Water, water everywhere. For a spell at Dundonald Links on day one of the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open, there was so much of it swilling around, the ancient mariner would’ve been left in a desperate fankle.
Summer, eh? You’ll probably have to birl the page that this report is printed on through a mangle to dry it out before reading the bloomin’ thing.
The morning rain that thundered down led to an initial delay in the starting times and when round one finally got underway, Mother Nature’s furious torrents sparked a suspension.
In total, almost three-and-a-half hours were lost amid a frenzy of sighing thumb-twiddling and grumbling gazings at the Met Office weather maps.
It turned out nice eventually, although a stiff breeze added plenty of menace to affairs, and all and sundry roared on until the light gave up.
The stoppage of play did have some spin-offs. Lydia Ko, the new Olympic champion, managed a spot of lunch before going back out again when proceedings resumed in the early afternoon.
“I’m glad we got a little bit of a lunch break, the beef was really good,” she drooled. Compliments to the Dundonald chef.
Ko’s three-under 69 was pretty tasty too as the 27-year-old New Zealander started with purpose on a long, challenging day for everybody.
Having started on the 10th, Ko was level-par with four holes to play but she conjured a thrilling late flourish and birdied the sixth, eighth and ninth to make an early statement of intent.
“The weather that we had in the morning is just part of the experience of coming over here,” said Ko, who has never been one to shy away from the challenges of the meteorological mischief that’s par for the course in the cradle of the game.
“If you don't like it, you're probably not going to play that good anyway. It’s part of the job. It’s more about grinding it and trying to minimise the damage while still trying to give yourself opportunities. I think patience is probably the most important thing.”
The early pace was set at four-under by Korea’s A Lim Kim and Megan Khang of the US. Kim covered her back-nine in four-under while Khang, the 26-year-old Solheim Cup player, was happy that she didn’t have to venture out in the worst of it and she got home and dry with a 68 of her own.
“I was eating breakfast this morning, looking out at the weather and wasn't the most thrilled,” she said. “Fortunately for me, I didn't get a chance to warm up before they called the first hour delay. So, I just kind of stayed inside. When it was time to go out, everyone was playing in the same conditions, and I just had to embrace Mother Nature.”
As the clock tick-tocked towards 9pm, and the stomachs of the hungry golf writers rumbled like a cargo plane taking off at Prestwick, Australia’s Minjee Lee trotted in with a tidy five-under 67.
The double major champion scribbled down a quintet of birdies onto a neat card as she moved to the front.
“I’m always a happy girl after a bogey-free round,” said Lee, whose brother Min Woo won the men’s Scottish Open in 2021.
“I feel like I played smart golf. I gave myself a lot of opportunities for birdie and when I was in trouble, I missed it in the right spots and could get up-and-down.”
As for the defending champion, Celine Boutier? Well, the Frenchwoman had been five-over after 12 holes but rallied on the run-in and picked up three birdies in her closing six holes to repair some of the earlier damage.
It was a tough day at the office, meanwhile, for the three home hopefuls in the field.
Laura Beveridge was making decent progress at the turn but came home in 40 for a three-over 75. Gemma Dryburgh, the Solheim Cup player and LPGA Tour winner, had to settle for a 76.
“It was pretty bad out there, especially before we got called in, with sideways rain,” said the Aberdonian. “It felt like a long day. I didn’t really make anything on the greens. Hopefully I can make some birdies in round two.”
Glasgow’s Kylie Henry, who got to clatter the opening tee-shot of the championship, endured a torrid shift and an 11-over 83 featured the debris of three double-bogeys. It had been a sair auld fecht.
