England’s Kirsty S Taylor was a step closer to her first tournament victory on the Ladies European Tour after she posted a fantastic three under par 69 in the second round of the Tenerife Ladies Open.
Taylor, 26, from Basingstoke in Hampshire, was a shot off the pace after opening with a level par 72 but she held a two shot lead at the halfway stage.
With a three under par 141 aggregate, she was clearly looking to build on her success of eight days ago when she clinched her first professional victory at the Player’s Club in Bristol on the newly formed Pro-Source Ladies Tour.
“I’ve been striking the ball really well and that win was a nice way to start the season,” said a delighted Taylor, who hopes to join her namesake Kirsty Taylor of Yorkshire in the Ladies European Tour’s winners circle.
“I struggled in the practice round here and had to fight for my 72 yesterday but today was a lot easier despite the heat out here.
“My friend Jay Taylor, (no relation), flew in from playing on the men’s EPD Tour in Germany to caddy for me today and that made all the difference. I was four under at one point.”
Taylor had a run of four birdies in six holes from the par-four ninth hole, where she holed a snaking putt from 25 feet to move to one under. At the par four 11th the big hitter knocked a pitching wedge to five inches to move to two under par before holing a two foot putt for birdie at the par four 13th hole.
At the par-three 14th, she struck a magnificent four iron to three feet and holed the putt to move to four under par but a bogey at 15, a birdie at 17 and another bogey at 18, left her at three under par for the tournament.
Taylor, the 2002 Rookie of the Year, leads by two shots over Spanish rookie Tania Elosegui and Finnish player Rikke Hakkarainen, who both sit at one under par after day two at Abama.
Elosegui tacked a 72 onto her opening 71 to remain at one under par after 36 holes while Hakkarainen added a two under par 70 to her opening 73.
Elosegui, 24, from San Sebastian, is playing in her first event on the Ladies European Tour and was tied for the lead with Taylor at three under par after 34 holes until she double bogeyed the par four eighth; her penultimate hole, where she hit her tee shot into the palm trees. She collected birdies at the 11th, 14th and sixth holes, with a bogey at the fifth; but she was pleased to be in contention heading into the weekend.
“I’m very happy as this is my first tournament in Europe,” said the Spaniard, who shares a personal fitness trainer named Jonkarla Lizeaga with Jose Maria Olazabal.
Also starting from the tenth tee, Hakkarainen, 28, from Espoo, carded four birdies and two bogeys and she is well placed to make a move for her first professional tournament victory this weekend.
Sophie Giquel of France and England’s Georgina Simpson are three shots off the lead at level par. Simpson added a one under par 71 to her first round of 73 and Giquel had a two under par 70 after a 74 yesterday.
Simpson, from Cleckheaton, had four birdies, three bogeys, a double at the eighth and chipped in for eagle at the par-five sixth hole.
“It was swings and roundabouts today. It was Walt Disney golf,” she joked, adding, “Its very hot out there and the greens are very tough.”
Scotland’s Kathryn Imrie, the joint overnight leader with Elosegui, had a disappointing 80 after her opening 71 and slipped back into a share of 23rd position at seven over par.
Henrietta Brockway, the 16-year-old amateur from Yeovil in England, carded an 83 after her first round 74 to finish at 13 over par and she missed the cut by a shot in her fourth appearance on the LET.
A total of 60 players made the halfway cut which fell at 12 over par.
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