Emily Kristine Pedersen leads the Hero Women's Indian Open
Friday 23 October 2015 15:11, UK
Emily Kristine Pedersen made the most of tough conditions to take a one-shot lead at the Women’s Indian Open.
On a day where only three players finished under par and more than a third of the field broke 80, the Norwegian birdied two of her final four holes to close a two-under 70 at DLF Golf and Country Club.
Beginning at the tenth, a gain at the 18th saw the Dane reach the turn level par before the Ladies European Tour rookie moved out in front with a bogey-free front nine.
A birdie at the sixth was followed by another at the par-four ninth to pull Pedersen one clear of Thailand's Saraporn Chamchoi and former Solheim Cup star Giulia Sergas.
Minea Blomqvist and Sophia Popov lie a further stroke adrift, while Becky Morgan was one of the pick of the morning starters, part of a five-way tie for the lead earlier in the day following a one-over 73.
"I'm very happy," Morgan said. "I got off to a very good start and birdied one and three, so I was two under.
"I didn't make any more birdies and made three bogeys but I was very steady and I hit 14 greens. I just two putted and went on to the next so it was very consistent.
"It's very tough. It's very up and down and it's quite tight off the tee. The greens are very undulating and firm so it's hard to get it close to the hole.
"I thought at the beginning of the week even par would be a pretty good score; just because it's so tough to get it close, so I am really happy with one over par today."
Ladies European Tour Golf
Morgan was alongside Malene Jorgensen, Ursula Wikstrom, Katie Burnett and Nontaya Srisawang three adrift of the lead, later being joined by Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Liz Young.
"I'm very happy with my plus one today," Jorgensen said. "I had a bogey on the last hole, but I've struggled a lot with my swing this week."
Solheim Cup stars Gwladys Nocera and Melissa Reid struggled to three over and four over respectively, while Pallavi Jain is one of six players to have withdrawn after carding a 30-over-par 102 on home soil.
