GOLF LADIES IRISH OPEN:THE UNPREDICTABILITY of links golf is also its greatest attraction. After all, with some superstars of the women's game competing in yesterday's first round of the AIB Ladies Irish Open at Portmarnock Links, who in their right mind would have plucked the name of Federica Piovano from the hat and forecast that she would sit pretty atop the leader-board?

But so it was at day's end, the 26-year-old Italian's opening round 67, five under par, giving her a two-stroke advantage over Norway's Suzann Pettersen, the world's number three, who hits the ball a country mile off the tee and has a touch around the greens that has all the delicacy of a surgeon using a scalpel.

Indeed, despite the fact she was cast in the role of pursuer, Pettersen had the look after her round of someone who knew exactly where she was headed.

The same, it must be said, could not apply to Morgan Pressel who had a thoroughly miserable time trying to cope with the nuances of the links. On occasions, Pressel took out her frustration on her unfortunate golf bag and, in labouring to an opening 77 that didn't feature a single birdie, she is now in danger of missing the cut.

"There's nothing positive to take out of that. Absolutely nothing . . . I have got to play better, it's as simple as that," said Pressel.

On a day when the rain mercifully stayed away, the links - in pristine condition but with a wind blowing across the dunes that made players think twice, or more, about club selection and which led to rounds exceeding five hours - provided a tough examination that saw scores cover a range from Piovano's 67 all the way up to the 88 registered by her fellow-Italian Vittoria Valvasorri.

Only 12 players managed to break par, despite the fact that some tees were pushed forward and pin placements were generally inviting.

While Pressel's on-course antics and vocal exhortations caused many a raised eyebrow from spectators, Pettersen - cool, calm and collected throughout - used a chip-in eagle on the par-five fourth to ignite her round. Pettersen remains very much the favourite, while Sweden's Maria Hjorth, who has two top-five finishes in majors this season, was in a six-player group that finished on 70.

"On a course like this, you have got to stick to your own game plan for three days," explained Pettersen. "Anything can happen. It is not like your regular course where, if you hit it on the fairway, it stays on the fairway. Here, it can bounce and you can have some bad breaks. But everyone is going to have those breaks and you have to get into your own little bubble and see where it takes you come Sunday."

Pettersen heads into today's second round two strokes behind Piovano, whose round came from nowhere. Piovano had missed the cut in her first four appearances on tour this season, although there has been a recent improvement that saw her finish tied-17th in the Tenerife Open. "I played the way I wanted, kept it calm and my concentration was good," said Piovano, whose only tournament win came in the 2005 Austrian Open.

In recent times, Piovano has been changing her swing with coach Denis Pugh and has also started working with a sports psychologist. "My approach is definitely better than the beginning of the season. I'm a long time playing golf, so when you change things it also takes time for it to be right," added Piovano, who chipped in for a eagle on the 13th. Indeed, a run of birdie-eagle-par-birdie from the 12th proved to be instrumental in her charge to the top of the leader-board.

But it proved to be a frustrating day all round for the seven Irish players, with Martina Gillen - shooting a 74 - leading the home challenge. However, the Dubliner wasn't happy with her putting and also reckoned that playing in front of the home galleries had brought an added pressure. "I hope I'm more comfortable tomorrow . . . but I do think I need to spend time on the range. I need to find something," she said.

Gillen, like Pressel, will be aware that some work needs to be done to survive the two-day cut which comes after today's second round when the top 60 players and ties will progress to tomorrow's final round.