Casandra Alexander started her day with a bogey on Thursday but immediately bounced back with a birdie on the second as she climbed into a share of second in the Ladies European Tour’s PIF Saudi Ladies International.

She added another birdie on the fifth at Riyadh Golf Club in the Saudi capital, and the 26-year-old then found her groove on the back nine with four birdies in a six-hole stretch between holes 10 and 15 to sit one shot off the lead on 10-under.

England’s Mimi Rhodes produced a round of 69 to lead by one at the 36-hole mark. The 2025 LET Rookie of the Year, who was in a share of the lead after the first round, started with a birdie on the 10th and added another on 13 before her first bogey of the week on 16. She bounced back with back-to-back birdies on the first and second to sign for her round of 69 and sit at the top of the leaderboard on 11-under-par.

Alexander and Japan’s Chizzy Iwai sat in a share of second place on 10-under-par.

“I have had good prep coming into this week,” said Alexander. “All the work I did with my coaches last year, getting back into it this year shows that work was really useful for my game throughout the next couple of years. Doing the right things consistently has led to this.

“In the beginning, the greens were a little drier than yesterday obviously being the afternoon and they were quite quick, they were a lot quicker than the practice greens and I just settled in nicely after a couple of holes.

“On the back nine, things started to go my way a little. I still left a few out there, I left a lot in the teeth just short of the hole. I did well, but there were still some shots out there so hopefully, we can grab them tomorrow.”