Australian Nikki Garrett set a blistering pace as she opened with a career-low round of eight-under-par 64 at the Tenerife Open de España Femenino at Golf Las Américas on Thursday.
Garrett was out in the first group from the 10th tee and played flawless golf on a beautiful day with little wind.
She birdied the 11th, 16th and 17th for a back nine total of three-under before picking up five more birdies on the front nine, closing with three in a row from the seventh.
"I just played really solid the whole day. I hit a lot of greens, hit a few close shots that I really capitalised on and sunk the putts. I chipped in out of the bunker on my eighth hole, which is 17, so just everything went well," said the 28-year-old from New South Wales.
Trish Johnson, the 2010 Tenerife Ladies Open champion at Buenavista Golf Club in the north of the island, was at five-under after a 67 containing six birdies and one bogey.
The Swindon-based 46-year-old said: "I think it was pretty good all the way around really, from start to finish. I started quite well, one under early on, birdied 16, 17 and one: I was playing the back nine first obviously and got
to four under. I made one mistake really. I had a birdie putt to go to six under on the fifth, which I missed. I hit a poor tee shot on the par-three fifth hole, didn't get up and down, and that was the only poor shot I hit."
Johnson was clearly happy to have left behind the harsh conditions at the recent Ricoh Women's British Open and added: "I think anyone who played last week, coming off of that, in two, three, four club winds and really tight fairways that you can't miss then this is a breath of fresh air."
Italian Veronica Zorzi, South African Lee-Anne Pace and Germany's Miriam Nagl carded four-under-par 68s to lie in a share of third place.
Pace, the 2010 Ladies European Tour money list winner, started with two bogeys on the 10th and 11th but fought back with six birdies.
Pace has a chance to top the LET's ISPS Handa Order of Merit for a second time with a victory this week and added: "I'm trying to really push this week for the win and getting up there, making a move on the money list, getting a bit closer to the top or if not at the top. I'm very much a big golf mover towards the end of the year."
Meanwhile Zorzi is going for her first title since 2006. "I played good. I got one eagle, so that was great and I got some pars, two bogeys. I hit 12 fairways, so it's good. The ball was on the fairways. I hit 13 greens and made 27 putts so the putting was the key today," said the 31-year-old from Verona.
Spain's own Tania Elosegui and the 2010 Spanish Open champion Laura Davies was in a large group at three-under-par, while the 2011 and 2009 winners, Melissa Reid and Becky Brewerton, opened with respective rounds of 74 and 78.
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