Lee-Anne Pace kept herself inside the top 20 on Friday with a second-round one-under-par 72 in the Ladies European Tour’s season-ending Andalucia Costa Del Sol Open De Espana.
Her three birdies and two bogeys gave her a 72, and moves her to five-under for the tournament. That was six strokes off the lead which was held by Spanish amateur Cayetana Fernandez, who carded an eight-under 65 to lead by a shot from Swedish favourite Linn Grant. Leona Maguire of Ireland, another pre-tournament favourite, was a further shot back on nine-under in third.
“It makes me very happy,” said Fernandez. “I played an amazing round today. I made a lot of putts, and I enjoyed it a lot. I’m very happy and I’m glad to be here and tomorrow I hope to continue playing like this and I hope to get in the last group on the last day.
“Playing the LET tournament in Madrid allowed me to get to know professional tournaments because they are very different than the amateur ones. I am nervous also, it’s a thing you can’t control but if you control it well it’s okay to have some nerves on course.”
Casandra Alexander fought her way to a one-over 74 in the second round to drop to three-under for the tournament and a share of 22nd. Nicole Garcia battled a double-bogey and three bogeys on her way to a three-over 76. At one-over for the tournament, she was in a share of 47th in the 75-player tournament.
Nobuhle Dlamini of eSwatini had a poor 10-over 83 in the second round to be 11-over for the tournament in a share of 73rd.
