2024 Platinum
Suzanne Dickens is hungry for more success after snaffling the lead on the opening day of the Women’s Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship at Blairgowrie.
The 42-year-old Thorpe Wood professional has already gobbled up the Women’s One Day Series Order of Merit and is now looking to dine out by completing the double – having been hit by food poisoning in this tournament 12 months ago.
The former Ladies European Tour player carded a level par 73 to secure a slender one-shot lead over two-time winner Alison Gray (Ormskirk) in the chase for the £1,000 winner’s cheque.
Dickens opened with a bogey on the Lansdowne Course which she reclaimed at the seventh. However, she dropped shots at eight and 10 before responding with aplomb with gains at the 11th and 14th.
“I’m really happy with my round today,” she said. “I didn’t get off to the best of starts as I struggled a little bit with the pace on the greens and had a few three putts but got it together in the end.
“It’s such a beautiful course and a pleasure to play. It’s set up nicely for tomorrow.
“Last year I had food poisoning so I didn’t play very well at all but that’s in the past.
“I won the qualifier at Little Aston and have just won the Order of Merit with an event to go so I’m feeling good.
“But there’s lots of good players here and anyone of them could win, all I can do is do my best on every shot and see where I end up tomorrow. Fingers crossed it could be good.”
Gray, who won inaugural title in 2003 and successfully defended it the following year, admitted to being a tad ring rusty having seen her grip on the lead slip in the final two holes with bogeys at each. In all she had five bogeys and four birdies.
“It was good to be out there but a struggle given my lack of competitive golf,” said the mother of two.
“I finished bogey, bogey so I’m not very happy about that. But overall I’m quite happy with it as I hit the ball well and had a few putts. I’m a shot behind going into tomorrow so who knows.”
Lying in third place is 59-year-old Catherine Panton-Lewis, who carded a three-over-par 76.
The tournament concludes tomorrow.