Casandra Alexander scythed through the field on Friday with a stunning 10-under-par 63 in the second round of the Ladies European Tour’s Aramco China Championship at Mission Hills in Shenzhen, China.

Alexander, the 67th-ranked player on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, opened with a forlorn four-over-par 77 and was in a share of 96th in the 104-player field.

Things fell into place nicely with five birdies on each of the nines in the second round, as she scorched her way to the best round of the day and climbed into a share of 12th place. She will start the final round six strokes off the lead.

Thanks to the stunning turnaround, Alexander now sits six shots back from Trichat Cheenglab of Thailand heading into the final round. She will tee alongside England’s Mimi Rhodes and Ecuador’s Daniela Darquea.

It was a 14-stroke turnaround and she knew how she achieved it: “First I hit the ball a lot better and holed a lot more putts,” Alexander explained, who made 10 birdies on Friday and didn’t drop a single shot. “Overall it was just a little bit more simple today. I think yesterday I got a bit complicated with it. Today I picked my lines, picked my targets and just hit it.

“Yesterday I was in the bus sulking and told my caddie Charlie, I’m going to shoot 10-under tomorrow. This morning he came up to me and he said, ’10-under?’ and I said, ‘yep’, and carried on walking. It seems like it all worked out. So if he doesn’t say that tomorrow he’s fired!”

The round of the week marks the second time this season that Alexander – currently sitting third in the LET Order of Merit – has fired a 10-under. Back in June, the 26-year-old carded a 10-under 62 on the final day at the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open to break the course record and win her maiden Ladies European Tour title.

“Not everyone has BMT but I seem to have it,” Alexander said. “I don’t think it’s something you can teach. I just have it. I’ve been competitive my whole life and I’ve always had that competitive edge. I think I’m the hardest on myself and I think that also gives me the upper hand. I also hit the ball long, so that always gives me an upper hand to reach the par-fives and go low.”

Cheenglab fired a round of eight-under 65 to lead with a total of 12-under-par. The 2023 LET Order of Merit winner rolled in birdies on the second, third and fifth holes before an eagle on the sixth and another birdie on the eighth. Cheenglab dropped her only shot of the day on the 15th hole but then made her hole-out eagle on 17 and a birdie at the last to finish in style and hold a one-shot lead with one round remaining.