Staff WriterIt was a truly blue-sky day at Centurion Club, and the PIF London Championship’s opening round looked more like a masterclass than a warm-up.
Germany’s Laura Fuenfstueck and Alexandra Swayne of the US Virgin Islands both tore up the scorecard with matching 6-under-par 67s to grab the early lead in the third stop of this season’s PIF Global Series.
You could call it inspired golf, or you could call it opportunistic — either way, both leaders started by making the first hole look like a par-three with an eagle apiece, before scattering five birdies across the rest of their rounds.
Their only blemish? Not being joined on top by Switzerland’s Chiara Tamburlini or Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, the latter watching her chances fade with a three-putt bogey on 16.
A tightly packed chasing pack sits one back at 5-under, while another quintet, including England’s Mimi Rhodes, Cara Gainer, and Charlotte Laffar, lurks at 4-under in this Golf Saudi-backed event.
For Fuenfstueck, that 67 wasn’t just a personal boost — it also propelled Team Nadaud, captained by France’s Nastasia Nadaud, to the top of the leaderboard at 18-under, two clear of the team led by South Africa’s Casandra Alexander.
Swayne’s story adds a layer of grit to the glamour. Coming from a nation with no functioning golf course — hurricane damage has left her practising in a field near home — she knows how to make the most of an opportunity.
“I was just seeing shots and hitting them, and I was actually getting quite lucky out there,” Swayne said. “You always have to be lucky to have a good round, no matter who you are, which golfer, which golf course you play.”
For Fuenfstueck, still chasing her first Ladies European Tour title despite 18 top-10 finishes, preparation was key after a mixed week at the AIG Women’s Open.
“I think today I had a few moments where I’d probably call myself a little bit lucky,” she admitted. “We spent three days with my coach here, which has been really helpful. Long term, that’s going to be important because we’re figuring out what’s key to my game.”
Ciganda remains the best-placed of the Golf Saudi ambassadors at 5-under, while Olivia Cowan and Celine Boutier opened with 71s to sit at 2-under. Anne Van Dam is a further shot back at 1-under.
Off the fairways, the sun and sizeable crowds brought an atmosphere more festival than fairway, with Go Golf clinics introducing newcomers to the sport — part of Golf Saudi’s wider push to grow the women’s game, bolster grassroots participation, and position Saudi Arabia as a rising golf, tourism, and investment destination.
With tickets still available for the weekend at pif-london.tixr.com, the PIF London Championship looks set for a lively finish — and if the opening day was anything to go by, it’ll be a sprint to the tape.
