Abu Dhabi: The winds remained calm in the morning session and most of the early starts made merry. Overnight leader South African Lee-Anne Pace also made the most to keep her edge at the top of the leader board with 12-under at the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open at the Saadiyat Beach Golf Course on Thursday.
Giving Pace a close chase is India’s teen sensation Aditi Ashok, who came up with another bogey free round to finish at 11-under. Spain’s Luna Sobron and Sweden’s Camilla Lennarth were both tied third at nine-under.
Spain’s Luna Sobron, Sweden’s Camilla Lennarth and American Cheyenne Woods, who also shot a hole-in-one on the sixth, are tied third at nine under. Sobron’s exceptional performance also saw her set a new course record of 62 after starting the day at one over.
England’s Florentyna Parker, France’s Celine Herbin, Sweden’s Linda Wessberg, England’s Georgia Hall and all tied joint sixth at 8 under.
Pace, who started the day at 6-under, was straight away in fine form. Starting from hole 10, she struck three birdies in a row before finishing with a birdie on the 18th. In the back nine, she went on par for the first seven holes before finishing with birdies on the last two.
“It feels great and I remembered the course better today but I struck the ball really nicely too. I hit the shots I wanted to hit and I hit it really close to the pin and made the putts,” said a beaming Pace adding that she would like to continue in similar vein in round three.
“Tomorrow I’d like to start the way I did today, and be a bit patient, as patience helps you to do a lot. I had some chances which I didn’t take but in the end I’m pretty satisfied,” revealed Pace adding that, the wind was favourable and the par fives are playing even shorter specially the 15th hence so many low scores.
Aditi too, started from where she had left and managed six birdies despite missing one on the par five. She missed two short putts on 8 and 11.
“I feel I’m hitting the ball well though, I missed a couple of drives left but apart from that I struck it pretty well. My putting is pretty good too so I’m happy. Still bogey free and everyone is mentioning it. I’m just focusing on hitting the fairways and let the birdies happen,” said a delighted Aditi, who too felt that the par fives being short is giving most of the long hitters.
“Once you get there on two shots then it is pretty much four birdies in your round and today I think some of the pins were easier. So maybe that’s why lots of low scores,” revealed the 19-year-old.
Among the big names who failed to make the cut where defending Champion Beth Allen. The 35-year-old’s campaign in the tournament has come to an end as she failed to make the cut having finished at five over. Allen, who after starting the day at one over, just couldn’t get going and had four bogeys — one in the front nine and the remaining three on the back and finished with a forgettable 76. After round one, Briton Mel Reid, third last year, following a round of 77 had also withdrawn from tournament with a back injury.
England’s Hall, runner-up last year, too was in tremendous form despite starting in the afternoon when wind was slowly starting to pick pace. Hall, who started at 3-under, shot four birdies on the first nine and was very much in line to get close to the front runners. She then had another birdie on the 11th which took her to eight-under but a bogey on the 13th saw her slip. Birdie in the 15th allowed her to finish on 67 for the day.
