World No.7 Suzann Pettersen fired a second round of two under par 70 in clear and breezy conditions at Dundonald Links on Saturday morning to take the clubhouse lead at the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open on six under par.
The 34-year-old Norwegian began the second day tied for the lead with world No.2 Lydia Ko and the pair remained tied for the lead at the turn. However, Pettersen gained a three stroke lead after Ko bogeyed 12, 13 and 15, the New Zealander then dropping another shot on 17 before closing with a birdie on 18.
Pettersen came in with a bogey on 10 and a birdie on 14 in a steady back nine of level par and said: “I’m pretty happy. It turned out to be a lot windier than we anticipated and the back nine is playing tough. It’s tough to get great chances and the front nine is more scoreable. Once you get to 12, it’s all into the wind, straight down and off the right, so it’s tough, but a good course with a lot of challenges. You’ve got to be on top of your game.”
Ko, 18, said that she found it difficult to stay positive after back to back bogeys on 12 and 13. “I played really well on the front nine, made a clumsy mistake on three but got myself together rand played really solid. I made two bogeys in a row and that got to my head a little bit. All my putts were close but just not in and when that happens you don’t know what you’re going to shoot. I’m hitting the ball okay and the putts are on line so at the end of the day it’s very small margins.”
Of the 11 professional titles that she has won, Ko said that this year’s ISPS HANDA New Zealand Women’s Open was the only time that she’d enjoyed a comfortable lead heading into the final round so she will deal with whatever the weather conditions present on Sunday. Forecasts are for increasingly strong winds, up to 25 miles per hour.
Of those who played in the morning, Dame Laura Davies was the next best placed on two under par after a second successive 71. She agreed that the back nine was the tougher test. “I didn’t hit a bad shot down 11 and 12 and got an horrendous lie and on 13 came up short, so two shots that I shouldn’t have given away, but it’s that sort of golf course. If you put a foot wrong you’re going to pay the penalty and that’s what happened.”
England’s Charley Hull and Australian Rebecca Artis also had impressive rounds of 68 and 69 respectively to get back to level par for the tournament.
As play continued under blue skies in pleasant conditions in North Ayrshire, Scotland’s Kelsey MacDonald was among the players to watch as she birdied two of her first five holes. She hasn’t made a cut so far this year, but loves playing in front of a home audience.
There were some colourful personalities – and clothing – on the golf course this morning. Westlife’s Brian McFadden, paired with the defending champion Trish Johnson, wore a green and white pair of shamrock patterned trousers, accompanied by fellow amateur, Scottish rugby player Rory Lawson, in a loud and colourful tartan.
At the end of today’s play, the top 50 professionals and those tied will make the cut and play in Sunday’s final round. In the team competition running concurrently, featuring 80 pairs including one professional and one amateur, the leading 15 teams (based on the best aggregate net score) will also compete in the final round on Sunday. In the event of a tie for 15th position, a card play-off will operate to determine the qualifier.
