Spain, Australia and Switzerland jointly lead the ranking after the first round of the 27th Ladies Italian Open, from today to Sunday at the Golf Nazionale di Sutri (Viterbo). With a score of 66 shots (-6) the three teams were not among the favorites announced on the eve, especially in the case of Switzerland which counted on number four in the seasonal ranking Chiara Tamburlini (finished in penultimate position), instead finding its flag bearer in Tiffany Arafi, number 110 in Europe. The 24-year-old from Zurich in her first year on the major European tour, with zero top tens under her belt, improved her lowest score so far (69) by scoring six birdies and just one bogey. Just like Fatima Fernandez Cano, who instead lost her only shot on hole one. Since 2017 on tour and out last year with injury, the Spaniard said: “I’ve been playing well since the beginning of the year and I knew that sooner or later I would put everything together.” Born in London with an Australian passport, Kristen Rudgeley hasn’t missed a single beat on the Sutri course, as beautiful as it is complicated. “Today I didn’t do anything wrong, even with holes where you have to think carefully about the strategy. There are still some small things I have to work on, but I’m almost there” words from the 23-year-old in search of her first title.
the first round
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Alessandra Fanali (18th in the ranking and already qualified for the Paris Games) and the elite amateur Francesca Fiorellini did best of all the Italians in the competition, both with scores of 71 shots (-1), nineteenth (it should be noted that they are only 29 results under par on the course). Marta Spiazzi and Carolina Melgrati (amateur) finished in par (72 strokes, 30th), one stroke more for Virginia Elena Carta, 41st with 73 (+1) and immediately behind Emma Lundgren, 59th with 74 (+2). So far no Italian has signed the tournament’s roll of honour, but five have finished second: Silvia Cavalleri (2000 and 2002), Veronica Zorzi (2005), Giulia Sergas (2011) and Alessandra Fanali who in 2022 (last edition played ) lost in the play-off to the Swiss Morgane Metraux.
Olympic occasion
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The competition is played over a distance of 54 holes (three rounds). After tomorrow’s match, the best 60 and tied of the 132 matches will remain on the field on Sunday. The prize money is 300 thousand euros and the tournament represents the penultimate opportunity to access the Olympic dream.
