Wellingborough’s Meghan MacLaren who claimed the NSW Wales Open a year ago and hopes it will stir good memories for this week’s Pacific Bay Resort Australian Ladies Classic at Bonville GC. Picture by Ladies European Tour
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE’S Meghan MacLaren and fellow Ladies European Tour players skipped breakfast to explore the beautiful scenery on the Coffs Coast ahead of the Pacific Bay Resort Australian Ladies Classic, which tees off at Bonville Golf Resort in New South Wales, on Wednesday night (GMT).
The golfers met a troop of kangaroos on the ‘Look at Me Now’ Headland, a part of the Moonee Beach Nature Reserve, which is a significant Aboriginal site 10 miles north of Coffs Harbour.
Wellingborough GC ace MacLaren , who won last year’s Women’s New South Wales Open up the road at Coffs Harbour Golf Club, said: “This is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been.
“I love Australia but sometimes you don’t get to see the reasons that you love it. This place is 100 per cent peaceful and historic. It’s usually travel, airport, hotel and golf course, so to get out and see some sights makes you chill out a bit.”
Wales’ Amy Boulden added: “It was so beautiful and it was interesting to hear the background about the area from our aboriginal guide. I’ll definitely be telling the girls about the place. Australia is definitely my favourite place to come and visit. The food is great and the people are so friendly and welcoming that I don’t really want to go home. I could easily live here.”
This week marks the second edition of the tournament and western Australian Hannah Green is hoping to benefit from past experience and home advantage.
She said: “I’m really happy to be playing back in Bonville. I played last year and it’s a great course. It’s really hilly and the greens are tricky. I think whoever putts well will have a great chance. I’d love to win obviously and feel good after a top 10 in the Aussie Open. I just want to be more consistent and the Olympics are next year so it’s my goal to represent Australia and I’m working towards that.”
MacLaren, who played in three of the Majors in 2018 and represented England at The European Championships, is also feeling confident after returning Down Under.
The former British Ladies Amateur Strokeplay Champion, who holed the winning put for Great Britain and Ireland at the 2016 Curtis Cup, said: “It’s pretty special to return to a town where you’ve won and even though it was on a diferent golf course, I might drop in for a visit and soak up the vibe again.
“My game’s in a good place and I’m looking forward to taking it out onto the course,” said MacLaren, who earned her LET status by winning the 2017 Access Series thanks to a run of seven top 10s and her second professional win after claiming her first LET Access victory as an amateur at the end of the 2016 season.
Also in the field is Surrey-born LPGA player Charlotte Thomas, who was runner up in the ISPS Handa Vic Open earlier this month, and Kent’s Sian Evans who earned her card at December’s LET Qualifying School.
Evans finally gets to live her dream https://ladieseuropeantour.com/sian-evans-childhood-dream-now-a-reality-after-winning-place-on-let/
