Women’s Scottish Open 2021 R1
August 12-15
Dumbarnie Links, Fife, Scotland
$1,500,000
Round 2, Round 3, Round 4

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Scotland’s Michele Thomson tops the leader board with an opening 65 after an eagle at the second hole set her round alight. Setting the women’s professional course record, she is bouncing back from a tough few months that saw her father have a heart attack while caddying for her in Finland – he has since recovered and was out on course watching her today.

Women’s Scottish Open 2021 R1

“It's great, and it's not far from home, either, and he's not allowed to do unnecessary travel and it's nice to have him here.”

Watched by her manager and former Open Champion, Paul Lawrie, an inspired Thomson said of her round: “I'm delighted with how I started. Obviously it was a bit of a shaky start with a bogey at the first but seven birdies and eagle, can't ask for much more.

"It was nice to have his support, to have the support of a former Open Champion. Hopefully he can come back and I can shoot under par again!”

Women’s Scottish Open 2021 R1

Three players sit two shots back on five under, Dutch star, Anne Van Dam, 2021 US Open winner, Yuku Saso from the Philippines and Thailand’s rising star, Jasmine Suwannapura

"I'm happy to be back here in Scotland," said Suwannapura. "A lot of good memories here, and a couple people just like, "Oh, Jasmine always play well here." I'm like, you know, I don't want to expect anything. Just have fun here. Like I said we got lucky with no wind this morning and being able to score 5-under, it's totally a good day for me.”

Women’s Scottish Open 2021 R1

Race to Costa del Sol leader Atthaya Thitikul is tied in fifth place after signing for a 68. She started her round with a bogey on the par-4 2nd hole, before birdies on the 3rd, 7th and 9th put her back on track. 

Further birdies on 11, 13 and 15 saw the 18-year-old rise up the leaderboard to 5-under at the 17th before closing with a bogey.

“I started not really good on a couple holes but I thought it's my irons and the momentum of the putting. Then I make a lot of putts, and then yeah, today I think overall it's pretty good,” said Thitikul .

“I am 18 I'm here as a member of LET, and this tournament, this week, it's amazing for us. It's a strong field.”

Women’s Scottish Open 2021 R1

Olivia Cowan and Becky Morgan are among the ten players sat on 4-under after Thursday's action, as well as Scotland's Kelsey MacDonald, who secured an impressive eagle at the par-5 15th during her bogey-free round. 

Mi Jung Hur , who won the TGWSO in 2019 by six strokes, is also tied for fifth. She finished the day bogey-free, making four birdies on her front nine then parring the rest of the way.

“Here's only one thing: Just keep [the ball] low,” said Hur. “If it's helping, you can keep it low, too, but especially in the hurting, you have to keep it low for sure. No. 15, the par-5 15, I had 86 meters to the flag and my ball was way too high. It came back 20 meters short, which wasn't that good. So, you have to keep it low.”

The 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Lydia Ko is T24 at 2-under, while defending champion Stacy Lewis sits in a tie for 35th heading into the second round. Stephanie Meadow and Tonje Daffinrud withdrew during the first round, both due to injury.

Women’s Scottish Open 2021 R1