MARTINA'S EYES ARE SMILING IN

SPANISH WOMEN'S FESTIVAL

Ireland's Martina Gillen carries a two-stroke lead from Welsh rookie professional Natasha Morgan into Tuesday's second and final round of the Murcia Ladies Open golf championship, the opening event of the Hacienda del Alamo Women's Winter Golf Festival at the five-star resort in south-east Spain.

Over a long course and into quite a strong wind at several holes, Martina, who had not seen the Dave Thomas lay-out until Sunday, could feel proud of a two-over-par 74.

She birdied the third, fourth, 12^th, 16^th and 18^th to compensate for shots dropped mainly at the long par-4s into the wind. But for a double bogey 6 at the 17^th, she would have matched par.

Rookie pro Jenna Wilson from Strathaven, last year´s Scottish women´s amateur champion, was going quite well until he closing holes. She ran up a 9 at the par-5 14th followed by bogeys at the short 15th, the par-4 17th and the long 18th. The inward half cost the Scot 44 shots.

Only Gillen and Morgan of the eight competing professionals broke 80 and in recognition of the severity of the test in the prevailing wind, the organisers have moved three of the ladies pro tees forward for the final round.

First prize for the professionals is 500 Euros, donated by an Aberdeen hotelier Stewart Spence.

Rhian Wyn Thomas, a two-handicapper from the Vale of Glamorgan club, leads the amateur field – they played off more forward tees than the pros – with a creditable 75 which included an out of bounds at one hole and a penalty drop at another.

She leads in this divison by eight shots from Ireland's Sarah Carty (The Island, Dublin).

Twelve-year-old Amber Ratcliffe (Royal Cromer) did well in the conditions to return a 91. With 18 of a handicap, she is joint leader with Thomas in the handicap section.

MURCIA LADIES OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

FIRST ROUND SCORES

Par 72. Pro tees 6,500yd. Amateur tees: 5,900yd.

PROFESSIONALS

74 MARTINA GILLEN (Ireland) 38-36.

76 NATASHA MORGAN (Wales) 37-39.

81 LIEN WILLEMS (Belgium) 40-41.

82 CLAIRE COUGHLAN (Ireland) 41-41.

83 JENNA WILSON (Scotland) 39-44.

84 LAUREN DIGGLE (Wales) 44-40.

88 MARIA MARTIN (Spain) 45-43.

90 MARIAN RIORDAN (Ireland) 47-43.

AMATEUR SCRATCH

75 RHIAN WYN THOMAS (Vale of Glamorgan) 39-36.

83 SARAH CARTY (The Island, Dublin) 42-41.

85 ANNA CARLING (Vale of Glamorgan) 39-46.

91 AMBER RATCLIFFE (Royal Cromer) 46-45.

92 MARION GEOGHEGAN (Navan) 42-50.

94 VICKI SMITH (Hacienda del Alamo) 50-44.

96 KIRSTEN MacCALLUM (McDonald Ellon) 47-49, CAROLINE MURPHY (Grange, Dublin) 52-44.

100 AZMINA DESMOND (Hollywood Lakes) 50-50.

103 GEMMA JENNINGS (Navan) 53-50.

105 EVELEEN HIGGINS (Laytown/Bettystown) 47-58.

114 MARGARET ROONEY (Navan) 57-57, PHILOMENA SHEERAN (Navan) 59-55.

122 MARY McAREE (Navan) 62-60.

AMATEUR HANDICAP

Net scores

73 RHIAN WYN THOMAS (Vale of Glamorgan) (2), AMBER RATCLIFFE (Royal Cromer) (18).

76 KIRSTEN MacCALLUM (McDonald Ellon) (20).

79 SARAH CARTY (The Island, Dublin) (4), MARION GEOGHEGAN (Navan) (13).

81 ANNA CARLING (Vale of Glamorgan) (4).

87 CAROLINE MURPHY (Grange, Dublin) (9).

89 AZMINA DESMOND (Hollywood Lakes) (11), VICKI SMITH (Hacienda del Alamo) (5).

91 GEMMA JENNINGS (Navan) (12).

92 EVELEEN HIGGINS (Laytown/Bettystown) (13).

94 MARGARET ROONEY (Navan) (20), PHILOMENA SHEERAN (Navan) (20).

102 MARY McAREE (Navan) (20).