Just eight groups were able to complete their first rounds on the Pacific Coast, with Forsterling of Germany and Denmark’s Kibsgaard setting the clubhouse target at 2-under after carding rounds of 69.

Of those still to complete their first rounds, Charlotte Heath is top of the leaderboard on 3-under through 15 holes. The Englishwoman was 4-under but bogeyed the par three 5th as play was suspended.

The suspension occured at 1:38pm, and play was then called for the day at 3:30pm due to no significant reprieve in the afternoon's forecast.

Forsterling, a four-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, believes the conditions she endured on Thursday morning were some of the toughest she had ever played in.

The 26-year-old got off to a rocky start with bogeys on the fifth and eighth holes, but she battled back valiantly with a birdie on the 10th and three consecutive gains from the 12th to reach 2-under.

“Honestly, I didn’t even know what I was shooting because I was just concentrating on hitting the ball and trying to stay somewhat dry,” she said. “It was probably one of the most brutal rounds I’ve ever played. It was crazy.

“(2-under) feels like a 59 or something. It feels insane. I was actually surprised when I heard that I shot minus two, because I really, really didn’t count (my score).”

PLUS...

Euro stars lead home hopes at Ford Women’s NSW Open

Kelsey Bennett and Kirsten Rudgeley hope that home comforts will pay dividends at this week’s Ford Women’s NSW Open, the first of a four-week stretch of events co-sanctioned by the WPGA Tour of Australasia and the Ladies European Tour.

Kibsgaard reached four under after carding three birdies and an eagle on her front nine, but dropped two shots coming home to join Forsterling in an early share of second.

England’s Annabell Fuller is one back on 1-under with three holes to play and Sweden’s Kajsa Arwefjall is in the clubhouse in fifth place on level par alongside four others who are yet to complete their rounds.

Round one of the Ford Women's NSW Open is scheduled to resume at 8am on Friday morning.

FORD WOMEN’S NSW OPEN

Venue: Wollongong Golf Club
Prizemoney: $600,000
Live scores: golf.com.au
Facebook: @WPGATour, @LadiesEuropeanTour
Instagram: @WPGATour, @LETgolf
X: @WPGATour, @LETgolf

TV COVERAGE
The Ford Women’s NSW Open is live on Kayo. 
*All times AEDT. 
Round 3: Saturday 12pm-5pm (Kayo)
Final Round: Sunday 12pm-5pm (Kayo)
 
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Caitlin Peirce – Current WPGA Tour of Australasian Order of Merit leader
Momoka Kobori – 2023 Women’s NSW Open champion
Hannah Reeves – Winner of three Ford Women’s NSW Open Qualifying events
Meghan MacLaren – Back-to-back winner of the Women’s NSW Open in 2018 and 2019
 
RECENT CHAMPIONS
2025 Mimi Rhodes (ENG)
2024 Mariajo Uribe (COL)
2023 Momoka Kobori (NZL)
2022 Maja Stark (SWE)
2020 Julia Engström (SWE)