LORA Fairclough was under pressure to produce the goods as the £575,000 Weetabix British Open got underway at Royal Lytham today.

The Chorley-based star needs to do something special if she is to win a place in the Solheim Cup team to play America at Muirfield Village, Ohio, in September.

Fairclough, who is known on the circuit as the 'baby-faced killer', is currently seventh in the ELPGA order of merit.

And with the top seven selected for the plane to America, she cannot afford any slip ups this week.

Fairclough's true competitive spirit re-emerged when she won the German Open last week.

The 28-year-old was in outstanding form, holding off anything anyone could throw at her, to claim victory in Hamburg with a 10-under-par total of 282.

Amazingly, it was her first Tour win since 1995.

That put her right back in the Solheim Cup frame but a disappointing display in the McDonald's WPGA Championship of Europe at Gleneagles last weekend has put her place back in doubt. She finished 23 shots behind eventual winner Catriona Matthew, and the Scot has now taken over sixth spot in the order of merit.l+2l-2 Fairclough said: "I'm not even thinking about the Solheim.

"Obviously, I would love to make it but I've done it once before and if it never happens again then so be it."

She teed off at 1.15 today along with American Sherri Steinhauer and Wendy Wood who is unattached.

Clitheroe's Kirsty Taylor was also in action. She teed off at 11.15 with Australian Alison Munt and Moira Murray of Scotland.

England's Trish Johnson claimed an early share of the lead in difficult, windy conditions.

The 32-year-old Solheim Cup player from Surrey birdied the par-four second to move to one under par alongside Sweden's Malin Bustrom.

Sue Strudwick, from Staffordshire, was the first player to get to two under par with back-to-back birdies at the second and third. But the 33-year-old dropped shots at the sixth and eighth to reach the turn in level-par 35. Defending champion Karrie Webb made the perfect start with a birdie from seven feet at the 197 yard par-three opening hole. But she also slipped back to even par with a five at the par-four third.

Unaccustomed to British links golf, South Korean sensation Se Ri Pak who has won two majors in her rookie year, made a faltering start. She missed the green at the first hole and dropped a shot and was still one over par after five holes.

Catriona Matthew, the Scot who won the McDonald's WPGA Championship at Gleneagles last week, made a steady start with three straight pars but then slipped back with a bogey at the fourth.

Britain's Laura Davies was a late starter but was looking forward to tackling the tough conditions. The former world number one said: "It's the first time I've played Lytham, and I think it is probably the nicest course I've ever played."

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