South Australian Kristalle Blum has taken early control at Narrabri Golf Club, carding a three-under-par round to lead the 2026 Ford Women’s NSW Open Regional Qualifier after day one.
What started as a calm morning quickly became gusty in the afternoon, but Blum adapted smoothly, navigating the changing conditions to hold the top spot on the leaderboard.
“I had no expectations going in today,” Blum said.
“The greens are tricky and very different to Dubbo last week, so I was just trying to stay patient. I holed a lot of putts around the turn, which helped, and then just stayed steady as the wind picked up. I’m very happy with that.”
Blum credited both smart course management and a fun playing group for keeping the day enjoyable.
Related Links:
2026 Ford Women’s NSW Open Narrabri Regional Qualifier – Leaderboard
Connolly-Jackson Chases a Career First at Narrabri RQ
“We were always going to have a lot of fun today,” she laughed.
“We chatted the whole way around and had a lot of laughs, which made it really easy.”
She described Narrabri as a course that rewards accuracy, especially when the wind picks up.
“It’s quite short for me, and we had a few forward tees, which was appreciated,” she said.
“The key is keeping it in play, hitting good irons, and missing it in the right spots. I drove it really well today, kept it on the short stuff, and that definitely makes life easier.”
Fresh off a final-group appearance at Dubbo, Blum will head out last again tomorrow, but she insists the plan remains simple.
“I’m a fast golfer, so the slow pace can be tricky,” she admitted.
“Tomorrow I’ll just try to keep a nice rhythm, not get flustered, and enjoy the day with the group. Hopefully, we can have more laughs.”
Blum won’t have much breathing room. Just one shot behind sits Justice Bosio, last week’s runner-up, at Dubbo after a solid two-under-par round.
Bosio said patience was key to her round, particularly on Narrabri’s challenging greens.
“I just stayed really patient,” she said.
“The greens are quite tricky to read and get the speed right, so I picked my line, hit it firm and stuck to that. I managed to sink some, which was nice.”
She agreed that the camaraderie on tour helps players stay relaxed.
“The women’s tour is definitely fun. Sometimes you have to remind yourself to focus back in, but today was just a lot of fun out there.”
Bosio admitted her ball-striking wasn’t perfect, but timely putts kept her in contention.
“I don’t think anything was really too great,” she said.
“I had some wayward drives and a few lucky bounces, but the putts that went in always help. There’s luck involved, but it’s nice when they drop.”
After narrowly missing the win at Dubbo, Bosio is eager for another shot at victory.
“I’d love to go one better,” she said.
“Having already qualified for the Women’s NSW Open takes the pressure off, so I can just go out there and try to get the win.”
Sitting two shots back at even par is the trio of Amelia Mehmet-Grohn, Hyeji Yang, and Caitlin Pierce—the 2025 winner at Narrabri.
Round two tees off at 9:15 am, with live coverage from 11:00 am on Kayo Sports.
Live: Narrabri Golf Club
Tuesday, 2nd December
11:00 am – 4:00 pm
