The final putt of the first round of the inaugural Black Desert Resort Championship has dropped and play for the day has concluded. The field put circles all over their scorecards during the first 18 holes of play, and with the Silver Course at Soldier Hollow Golf Club boasting six par 5s, plenty of eagles were carded as well. All 120 players in the field know how important a good finish is this week. The $375,000 purse is the biggest of the season and in Epson Tour history. A win could define an athlete’s season and career, but they will need to go low to go home with the $56,250 winner’s check.
Agathe Laisne set the pace early in the morning, carding an 8-under, bogey-free 64 to hold a one-shot lead. The round started with six straight pars for the France native and then an eagle on her seventh hole of the day jumpstarted her round. The last 12 holes for Laisne were played in 8-under, ending with a birdie on the last. Laisne is currently No. 4 in the Race for the Card and has a win and a runner-up finish already on her resume this season. A win at the Black Desert Resort Championship would make the 24-year-old the second player to clinch her LPGA Tour card for the 2024 season.
“I didn’t start as good as you would think,” said Laisne. “I was making okay pars and was pretty far from the hole, just making two putts. Then on No. 16 I had an eagle putt, and my friend Kristen had her mark near my line a little, and I saw my ball rolling towards it and it hit it more right and ending up dropping. Then that built confidence for the next few holes.”
Laisne is used to putting up low scores on the Epson Tour in 2023, posting seven rounds of 68 or better this year. It takes a certain mindset to continually go low, but for Laisne it is just about sticking to her routine and waiting for her putter to get hot.
“I really just try to stick to my routine and just see if it’s worth it to go for a flag or not,” explained Laisne. “Then when the putter is hot it is kind of hot all day, so it is really nice.”
Isabella Fierro is another player who is no stranger to going low. During her final round of the Garden City Charity Classic at Buffalo Dunes, Fierro signed for a 10-under 62 to finish runner-up behind Gabriela Ruffels. Today, she carded a 7-under 65 to put her right into contention early in the week. Fierro would benefit massively from a strong finish this week at Soldier Hollow as the rookie currently sits at No. 25 in the Race for the Card.
“It is really important to be in the right positions out there,” said Fierro. “The fairways are wide, but you have to be in the right place to attack some of these pins. The greens are rolling amazing so you just have to play smart, have good pace on the greens and putts will fall and I was able to do that today.”
Heather Lin matched her fellow rookie in the opening round with a 7-under 65, her lowest score this year. Lin birdied half of her holes in round one, dropping only two shots along the way. Lin is battling to get into LPGA Q-Series and is currently on the outside looking in. The University of Oregon alumna has three top-10 finishes in 2023, but a finish near the top of the leaderboard this week could change her season and her gameplan going forward.
“I kind of got off to a rough start, but my caddy told me to just be patient. This is actually the lowest round I have ever shot, so I am very happy about it,” said Lin “The par 5s are reachable so I was trying to give myself opportunities on those holes. I also really enjoy playing par 3s and I think there is six of them out here. I hit my long irons really well and was able to make a few birdies on those holes.”
A group of seven players sit at 6-under for the tournament and in a tie for fourth, rounding out the top of the leaderboard at the Black Desert Resort Championship.
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