Maureen Richmond on the first tee today (Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency).

MAUREEN RICHMOND LEADS WITH ROUND TO GO AT WEST KILBRIDE

Kilmacolm exile Maureen Richmond, a Curtis Cup player, British and Scottish girls champion in her youth and now a GP at Wallasey, is one good round away from adding to a glittering golfing CV that has been virtually dormant since she became a GP several decades ago.
At the end of a long, long day – the start of play was delayed 2hr 15min until 45mph early-morning winds abated – Dr Richmond and her playing partners finished their second rounds almost in darkness at 7.45pm.
Maureen added an 80 to her opening round of 78 and her 36-hole tally of 158 gives her a one-stroke lead from England’s Caroline Marron (Bromborough, Cheshire), recent winner of the English seniors’ championship, and Ireland’s Helen Jones (Strabane), winner last week by six strokes of the Irish senior women’s open amateur championship.
Caroline had a 77 and Helen a 79, both for 159.
Defending champion Vicki Thomas (Carmarthen) is by no means out of the hunt. She had an 80 for 161 and is only three shots off the pace.
The field was cut to 40 and ties for tomorrow’s final round. Players had to have two-round aggregates of 173 or better to survive.
“I had a very poor putting round,” said Maureen Richmond. “I missed too many putts of around three to four feet.”

She had a double bogey 7 at the long seventh and bogeys at the first, second, fifth, 10th, 12th and 18th in halves of 41 (five over par) and 39 (three over).

Although the conditions were easier than was the case for the first round, players were still buffeted around by a wind of around 20mph.

Caroline Marron’s 77 included birdies at the sixth and 13th in halves of 38 and 39.

Helen Jones, pictured right at West Kilbride today by Cal Carson Golf Agency, had halves of 40 and 39.

Other Scots in the picture after 36 holes are Ladybank’s European seniors team hero Lorna Bennett with a 79 for 163 and Blairgowrie’s Heather Anderson with an 81 for 164.

“I just played solidly,” said Lorna. “Nothing spectacular. Just kept going.”

Heather was drifting out of the top 20 when she reached the turn in 43 but she came back in 38, good going in the conditions, to salvage an 81.

Swedish international team member Helen Maxe, 51, from Gothenburg returned the lowest score of the championship so far - a three-over-par 75 with halves of 39 and 36. That represented an improvement of 13 strokes between first and second rounds ... and it could have been even better as she had "bad drives" at the 17th and 18th and bogeyed them both. 

Caroline Marron, pictured on the first tee this afternoon by Cal Carson Golf Agency.

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