Julia Engström - © Tristan Jones / LET

Julia Engström made a great start to the end of the season at the Magical Kenya Ladies Open presented by M-Pesa of Safaricom, setting the pace with a good 67 (-5) card at Vipingo Ridge this Thursday.

The 18-year-old Swede managed six birdies and a bogey on a sunny first day to lead one stroke over England's Liz Young.

The German Esther Henseleit, professional since this year, is also looking for a decisive victory, recorded a card of 69 to find himself alongside the French Astrid Vayson de Pradenne, champion of the Jabra Ladies Open last year .

American Cheyenne Woods was also in good shape with a good 70 (-2) point in fifth place in the provisional standings.

Engström, Rookie of the Year last season, birdied on holes 3rd and 4th and completed his 9 fairway holes in 34 before adding another birdie on 11th.

She drove badly in the 13th, which earned her her only bogey, but birdied on the 14th and 15th to catch Young in the lead and then hit a superb wedge shot 3 yards near the target. at 18, before making his last birdie putt.

Engström, who finished fourth at the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España last week, after a career best score of 65 last Saturday, said: "It was a combination of correct hitting and then skill on the green." .

“The wind started to blow from the fourth hole as a thunderstorm was approaching and we could feel it, but it was nice to have the breeze because it was so hot.

“It's always nice to have a few good tournaments and after last week I tried to stay calm and not stress too much. "

Young, now in his 11th year at LET, produced five birdies and a bogey early in the day after a scary start.

She said: “At 5:30 am I walked into the bathroom and there was the biggest spider in the shower, which terrified me. My roommate (Eleanor Givens) was still sleeping and I had to shut up. She informed me that he is no longer there, but I really hope he went down the drain and not in the bedroom. "

She said it was so hot and sticky at 7 a.m. that she had to change gloves on the driving range, but the cloud cover came just before midday.

Henseleit, still vying to finish the season at the top of the European rankings with a victory this weekend, also played in the morning, before the wind picked up.

She made four birdies and a bogey to be six strokes better than current Order of Merit leader Marianne Skarpnord, who started with a three over par 75 to tie for 48th.

Vayson de Pradenne starts on the podium

The stakes are just as important for Vayson de Pradenne, who occupies the 75th place of the Order of Merit. She needs a good result to get into the top 70 and hold onto her LET card this week, but she's looking at the big picture.

The trained physiotherapist said, “I'm just trying to have fun. I am already blessed to be here. You look at the landscape around you, you look at the sea. Kenya is a fantastic place and I am just having fun. I don't think about trying to save my card, because I'm 34, I have something else in my life besides golf. I love golf, but if I have to stop after this week, that's fine. Of course, I will be sad and frustrated, but I know it will not be the end of my life.

“I know I have to do something this week. I met Nicolas Colsaerts in August and he told me how bad his season was, then he won the French Open, so with my coach we said, you never know, you could do a Colsaerts this week. If I don't do a Colsaerts I will at least try to play my best golf to get my green fees for next year. "

Meanwhile, a second tournament victory for Woods, the 2014 Volvik RACV Ladies Masters winner in Australia, would see her join LET next year.

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