This archive report was first published on 5 December 2019.
On Thursday, the Magical Kenya Ladies Open got underway at Vipingo Ridge's Baobab course in Kilifi County, with England's Liz Young emerging as the leader after a thrilling first round.
Young's impressive four-under-par 68 was enough to give her a one-shot lead over Germany's Esther Henseleit, who carded a three-under-par 69.
Young's day began with a terrifying scare when she encountered a huntsman spider in her bathroom at 5:30 am. However, she managed to overcome the shock and went on to play solid golf, attributing her success to her recent top 20 finish in Spain.
"At 5:30 am this morning, I walked into the bathroom and there was the biggest huntsman spider in the shower, terrifying me. My roommate was still asleep so I had to be quiet. She has informed me that it’s gone, but I really hope it’s gone down the drain and not into the bedroom," Young said.
Young's roommate later confirmed that the spider had indeed left the bathroom, but Young remained cautious, hoping it had not made its way into the bedroom.
Meanwhile, Henseleit played a solid front nine, including two birdies on the fourth and ninth holes. However, she dropped a shot at the par-three 12th hole, but finished strongly with two successive birdies on the 17th and 18th holes.
"I played really solid. I had an interesting start but my last 14 holes were really good. I holed some putts and missed some, but overall, it was a really good day. It can be calmer in the morning and windier in the afternoon. You knew you had to make a good score," Henseleit said.
