Spanish amateur Cayetana Fernandez fired a sensational second round of 65 (-8) to lead the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España at the halfway stage on the Ladies European Tour.
The 17 year-old began the day on three under and soon found some momentum making three consecutive birdies on holes four through six to make the turn in 33 (-3).
And Fernandez, who was part of the triumphant Team Europe at the 2021 PING Junior Solheim Cup, rolled in further birdies on 11, 13, 14, 15 and 18 to put her in pole position on 11 under-par heading into the weekend.
‘It makes me very happy,’ said the teenager. ‘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.
‘Yesterday I was more nervous because I played with Azahara [Muñoz] and she’s a really good player. Today I was more relaxed, my sister is my caddie, so she was speaking with me all the time and I played with Carla another Spanish amateur. I was relaxed until 15 when all the cameras were there, but I finished with a birdie so I can’t be happier than I am.’
In second place and just one shot behind is 2022 Race to Costa del Sol leader Linn Grant, after she produced another round of 68 (-5) at Alferini Golf.
It was an error-free day for the four-time LET winner who made back-to-back birdies on eight and nine, before rolling in another on 11 and finishing with two more on 16 and 17 to put her on 10 under-par.
Ireland’s Leona Maguire sits in third place after 36 holes having produced another solid round on day two, signing for a bogey-free 69 (-4) to be two shots behind the leader on nine-under-par.
Four players are in a tie for fourth place on eight-under-par with Swedish duo Maja Stark and Caroline Hedwall alongside Switzerland’s Morgane Metraux and England’s Cara Gainer.
It was another round of 69 (-4) for Stark, who sits second in the 2022 Race to Costa del Sol, with six birdies and two bogeys on her card.
Stark needs to finish ahead of rival Grant to have a chance of winning the Race to Costa del Sol title and she was left frustrated with a bogey on the last, but is trying to keep her emotions in check.
France’s Anais Meyssonnier sits in outright eighth place on seven-under with six players in tied ninth heading into the weekend as Spanish duo Carlota Ciganda and Paula Martin, Czechia’s Klara Spilkova, Dutch star Anne Van Dam, England’s Hannah Burke and Sweden’s Jessica Karlsson are all on six under.