Nicole Garcia fired the first hole-in-one of the Helsingborg Open during an eventful opening round at Allerum Golf Club.
The 32-year-old South African aced the 172-yard par 3 third hole using a majestic eight-iron on Saturday morning, moments before Finland’s Elina Numenpaa made another hole-in-one on the par-3 14th.
Garcia made the turn in 36 after carding a birdie on the long fifth and three bogeys on the fourth, sixth and ninth in bright and benign conditions.
She steadied herself with two consecutive pars from the 10th and then eagled the 512-yard par-5 12th hole. Two further birdies on the 16th and 18th holes, along with a bogey on the 17th, saw her return in 33 and eventually sign for a three-under 69.
Garcia didn’t see her ball go into the hole on the third, so had to wait until getting to the green to celebrate with her caddie, who she credited for the correct club selection.
“We weren’t 100 per cent sure if it was in or not, so didn’t want to get too excited. Then there were a few fist pumps, a little bit of screaming, so it was good,” said Garcia, who has now had four hole-in-ones in competition, including two on the LET, one on the LET Access Series and one on the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
Speaking about her second eagle of the day on the 12th, she added: “I’m quite fond of that par five. It suits my eye and I’ve managed to hit the green it two days in a row, giving myself opportunities. I hit it to 15-20 feet and hit an aggressive putt.”
Garcia, ranked 29th on the Race to Costa del Sol, enjoyed two team wins in the Aramco Team Series last year, in London and Jeddah, but the three-time Sunshine Ladies Tour champion is yet to notch an individual title in 10 years of competing on the LET.
She added: “An individual win is something really special. I love the team vibe and I’m quite good in that environment, so I really enjoy those, but to have an individual win, as I haven’t had one on the LET yet, would be incredible for me. Hold thumbs and we’ll see what we can do tomorrow.”
Fellow first-round leader Caroline Hedwall from Stockholm, Sweden, started her second round at 13:13 and remained tied for the lead with Garcia on seven-under-par through the turn, having made three birdies at the second, the fifth and the eighth holes, going out in 33, with a large gallery of home supporters cheering her on.
Ana Pelaez Trivino from Spain, the third first round leader, also started well with three birdies and a…
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