Up and running

The 2023 AIG Women’s Open is underway and the early holes showed signs of the tantalising challenges which await at Walton Heath over the next four days.

Mel Reid, playing in her 15th Championship 16 years after winning the Smyth Salver, had the honour of hitting the first shot but it was one which put her into trouble in heavy rough to the right of the fairway.

She had to chip out sideways and consequently bogeyed the 1st, while Maria Fassi four-putted to double bogey and Alison Lee saved par after finding trees left of the green with her approach.

Scoring continued to prove tough over the first hour but one player who took to conditions quickly was Savannah De Bock.

The Belgian amateur was the final player to book her place at Walton Heath, coming through a dramatic seven-hole play-off which stretched over two days on Monday and Tuesday.

She continued where she left off to earn the first birdie of the 2023 AIG Women’s Open, picking up a shot at the 1st as part of a group also containing Cara Gainer and Yan Liu.

Catriona Matthew, Champion in 2009, and English amateur Charlotte Heath also had early alarm calls, with both starting by collecting pars.

Keep up with all the action from the first day at Walton Heath on our live blog.