Charley Hull - © Tristan Jones / LET

The 22-year-old Solheim Cup star, looking to clinch his third professional title, took a 2-stroke lead over Dane Nicole Broch Larsen and Spain's Luna Sobron, along with England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Australia's Rebecca Artis then the Swedish Cajsa Persson a notch behind at 2 under par.

Charley Hull made 5 birdies in hot and windy conditions, including 4 in his first 7 holes and commented: “I played fairly regularly and put in a few putts, then on the back nine I got waded. I was hitting good putts, which made me stand out, so my best moments were on my first nine. "

These “best moments” included a 4,5-meter birdie putt on the 10th hole, a 30cm putt on the 11th and a 3-meter birdie putt on the 13th and 16th holes, respectively. On the 6th hole, she struck her ball within a yard of the flagstick and returned it.

In the unpredictable winds, Charley Hull said controlling the rotational force generated by her new irons was a challenge and that she would change her game plan for the second round being held this Friday.

“The new irons aren't quite what I want them to be. They spin masses and I don't really like that, ”she says. “I changed my set of irons this week and am trying them out, but they are shorter and will be back to my old irons when I get home. I'm going to practice making my strikes and find a way to keep them low. "

Sobron, who also enjoys the challenge of playing in the wind, set a course record of 10 under the par 62 the last time the event was played at GC in Saadiyat Beach, in November 2017.

She was content with a 69, which included four birdies and a bogey. Her only miss came in the 16th, but she got away with a birdie putt 15 yards away on the 17th, with the flagstick, which is allowed under the new rules of golf.

Sobron, who is looking for his first LET title, said: “I like to play in the wind and I like to play on the Scottish courses so I feel very comfortable in those conditions. The weather is really good. It's too cold in Spain now, so I prefer to start the season here, with a big tournament. "

Broch Larsen, 2015 Helsingborg Open champion, was 3 over the par after her first four holes and ended up at 39 but came back with 6 birdies to finish on a 9 back of 30.

She said, “I got off to a bad start, to say the least. I did some bad shots and I couldn't find the rhythm. In the last nine holes I was like, “Nicole, try what you've been working on the last two days,” and I started to make better shots and gain confidence, which was a lot funnier. It's difficult and you have to hit hard. I was good at judging the wind on the returning nine. "

A group of six players share the seventh place, including three Swedes, a Norwegian, a German and a Spanish, who are all enjoying their escape from the cold of the European winter.

Defending champion Indian Aditi Ashok started with a 4 over par 76 after a double bogey on the long 15th hole and closed with a pair of bogeys leaving her 9 strokes behind on the leader. She said playing in windy conditions turned out to be difficult and that she was a little rusty with her irons, but that she was going to refocus for the second round.

The Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open continues this Friday, as the leaders can look forward to tougher conditions with stronger wind for the afternoon breeze.