MICHL LEAD LACOSTE LADIES OPEN BY ONE STROKE IN PARIS

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
By BETHAN CUTLER, LET Media Manager
Paris, France: Austrian Stefanie Michl pulled a stroke clear of the field at the halfway stage of the Lacoste Ladies Open de France.
The 25-year-old from Graz fired a superb five under par 67 on a hot and sunny morning at Paris International Golf Club.
She stood at nine under par ahead of Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom, followed by fellow Finns Minea Blomqvist and Kaisa Ruuttila, France’s Virginie Lagoutte-Clement and Italian Diana Luna one further back in joint third.
“I’m happy with the way I played. I holed a few nice putts and gave myself a few good looks so I’m happy,” said Michl, who is playing for her first Ladies European Tour victory in five years as a professional.
“The driver was better yesterday, for sure, but my irons, I hit some pretty close. I made some clutch putts so I think the putting was pretty good today.
Michl earned a runner-up finish at the Sanya Ladies Open in China last October but her 2011 season is yet to ignite.
She is currently down at 88th on the Henderson Money List after two top 20 finishes from 15 starts this season, but is now well placed to collect the first prize of €37,500 and secure her card for 2012.
Wikstrom is also in the hunt for a maiden victory following three runner-up finishes in eight seasons on Tour and her form is peaking at just the right time after a tie for seventh in Prague and a tie for fifth at the recent Open de Espana Femenino.
The 31-year-old from Espoo said: “Today was good. I was making some putts and didn’t really make any bogeys so that was pretty decent golf today. The greens are running well and the course is playing short so you get a lot of opportunities to make birdies if you’re putter is working.”
“I’ve been struggling at the beginning of the season so now it’s finally starting to pay off a little bit. Two more days and hopefully we’ll have a good tournament.”
Lagoutte-Clement, a three-time winner on Tour, shot 72 to end the day two shots off the pace but was frustrated with her putting.
“I am not very happy today because I didn’t play well,” she said. “On 18 I hit the green in two and made three putts.”
Fellow Frenchwoman Cassandra Kirkland who held a one stroke lead overnight, started well but slipped back to six under par with a round of 74 to sit alongside Becky Morgan, Felicity Johnson and Giulia Sergas.
Sunday’s Solheim Cup heroines Laura Davies and Caroline Hedwall were at five and four under respectively and well within striking distance going into the weekend. However United States Solheim Cup team member Christina Kim ended two over after rounds of 71 and 75 and missed the halfway cut by a shot.
SECOND-R0UND TOTALS
Par 144 (2x72)
135 - Stefanie Michl (AUT) 68 67
136 - Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) 70 66
137 - Minea Blomqvist (FIN) 68 69 , Kaisa Ruuttila (FIN) 65 72 , Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (FRA) 65 72 , Diana Luna (ITA) 69 68
138 - Becky Morgan (WAL) 72 66 , Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) 64 74 , Felicity Johnson (ENG) 68 70 , Giulia Sergas (ITA) 70 68
139 - Sophie Giquel-Bettan (FRA) 72 67 , Belen Mozo (ESP) 70 69 , Laura Davies (ENG) 69 70 , Becky Brewerton (WAL) 70 69 , Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 66 73 , Tania Elosegui (ESP) 67 72 , Stacey Keating (AUS) 67 72
140 - Melodie Bourdy (FRA) 71 69 , Vikki Laing (SCO) 70 70 , Lee-Anne Pace (SA) 69 71 , Marion Ricordeau (FRA) 70 70 , Caroline Hedwall (SWE) 69 71 , Florentyna Parker (ENG) 71 69
141 - Nikki Garrett (AUS) 70 71 , Linda Wessberg (SWE) 72 69 , Sophie Sandolo (ITA) 71 70 , Kym Larratt (ENG) 69 72 , Perrine Delacour (Am) (FRA) 71 70 , Stefania Croce (ITA) 73 68 , Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 71 70
142 - Kiran Matharu (ENG) 71 71 , Stacy Lee Bregman (SA) 72 70 , Liebelei Elena Lawrence (LU) 69 73 , Lucie Andre (FRA) 69 73 , Julie Maisongrosse (FRA) 70 72 , Caroline Afonso (FRA) 70 72 , Trish Johnson (ENG) 68 74 , Pernilla Lindberg (SWE) 71 71 , Sophie Walker (ENG) 67 75 , Rachel Bell (ENG) 71 71
143 - Celine Boutier (Am) (FRA) 69 74 , Caroline Rominger (SWI) 69 74 , Tandi Cuningham (SA) 70 73 , Jade Schaeffer (FRA) 70 73 , Alison Walshe (USA) 73 70 , Carmen Alonso (ESP) 70 73 , Kyra van Leeuwen (NL) 68 75 , Line Vedel (DEN) 71 72 , Elizabeth Bennett (ENG) 72 71 , Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 74 69 , Veronica Zorzi (ITA) 73 70 , Julie Tvede (DEN) 71 72
144 - Connie Chen (SA) 71 73 , Kim Welch (USA) 72 72 , Louise Stahle (SWE) 72 72 , Marjet van der Graaff (NL) 73 71 , Bree Arthur (AUS) 74 70 , Marina Arruti (ESP) 72 72 , Malene Jorgensen (DEN) 75 69 , Lydia Hall (WAL) 76 68
145 - Margherita Rigon (ITA) 74 71 , Nicole Gergely (AUT) 72 73 , Henrietta Zuel (ENG) 74 71 , Jenni Kuosa (FIN) 72 73 , Karen Lunn (AUS) 72 73 , Rachel Jennings (ENG) 75 70 , Camille Fallay (FRA) 74 71
MISSED THE CUT
146 - Rebecca Hudson (ENG) 74 72 , Valentine Derrey (FRA) 75 71 , Christina Kim (USA) 71 75 , Zuzana Kamasova (SVK) 70 76 , Anja Monke (GER) 69 77 , Lotta Wahlin (SWE) 77 69 , Beth Allen (USA) 75 71
147 - Laura Cabanillas (ESP) 72 75 , Rebecca Codd (IRE) 72 75
148 - Julie Greciet (FRA) 74 74 , Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) 73 75 , Benedicte Toumpsin (BEL) 72 76 , Tara Davies (WAL) 74 74 , Clare Queen (SCO) 73 75 , Sara Brown (USA) 74 74
149 - Holly Aitchison (ENG) 75 74 , Lynnette Brooky (NZ) 75 74 , Sahra Hassan (WAL) 74 75
150 - Ana Larraneta (ESP) 75 75 , Elena Giraud (FRA) 73 77 , Morgana Robbertze (SA) 77 73 , Louise Larsson (SWE) 74 76 , Joanna Klatten (FRA) 72 78 , Mikaela Parmlid (SWE) 70 80
151 - Hannah Jun (USA) 76 75 , Kylie Walker (SCO) 79 72 , Jaclyn Sweeney (USA) 72 79 , Klara Spilkova (CZE) 77 74 , Martina Gillen (IRE) 76 75
152 - Christine Hallstrom (SWE) 79 73 , Barbara Genuini (FRA) 77 75 , Laurette Maritz (SA) 73 79 , Riikka Hakkarainen (FIN) 78 74 , Lynn Kenny (SCO) 75 77
155 - Adriana Zwanck (ESP) 77 78 , Maha Haddioui (MOR) 77 78
157 - Ludivine Kreutz (FRA) 79 78
159 - Charlie Douglass (ENG) 81 78
160 - Garrett Phillips (USA) 79 81
RTD - Nontaya Srisawang (THA) 74 RTD , Rebecca Flood (AUS) RTD RTD





Bethan Cutler