Lauren Walsh made the most of a last-minute call and, fueled by a star atmosphere, opened with a 5-under 67 in the $2 million Volvo Cars Scandinavian Mix in Sweden.
The new tour pro from Carton House did not learn she had made the tournament roster until Monday.
But despite the “chaotic” preparations, she still managed a bogey-free 67 with five birdies to finish tied for fifth with the likes of 2022 champion Linn Grant and just four shots behind local hope Sebastian Soderberg.
“I thought the conditions were great this morning,” said the 23-year-old Kildare star, who has made a brilliant start to her first season with the LET and finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year standings.
“I started off well, I was three under through the first six holes, and then the wind really picked up, so I held on for a while,” said Walsh, who birdied the first, third and sixth holes and added two birdies at the 16th and 18th holes.
“But to be honest, I was playing pretty good. So, I didn’t have much pressure. I thought, if I missed the green, it was just on the fringe and I was putting, and I did miss a green from the rough and I chipped to a foot.
“So it was pretty easy, which is nice in golf. They don't get that often. The wind did pick up, but it was nice to get a couple birdies at the end as well.”
Walsh, a former Wake Forest star, suffered only his second elimination of the season at last week’s Domi Open, also held in Helsingborg.
But after two top-10 finishes, including a career-best tie for fourth at the recent Jabra Women’s Open, she was delighted to be called up to stay in Sweden and join the men at the DP World Tour co-sanctioned event at Vasatops.
“I looked at the waiting list last week and I thought I was pretty low down,” the Castlewarden talent explained. “So I thought unless I played well last week, there was no chance.”
“So I went back to Copenhagen on Sunday, thinking I’d be able to fly home on Monday morning, and then I checked the waiting list and saw I was number one.
“I was like, well, I’ve got to come back and see if I get a chance to play. It’s a great race to be able to play.
“Then I woke up on Monday morning and I was already employed, so it was a bit of a chaotic start to the week.
“I booked the hotel until Thursday because I thought I had it booked but then I realised yesterday 'oh I have to extend' so it's been great. It's been a fun week so far.”
Walsh loves the increased visibility that DP World Tour Associate-sanctioned status brings to Vasatorps Golfklubb.
“It feels great,” Walsh said. “It’s fun. You know, it’s just cool watching everybody warm up on the practice field.
“We're excited to have the tour truck here, and the atmosphere is great. It definitely feels like a bigger stage. That's cool for us.”
“I love it. I'm really excited about it and I'm glad to be a part of it.”
As for her form, she was happy to bounce back from failing to make the cut last week after playing so well recently.
“Not only did I hit the ball well, but the greens were perfect,” she said, “so I feel like if you hit it well, it’s going to go in the hole, and I saw that today.”
“The good greens and the way my ball striking was going made for a very good result today.”