Dubai: Shanshan Feng broke away from the pack with a solid 67 on Thursday to give herself a four-shot lead on 11-under-par after day two of the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters at Emirates Golf Club here.
The 2012 Dubai champion and event record-winning score holder (21 under par in 2012), sunk three outward birdies and two on her return to go clear of Order of Merit favourite Charley Hull, who shot a second day two-under-par 70.
Hull bogeyed the first hole but recovered with two birdies on her front nine and three birdies on her return, to put her just two shots behind Shanshan, until she double bogeyed the last hole after hitting a water hazard.
Hull’s nearest rival for the season-long money list honours, Gwladys Nocera, hit a 69 and is maintaining the pressure on her rival, sitting a stroke back in tied for third with Anna Nordqvist and Noora Tamminen.
Nocera, who must finish in the top four and see Hull fall beyond 30th in the leaderboard to snatch the Order of Merit title at this €500,000 (Dh2.3 million) Ladies European Tour season-ending event, hit three birdies from holes nine to 13 in an unblemished round.
Despite pulling ahead from tied for first at six under par on day one, Shanshan said her lead at the halfway stage meant very little, and she added that she wouldn’t get too fixated with watching the leaderboard.
“It doesn’t matter if you are leading after the second or third round,” she said. “The most important thing is to be leading after the fourth round.
“I don’t look at the leaderboards during the tournament. I only check it out on the afternoon of the last day.
“My goal is just top three, wherever I’m standing my goal is top three. If I make top three, I’ll feel really happy. I’m not trying to think about winning or anything.”
Of her second round, she added: “I didn’t make as many birdies as I did yesterday [Wednesday]. But it was a bogey-free round with five birdies, so I think I did really well. I would say I’m in a comfortable position and really looking forward to having two more good days.”
Meanwhile, Hull was upbeat despite ending on a double bogey, which enabled Shanshan to break clear and Nocera to keep tabs on her.
“I was four under until then but I finished two under, which isn’t too bad,” she said. “I’m four off the lead, so that’s nothing at all.
“Gwladys is playing great at the moment,” she added of the Order of Merit battle. “It’s not over yet and I think she will definitely finish in the top four because she’s playing really good. So, I’ll have to dig deep tomorrow [Friday].”
Despite keeping pace with Hull to set up the prospect of a climactic weekend, Nocera said she was enjoying her game and playing without pressure.
“I don’t want to think too much about it,” she said of the money list. “It’s the last event of the season and the best course we play on all year.
“I just want to enjoy every shot, because it’s so nice when you hit the ball and it’s so pure and the greens are perfect.
“The top is the top and I can’t do anything about it. All I have to do is play my game.”
