Watson in four-shot lead at junior event

Dubai: Sally Watson fired an impressive, three under par 68 to grab the lead in The Daily Telegraph Junior Golf Championship at the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club.

A resident of the David Leadbetter Academy in Florida, the 15-year-old Scot overcame another wayward start to earn a four-shot lead over the field.

As the wind blew in from the Creek, bringing relief from the searing heat but posing problems for those swinging a club, only Watson and Becky Harries bettered par. And None of the boys could match that.

Watson did well to maintain her composure after bogeying the second and third holes for the second day in a row.

However, an eagle at the fourth got her back on track and she went on to reach the turn in two under, before dropping one shot coming home and picking up birdies at the 16th and 17th. "When I got to two under it was hard to keep attacking because I didn't want to blow it," she said.

"I wasn't comfortable at all on the back nine but I can't complain."

Harries, a full Welsh international, tacked her 69 onto an opening-day 74 and was delighted to move up the field. She said: "I birdied all the par fives and played much better - I think I was concentrating more because I knew I had to keep pace with the leaders."

She will start today's final round in the last group after Ellie Givens, the opening-day leader, fell away with a 78.

For the record, Watson is on three under par overall, followed by Harries on one over and another Scot, Roseanne Niven, whose 73 left her on two over.

The boys all struggled with Dale Whitnell's 72, one over par, being the best of the day.

Such were the woes of the other competitors that it was enough to lift Whitnell into a share of the second place, along side Sam Hutsby, the England boys' captain, who shot 75.

Scores

Second round:
Boys: 144 - D Casey (E Sussex) 69, 75. 145 - D Whitnell (Forrester Park) 73, 72; S Hutsby (Lee-on-Solent) 70, 75. 147 - J Timmis (Newcastle-under-Lyme) 71, 76; G Mitchell (Northern) 69, 78. 151 - J Galbraith (Rochford Hundred) 74, 77. 153 - S Hodgson (Sunningdale) 80, 73. 158 - C Jess (Mid Sussex) 78, 80. 159 - C Hammond (Pontardwe) 82, 77; N Kearns (Omagh) 79, 80. 161 - J McClelland (St George's Hill) 77, 84. 182 - N Cheese (Dudley) 92, 90.

Girls: 139 - S Watson (Elie and Earlsferry) 71, 68. 143 - B Harries (Haverfordwest) 74, 69. 144 - R Niven (Crieff) 71, 73. 147 - E Givens (Blackwell Grange) 69, 78. 156 - N Dunn (Harrogate) 79, 77. 158 - K Best (The Sherwood Forest) 78, 80. 160 - K McPhail (Ellesmere) 83, 77. 161 - G Brown (Mere) 82, 79. 166 - H White (Worfield) 81, 85.