I need to get that feeling back: Parker

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I need to get that feeling back: Parker
Florentyna Parker on Thursday at the Emirates Golf Club.

Dubai - Her round is even more impressive considering that she had missed the cut on the last three occasions

By James Jose

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Published: Thu 8 Dec 2016, 6:54 PM

Last updated: Thu 8 Dec 2016, 8:56 PM

It is still too early to say but Florentyna Parker perhaps has the best shot at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters after carding a five-under 67 in the opening round to take sole ownership of the leaderboard.
The hard work put in on Wednesday paid off for the Englishwoman as it sort of nullified the two bogeys and the double bogey to go with her two birdies on her back nine at the Majlis Course of the Emirates Golf Club on Thursday.
The 27-year-old German resident leads by one shot over American Cheyenne Woods and Frenchwoman Sophie Giquel-Betten, with both shooting four-under 68 on the day.
Her round is even more impressive considering that she had missed the cut on the last three occasions.
"Yesterday (Wednesday) I started so well. I had seven birdies on the front nine and gave myself nine chances, basically. I struggled here the last few years," Parker said after her round on Thursday.
"The last three years I've missed the cut, and it's been very disappointing. I was thinking back to 2010, I think I started with 5- or 6-under on the back nine, which was my front nine. And I said, I need to get that feeling back and somehow do the same, and I can do it," she added.
Parker also spoke about how it wasn't easy to go out there, especially after the tragic event of Wednesday when caddie Maximilian Zechmann passed away.
"It was horrible what happened," said Parker.
"Our thoughts are with the family, but it was the right decision to stop play and let us come back this morning. We have to still do our job and concentrate on golf this week but we'll be thinking of him, as well," she added.
Meanwhile, defending champion Shanshan Feng, who carded a par round after a day filled with errors, said that she struggled a bit with her putting.
"My ball-striking was actually very good. I had so many birdie chances. But my putting wasn't really working. I was missing all the short birdie putts and also the par putts, also. So that's why I didn't make too many birdies but a few bogeys. I think even par is not a great score, but I still feel like at least I tried my best," said Feng, who is tied 31st.
Feng, who had three birdies and three bogeys in her round, also had to dig deep to save for par on the par-4 17th where she used the back of her club to hit her second shot.
"Actually my ball was still on the fairway, but I didn't have a stance because the lip of the bunker was really steep. I couldn't even stand in the bunker and hit," she said.
"So I had to go left-handed, but then I had to call the rules official to ask if I could use the back of my club to actually hit the ball, and I've never done that. So, before I hit it, I didn't even know where the ball was going, but I just gave it a swing, and actually it went like 70 yards. My caddie said, 'oh, you surprised me, you actually can hit it 70 yards.' I was really happy I saved a par there," added Feng.
james@khaleejtimes.com


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