Irish athletes Anna Foster, Annabel Wilson, and Aine Donegan faced significant difficulties on the opening day of the Australian Women’s Open, held in windy Adelaide.
Foster, representing Elm Park, finished her round four-over par (76), placing 84th. Wilson carded a 77, landing her in 98th position, while Donegan from Lahinch, with an 80, was 120th among the 144 participants. All three golfers played in the afternoon when the wind was particularly strong.
Tournament Leaders
The leaderboard was topped by Wales’ Darcey Harry, who delivered an impressive 66 strokes (six-under par). She was followed by Germany’s Alexandra Fosterling, one shot behind, and American Anna Morgan, two shots off the lead.
Fourth place was shared by several athletes with a score of 69, including last week’s Australian Women’s Classic winner Kelsey Bennett (Australia), Emma Spitz (Austria), French players Agathe Laisne and Celine Herbine, England’s Annabell Fuller, and Italy’s Alessandra Fanali.
Individual Performances
Anna Foster
Anna Foster, who missed the cut at last week’s Women’s Classic, was even par through nine holes, alternating birdies on the 11th and 15th with bogeys on the 10th and 14th. However, a triple bogey on the first hole was a major setback. Despite subsequent birdies on the second and eighth holes, a double bogey on the fourth and a bogey on the sixth led to her finishing the back nine with 41 strokes.
Annabel Wilson
Annabel Wilson, making her first start of the season, also reached even par on her first nine holes (back nine for her, starting from 11th) after a birdie on the 11th and a bogey on the 17th. But on the front nine, she dropped shots on the first, fourth, sixth, seventh, and ninth holes, resulting in her total of 77.
Aine Donegan
For Aine Donegan, the day also proved challenging. She recorded three birdies, five bogeys, and three double-bogeys, completing each nine with 40 strokes.
Other Notable Players
Three-time major champion Minjee Lee posted an even par (72 strokes), tying for 24th place. Grace Kim, who won her first major at last year’s Amundi Evian Championship, finished the day with 75 strokes (three-over par), also navigating the tough windy afternoon conditions.