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Dickens, Hall and Arricau share opening lead in Austria

Suzanne Dickens, Lisa Hall and Stephanie Arricau got their challenge for the Siemens Ladies Austrian Open presented by Uniqa off to a flying start when they tied for the lead on three-under-par 69 at Golfclub Föhrenwald in Wiener Neustadt, Austria.

Frenchwoman Stephanie Arricau, twice a winner on the Ladies European Tour this season, set the target at three-under in windy conditions and she later found herself tied with England 's Dickens and Hall, who formerly competed under her maiden name of Hackney.

England 's Laura Davies, the current New Star Money List leader, was one shot off the lead on two-under 70 along with the Finnair Masters Champion Virginie Lagoutte of France, Welsh player Eleanor Pilgrim and Swedes Louise Friberg and Asa Gottmo.

Meanwhile, improved putting proved the key for the three co-leaders.

Dickens, playing in her 11 th season on the Ladies European Tour attributed her success to ten hours spent on the practice putting green over the weekend after she missed the halfway cut last week in Denmark .

“Tee to green I've been great all year but I've had a nightmare on the greens,” said the 35-year-old from Peterborough . “It came to a head last week and I said enough is enough. I got the video out, changed my grip, changed everything, and it seems to have worked.”

Hall, 38, who bases herself in Florida , had 29 putts – the fewest of any round on tour this year.

“I made a few nice putts and it was very enjoyable,” she said. “I'm a good wind player and I gave myself lots of birdie chances. The putting made a big difference. I also had a good caddy in former Tour player Mardi Lunn.”

Arricau, who won the KLM and Estoril Ladies Opens within three weeks of one another in June, felt she putted well for the first time since her win in Portugal .

The 33-year-old from Pau acquired a shoulder injury during a mountain biking holiday at the end of June and explained that this is the first week that she had played without pain.

“At the Evian Masters, it was a nightmare and I almost withdrew,” Arricau said. “I was in bad shape at the Weetabix Women's British Open too but this week it's been a lot better.

“The wind didn't give me too much trouble today but I played the back nine first, which is sheltered by trees. I think that could have helped my score.”

Davies, for whom a good week could go a long way to cementing her seventh New Star Money List title, began her campaign with a bogey at her first hole, the par-three tenth. However she birdied three of the four par-fives on the golf course to forge her way into contention.

“I just missed a short putt on the ninth otherwise it would have been four birdies out of four on the par-fives,” she said. “I had a bogey at the first then it was all pars and three birdies so two-under is not a bad start.”