Catriona Matthew only Scot to beat the cut

Annika clickety-clicks to take lead in Dubai Ladies Masters

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

A second round of six-under-par 66 propelled Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam into the halfway lead at the Dubai Ladies Masters today.
An eagle at the third and four birdies gave the defending champion a one-stroke lead on 136, eight-under-par.

This is Annika's final tournament before she goes into retirement, from which she may or may not come out, to get married, start a family and pursue her many business interest.
Trailing England’s Johanna Head by four strokes on 70 after the first round, Sorenstam picked up the pace with a flawless display on the Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club.
“My goal was to clean up the round that I had yesterday with no bogeys and I was able to do that so I’m very, very happy,” said Sorenstam, who added: “I wish I could have done a little better. I know I had a lot of chances and edges really. I hit the pin on the 11th hole, but I hit some good shots and I hit some good putts that just didn't go in.”
Playing in the afternoon heat, Sorenstam kick-started the day by hitting her five-iron approach shot to 10 feet at the par-five third hole and rolling in the eagle putt.

Further birdies on the sixth, seventh and ninth holes gave her an outward total of five-under-par 30 and she was level with first-round leader Head after nine holes on seven-under-par. Sorenstam birdied the 13th, which at 540 yards is the longest par five on the course, to move to eight-under-par and a step closer to a fairytale finish at her farewell tournament.

Despite being pulled from pillar to post she said that she was enjoying being the crowd favourite. “I'm aware of the attention and I'm aware of the support that I have. It's very nice of course. I embrace it more than anything. But you know, once I'm inside the ropes, I just focus on my game and the shots I need to hit. You know, after 15 years, I 've had a lot of practise at that. So I know where to put my energy and my focus,” she said.
Australia’s Nikki Garrett matched Sorenstam’s score of 66 to pull within one shot of the leader and took outright second position on seven-under-par.

Maria Verchenova’s 66 was her best score in two years on the Ladies European Tour and she shared third place on six-under with Veronica Zorzi, who had a 69, and Johanna Head, who carded 72.

“My iron game was really good, and I hit a lot of greens and I'm happy with my game,” said Verchenova, who is the only Russian player on tour. “It's quite tough. You definitely have to have a good short game, it's a good golf course and it suits my game. It's like before the week started, I feel like I was going to do well here.”

Germany’s Anja Monke, Denmark’s Iben Tinning and England’s Laura Davies shared sixth place on five-under-par. The cut fell to 61 players on three-over-par 147.

COLIN FARQUHARSON'S SCOTSWATCH: Catriona Matthew was the only Scot to survive the cut. The LPGA Tour player from North Berwick improved by five shots with a second-round 68 for 141 to be five shots off the pace.

Clare Queen and Lynn Kenny both missed out by three shots with aggregates of 150. Lynn scored 76 and 74. She had a double bogey 6 at the first hole today, her third double bogey of the two rounds. Her first-day double bogeys both came at short holes.

Clare Queen birdied the third today but that was her only sub-par figure. She came home in 41 for a 77, four shots worse than her first-day score.

Buchanan Castle amateur Kylie Walker, who has entered the LET Q School at La Manga early next month, scored 77 and 75 for 152, missing the cut by five shots.

Jenna Wilson had a pair of 77s for 154.

SECOND-ROUND LEADERBOARD

Par 144 (2 x 72)

136 Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 70 66
137 Nikki Garrett (Aus) 71 66
138 Maria Verchenova (Rus) 72 66, Veronica Zorzi (Ita) 69 69, Johanna Head (Eng) 66 72
139 Anja Monke (Ger) 68 71, Iben Tinning (Den) 70 69, Laura Davies (Eng) 70 69
140 Anna Rawson (Aus) 71 69, Katharina Schallenberg (Ger) 69 71, Catriona Matthew (Sco) 73 67, Trish Johnson (Eng) 70 70, Lora Fairclough (Eng) 73 67, Carin Koch (Swe) 72 68, Cassandra Kirkland (Fra) 73 67, Amy Yang (Kor) 71 69, Sophie Giquel (Fra) 70 70
141 Emma Cabrera-Bello (Spa) 70 71, Nina Reis (Swe) 70 71, Melissa Reid (Eng) 71 70, Titiya Plucksataporn (Tha) 72 69, Ashleigh Simon (Rsa) 70 71, Julie Greciet (Fra) 71 70, Martina Gillen (Irl) 71 70, Stefania Croce (Ita) 71 70, Samantha Head (Eng) 72 69
142 Jade Schaeffer (Fra) 71 71, Hazel Kavanagh (Irl) 72 70, Felicity Johnson (Eng) 70 72
143 Leah Hart (Aus) 72 71, Lisa Holm Sorensen (Den) 73 70, Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (Fra) 70 73, Martina Eberl (Ger) 71 72, Carmen Alonso (Spa) 70 73, Lynn Brooky (Nz) 71 72, Maria Boden (Swe) 69 74
144 Sophie Gustafson (Swe) 72 72, Louise Stahle (Swe) 72 72, Emma Zackrisson (Swe) 71 73, Sofia Renell (Swe) 73 71, Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 75 69
145 Charlotta Sorenstam (Swe) 72 73, Kirsty S Taylor (Eng) 72 73, Becky Brewerton (Wal) 73 72, Lara Tadiotto (Bel) 74 71, Julie Tvede (Den) 72 73, Anne-Lise Caudal (Fra) 74 71, Dana Lacey (Aus) 72 73
146 Joanne Morley (Eng) 72 74, Henrietta Zuel (Eng) 75 71, Karen Lunn (Aus) 71 75, Ursula Wikstrom (Fin) 74 72, Anna Rossi (Ita) 76 70, Frances Bondad (Aus) 71 75, Laura Cabanillas (Spa) 74 72, Tania Elosegui (Spa) 71 75, Lisa Hall (Eng) 74 72, Margherita Rigon (Ita) 72 74
147 Nora Angehrn (Swi) 78 69, Louise Friberg (Swe) 73 74, Joanne Mills (Aus) 73 74
MISSED THE CUT
148 Sophie Walker (Eng) 75 73, Rachel Bell (Eng) 76 72, Rebecca Coakley (Irl) 75 73, Caroline Afonso (Fra) 75 73
149 Melodie Bourdy (Fra) 75 74, Anna Knutsson (Swe) 75 74, Linda Wessberg (Swe) 74 75, Nathalie David-Mila (Fra) 76 73
150 Ludivine Kreutz (Fra) 73 77, Laurette Maritz (Rsa) 74 76, Amanda Moltke-Leth (Den) 77 73, Paula Marti (Spa) 72 78, Natascha Fink (Aut) 77 73, Jehanne Jail (Fra) 74 76, Lynn Kenny (Sco) 76 74, Clare Queen (Sco) 73 77, Lydia Hall (Wal) 72 78, Ana Larraneta (Spa) 75 75
151 Marta Prieto (Spa) 78 73, Georgina Simpson (Eng) 73 78, Elisabeth Esterl (Ger) 82 69, Kiran Matharu (Eng) 75 76
152 Stefanie Michl (Aut) 74 78, Anna Tybring (Swe) 80 72, Bronwyn Mullins-Lane (Aus) 73 79, Marina Arruti (Spa) 75 77, Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 75 77, Kylie Walker (Sco) (am) 77 75
153 Marjet Van Der Graaff (Ned) 77 76, Florence Luscher (Swi) 79 74, Vittoria Valvassori (Ita) 80 73, Natalie Claire Booth (Eng) 76 77, Lee-Anne Pace (Rsa) 75 78
154 Cecilie Lundgreen (Nor) 76 78, Jenna Wilson (Sco) 77 77, Ellen Smets (Bel) 73 81, Nicole Gergely (Aut) 78 76
155 Jo Clingan (Eng) 76 79
156 Anne Norman Hansen (Den) 80 76, Bettina Hauert (Ger) 78 78
159 Federica Piovano (Ita) 81 78
160 Itziar Elguezabal (Spa) 79 81
161 Eva Steinberger (Aut) 81 80
Retired: Cecilia Ekelundh (Swe) 75, Danielle Masters (Eng) 80, Sandra Meyer (Rsa) 86, Zuzana Kamasova (Svk) 86