By Kent Gray
Sarah Kemp’s self-deprecating humour matched the quality of her golf on the opening day of the Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic. If she can keep the hits and giggles going, a long overdue Ladies European Tour title could well be hers.

But to achieve her maiden win – this is the 33-year-old Australian’s 139th start on tour – Kemp knows she’s going to have to overcome something she’s never before faced in a LET career spanning back to 2006 – playing under floodlights.

Kemp carded a three-under 69 playing in the morning shotgun on Wednesday to work her way into a share of 7th place overnight but is literally in the dark about playing part of her second round under lights on Thursday.

“I’ve never played in the dark before and my eyes aren’t that great. I have some glasses and I’m hoping that no-one’s going to take any photos of me in my glasses,” Kemp said, only half-pie jokingly.

“I might have to take them out. It might be interesting, but it’s going to be fun. I’ve never done it before.”

What Kemp is sure about is the merit of this week’s new look Pro-Am format. Her Falcon II team for the opening 36-holes of the 54-hole event includes former R&A chief executive and now Falcon Golf chairman Peter Dawson and Richard Rayment, a player agent who has Ryder Cupper Rafa Cabrera Bello, second-placed Olivia Cowan and Amy Boulden on his books.

“I got to play with Peter Dawson, which was pretty cool. You meet new people, it’s something different. You get to play in a cart. I enjoyed it a lot.”

So too did she savour the set-up of the Faldo layout.

“It’s great. The fairways are perfect and the greens are rolling nicely. I had fantastic partners that kept me going all day.

“I got off to a slow start and was making some solid pars. I made a bogey on the 2nd and had a good stretch and then from there, I birdied four or five holes. I started to hit it a little closer and holed the putts. That kick-started the round and I finished with three-under, so it was nice and solid.”

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