Hall leads in Hanover

England's Caroline Hall eagled the par four 17th at Rethmar Golf Links to lead the Hannover Expo 2000 Ladies Open by one shot at the end of round one. The 26-year-old did not drop a shot on her way to a six under par 66.

The highlight of a round which included four birdies and one eagle was the English player's 167 yard six iron into the hole at the par four 17th.

"I hit the six iron as perfect as I could," Hall explained. "I didn't see it go in but Lora Fairclough said she thought it had gone in as we were walking up to the green."

"I'm playing very steadily at the moment," the tournament leader continued. "I've been working very closely with Lawrence Farmer for the last couple of years and he has made me believe I can win."

Hall's sole victory to date came five years ago in the Ford-Stimerol Danish Open, the year before she had an appendix operation which temporarily halted her promising career.

Four years after the operation Hall's career is very much back on track and she started the 2000 European season with a fourth place finish in last week's Ladies Italian Open at Poggio Dei Medici.

Chasing Hall going into the second day of the £100,000 Hannover Open is Australia's Alison Munt. Munt carded five birdies and one eagle at the par five fourth, but dropped shots at the ninth and 10th when misplaced shots forced her to hack out of the long grass.

The Australian said she was pleased with her five under par 67. "I'm hitting the ball well at the moment and the greens are very good so I was able to hole some good putts," she explained.

Three players lie on three under par after the first 18. Marine Monnet and Raquel Carriedo who came joint seventh in the Ladies Italian Open carried on their good form into this week's tournament and joined Ana Belen Sanchez three off the pace going into the second round.

Catrin Nilsmark and Helen Alfredsson who took time out from the LPGA to play in the event finished the first day on one under and two over par respectively, whilst last year's Hannover Open champion, Sandrine Mendiburu, goes into the second day seven shots behind Hall on one over par.