Coffs Harbour’s Emma De Groot has maintained her recent run of hot form to shoot a 6 under par 66 and lead after the first round of the Mount Broughton Classic presented by McGill’s Transport.

De Groot, who has finished 3rd and 1st in her past two ALPG Tour events, posted seven birdies and one bogey to lead by one stroke from a group of four, headed by Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall, American Beth Allen, Frenchwoman Joanna Klatten and rookie West Australian Whitney Hillier also posted 67’s and this quartet look set to be the main challengers as they sit two shots clear of Queenslander Tamara Johns heading into tomorrow’s final round.

Klatten, the 2012 Women’s Victorian Open Champion, produced the shot of the day, holing a 4 iron at the 172 metre par 3 sixth hole. She was 4 under on her last four holes (finishing on the 9th) and said she struck every four iron “perfectly” during her round.

For De Groot, the amazing run of form saw her post her second 66 in as many rounds, posting that score to win the Ingham Antill Park Country Club Pro-Am on Thursday. “I guess I’m on a roll” she said. “It feels good to be fit and playing well so I’m just enjoying it while it lasts, taking it as it comes. I’m hitting a lot of fairways and greens and starting to hole the 10-15 footers instead of them burning the edge. Just a matter of putts falling in at the moment – I’ll take them while they are falling.”

De Groot and Allen will be in the final pairing teeing off at 1pm Sunday.