Aims for top 30, leads the Women’s Open – Ally Ewing’s perfect start at Walton Heath
By Matt Coles
Ally Ewing had intentions of being patient, and it paid off for the American as she leads after 18 holes
Ally Ewing leads the AIG Women’s Open at the end of the opening day after only aiming for a top 30 place on the leaderboard.
The American carded a first round 68 at Walton Heath on Thursday afternoon to sit at four-under, one shot clear of the chasing pack.
Leading after the opening day was not the goal, as she had much lower ambitions for her first 18 holes.
“I definitely had intentions to be patient. I also wanted to go out and take care of my business,” Ewing said.
“I set myself a little bit of a target. Although this is probably conservative, I feel like it gives myself a chance – finishing the first round in the top 30 or better. That is what I had in mind, going into a major.
“That doesn’t mean a top 30 is where I am trying to shoot for, but at the least it is where I wanted to be. Definitely happy to be in the lead at this time.”
Ewing featured for Team USA in each of the last two Solheim Cups. She is currently 10th on the American Solheim Cup standings.
With the top seven in those standings booking their spots in Andalucia, Ewing knows a good week can put her into the conversation.
“It is huge! It is a tournament that once you play in, you never want to miss another one,” she explained.
“I think that goes for any player that has ever played in one. It is in the back of my mind but nothing I do lingering in my thoughts, whether I do this or whether I do that, can help propel into the Solheim Cup.
“It is a shot-by-shot, day-by-day basis and hopefully if I take care of business, the task and the shot at hand, then I think I will have a pretty good chance to make the team.”
How did Ewing take the lead at Walton Heath?
The American went out in 34, with birdies at 10 and 12 pushing her into a tie for the lead at three-under-par.
After back-to-back bogeys midway through the back nine, Ewing then birdied 15 before an incredible approach saw her eagle the par-5 16th, as she moved into the lead.
“It was funny. I missed my drive a little bit to the right and it got hung up in the rough,” she added.
“It was a situation where the ball was sitting down a little bit, but I happened to see both of my playing competitors hit shots and noticed how firm it was in front of the green.
“I was able to learn a bit there, and it was kind of a gauge type shot. It just so happened to chase up to five feet.
“It was one of those where you are just trying to give yourself an eagle chance, and it just so happened to be a five-footer. I am definitely happy with that eagle.”
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Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.
