Italy 's Tullia Calzavara gave the home galleries something to cheer about after she claimed pole position at the halfway stage of the BMW Ladies Italian Open in Rome .
The 22-year-old from Venice fired a second round of five under par 67 for a total of nine under par 135 on the second hot day at Sheraton Parco de' Medici.
The young Italian, searching for her first professional title and hoping to become the first home winner of the event in 19 years, carded a faultless second round with five birdies after opening with a four-under-par 68.
She is two clear of current European number one and 2005 Solheim Cup player Gwladys Nocera, who had a 66 for the lowest round of the tournament.
Calzavara, who claimed to be suffering from a cold, was spurred on by the large number of friends and family who had turned out to support her.
“I know nearly everybody here I think. All my friends are here, its great!” she said. The last time Calzavara played the Sheraton owned golf course was in last year's tournament.
“It's not like my home course but the food is very good so it feels like home. I would love to be the first Italian winner of the Open. I think I would have to follow the Italian tradition and go swimming with the ducks in the lake!” (On the LET, the Italian players throw their winners in the lake).
Calzavara, relatively unknown even in her own country, is no stranger to shooting low scores and she impressed with a course record 65 in the Netherlands ' KLM Ladies Open two years ago in her first year on Tour - a feat she says that she can easily repeat.
“I'm very relaxed. I had five birdies today and no mistakes. Yesterday seven birdies, so I am playing really well,” she said.
Nocera, who won her maiden title in Switzerland five weeks ago and who has dominated this year's European number one spot after five top tens in six starts this season, climbed seven places to second today after a 71 yesterday and the French woman finished alone on a total of seven-under-par, just two shots off the pace.
Like Calzavara, Nocera was feeling under the weather today; but despite a stomach bug she continued to prove that she is one of the most talented players on the LET after a faultless round that included four birdies and an eagle at the par-five eighth hole where she chipped in from the back of the green.
“The hard work is paying off,” said Nocera, who moved to Biarritz four years ago to train with French Federation and men's national coach Olivier Leglise.
“My swing is good; it's more solid and consistent; my putting is more consistent as I've been working on it a lot. My big goal is to remain number one.”
If Nocera remains European number one come June 25 th , she will tee up in July's HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship in America and she relishes the opportunity to compete at such an elite level.
“Its not about the money, it's a question of being the best,” she added. Nocera learned her golf from her father; a golf professional. Originally, she came from Vichy , in the centre of France but since moving to Biarritz she has become totally focused.
When she first moved to Biarritz , she trained with the Biarritz rugby team in a gymnasium under their pitch for two years and was spurred on by the rugby professionals. These days, like many professionals, she has her own personal trainer. Her increased strength - and confidence – makes her a real threat this weekend.
In third position on six-under-par, Spain 's Elisa Serramia and Denmark 's Amanda Moltke Leth are in the hunt for a maiden title as is the best Briton, Clare Queen of Scotland .
Queen carded rounds of 71 and 68 for a halfway total of five-under-par and she shares fifth place with four other players: the first round leader Linda Wessberg, Australia 's Mardi Lunn, French woman Sophie Giquel and Kris Lindstrom from the USA .
Queen, from Drumpellier, had a rocky start to her first year on the LET, but she was more relaxed today after a solid opening round.
“It was really good today going out with a good first round under my belt. I was able to relax and I knew I was playing well so I could go out and relax,” she said.
“It makes a change from going out and thinking that you have to shoot 68 or 69 to make the cut. Today the cut wasn't really in my mind.”
Queen, who had a glittering amateur career and was the 2004 Ladies British Amateur Stroke play champion, has now made two cuts in her first six events, with the prospect of a strong finish this weekend.
She has made the same number of cuts as 16-year-old English amateur Henrietta Brockway, who finished on a total of level par today after a second round of 74.
It was a brilliant effort from the Wiltshire-based teenager, who last made the cut in the 2005 OTP Bank Ladies Central European Open in Hungary .
Her 74 included two triple bogeys, two bogeys and six birdies. She was the only one of six amateurs to make the cut, but despite that, she had mixed feelings.
“There were a lot of silly shots today. I had six birdies but dropped eight shots so it was really frustrating,” she said. “After my triple, I had three straight birdies and I was one under after nine holes because I chipped in at the ninth; but then I had another triple and it was so frustrating. I wasn't nervous at all.”
Brockway heads into the weekend already a star in Italy . In addition to the newspaper articles written about her, she is followed by a small army of autograph hunters. Most of these fans are under the age of ten, proving that the teenager has the potential to attract a whole new generation of fans to the women's game.
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