Accustomed to this tournament that she has missed only once in the last ten years, and in which she was ranked 4th in 2012, Jade Schaeffer-Calmels did very well in this first round. With four birdies and three bogeys, the Réunionese managed to get under par with a 72 (-1) card, something only twelve players managed to do. The recent 4th of the Terre Blanche Ladies Open on the LET Access Series is ranked 10th, six strokes behind the Swedish Lina Boqvist who achieved a remarkable 66 (-7).

None of the fifteen other French women in the competition therefore managed to play under par. Mention all the same for Agathe Sauzon, who ranked 13th with a card of 73 (par). We also find, in the theoretical cut, Manon Mollé (74), 28th at +1; Inès Lescudier (75), 44th at +2; as well as Camille Chevalier, Isabelle Boineau and Émie Peronnin (75), 62nd to +3

Lina Boqvist, 27, of Gislaved, birdied six of the nine to go and led to eight under on par after two more birdies at the 12th and 14th holes on the newly refurbished Blue Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salaam. She bogeyed back-to-back at the 15th par-5 and 16th par-4, but finished with an elegant birdie at the 18th par-4 to complete her best score in five seasons on the European Women's Tour.

“It was a great game and I think I played the best golf of my career on LET. There were three missed greens, one up and down and two bogueys, but nine birdies, so that was fantastic ”, she said, adding that she loved the improvements to the course over the past year.

All greens and tees were distributed under the guidance of designer Cabell B. Robinson, with several changes to the layout and collection of the bunkers.

“It's better with the tee. The greens are better but they are more hilly, with more inclines, so I think the greens are a little harder than last year, but overall they are better. "

Earlier today, Lennarth, 2014 Slovak Ladies Open champion, scored five birdies and said: “I think the changes are great. Overall the course has improved a lot. It's more generous at the start, which I can appreciate. The greens are bigger and although they are slower there is more room. "

Spanish champion Nuria Iturrios, champion of 2016, made six birdies and a buggy to stand by her side.

She said: “I'm so happy to be here again and with the changes of course I like it a lot. I still put a lot of putts but still have a lot of work to do. "

“Every year, with the improvements, it's like we're playing a different course, so I don't have the same pressure. I really like the changes this year. "

“You might have longer shots from the fairway, but with bigger greens it's easier to hit harder in regulation. The greens are perfect because they had closed the course so far so the ball rolls well. "

Indian rookie Diksha Dagar, winner of Investec Women's South African Open last month, and Norwegian Mariell Bruun and Belgian Chloé Leurquin are tied for fifth with three under par.

Dagar, 18, from New Delhi, who injured his wrist the day before the event, said: “I was able to read the lines correctly and make all the putts. In Morocco, it's easy for me to read the greens and I love it. "

Boqvist has already proven himself at the Lalla Meryem Cup, with two top 10s in the last three rounds of the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam. On the unique atmosphere of having the Men's European Tour playing the Hassan II Golf Trophy on the adjacent Red Course at the same location simultaneously, she said: “I think it's great to have the two tours together. We share the training facilities and the players lounge and I think it's great that both towers are here. I think we should do something like this more often, by getting together. Not on the same course, perhaps, but in the same club. "

To consult the classification: click here