KENNY AND QUEEN BEAT CUT BUT

IMRIE FAILS BY TWO SHOTS IN

NORTHERN IRELAND OPEN

Kiran Matharu, Curtis Cup player and English women's amateur champion last year, has taken a little time to find her feet as a rookie tour pro.

But here she is now, at the age of 18, leading the field by a shot after two rounds of the Northern Ireland Ladies Open at Hilton Temple Patrick.

Kiran, from Leeds, has had rounds of 72 and 69 for three-under-par 141.

Inverness-based New Zealander Liz McKinnon had a repeat 72 for 144, birdieing the 10th, 14th and 17th to be joint ninth.

Lynn Kenny, pictured above, playing out of Archerfield Links, is lying in joint 36th place on 149 with rounds of 73 and 76. Lynn birdied the long fifth and the long 17th today.

Clare Queen (The Carrick at Cameron House), not firing on all cylinders in this tournament, made the cut with nothing to spare with rounds of 76 and 75. She had only one birdie but, coming at the 16th, it was a vital one to help take her through to the Sunday action.

Sadly, the oldest and most experienced of the three Scots in the field, Kathryn Imrie, failed to beat the cut. She had two rounds of 77 for 154, two shots too many - and she shed them at the sixth with a double bogey.

SCOREBOARD

Par 144 (2 x 72)

141 K Matharu (Eng) 72 69.

141 J Mills (Aus) 72 70, N Gergely (Aut) 74 68.
143 G Nocera (Fra) 75 68, L Smith (US) 71 72, S Beautell (Spa) 72 71, L Fairclough (Eng) 75 69, L Hall (Eng) 74 69.

Other scores:

144 L McKinnon (NZ) 72 72, S Walker (Eng) 75 69, S Head (Eng) 73 71.
149 L Kenny (Sco) 73 76 (jt 36th).

151 C Queen (Sco) 76 75 (jt 56th).

MISSED THE CUT

154 K Imrie (Sco) 77 77.