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Garrett streaks ahead

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: Stunning round

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.

golf365.com