holes, she finished level with four others on one-under after an anti-climatic implosion that saw her post bogeys on three of the last four holes.

By contrast, Goodall, a member a Selby Golf Club, Yorkshire, and Northern Ladies Champion in 2013 who began her round at the 10th, turned up the heat on her inward nine.

Having completed the outward half in level par by immediately erasing a bogey at the 13^th with a birdie at the par 5 14^th,  the teenager followed suit with three more in the space of four holes.

Similarly Ellis, who reached the turn in one-under, moved into overdrive thereafter with an eagle at the par four 397 yard 12^th and go along way towards erasing the memory of a disastrous display in last week’s Grecotel Amirandes Ladies Open in Crete.

“My game was in a much better place today, especially after last week,” she said, referring to an argument she had with some rocks that resulted in a calamitous first round of 88.

“I felt in played quite nicely today am really pleased. I think my putter made the difference today. I holed some good putts and actually missed a couple of birdie chances inside six feet so it could have been better. Nevertheless, I’ll settle for three-under.”

Meanwhile, defending champion Hannah Ralph finished day one level on two-over with former major winner and the leading PGA professional in the field, Alison Nicolas, and two clear of Hannah Moul, an amateur playing at her home club.