SIMPLE FOR SIMON TO LEAD BRITISH MASTERS WITH A 66

 NEWS RELEASE FROM LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR

By BETHAN CUTLER, LET Media Manager

Denham, Buckinghamshire -- South African Ashleigh Simon hit a six under par 66 at Buckinghamshire Golf Club on Friday to take a two stroke lead going into the final round of the ISPS Handa Ladies British Masters.

The Johannesburg 23 year old began the day three behind the overnight co-leaders, but birdied the third and then picked up seven shots in six holes from the fifth, with five birdies followed by an eagle at the 10^th.

That put her at eight under for the day and 11 under overall, but she then dropped two shots on holes 12 and 13.

Another eagle chance at the 14^th fell just short and the resultant birdie was countered by a three-putt bogey at the last, but it was enough to open up a two stroke lead at nine under par.

“Everything seemed to be on. I hit a lot of good shots but had to convert the putts. It was mainly the putting, I felt really confident,” said Simon, the 2011 Portugal Ladies Open champion.

“The greens here are so good you just have to pick your line and trust it. It makes it a lot easier to putt on greens when they are so good.”

First round co-leader Lydia Hall of Wales followed her opening day 66 with a 71 to end seven under, alongside Beth Allen of the United States, who shot a second-round of 69.

Hall,  who is targeting her maiden win in her fifth season on the Ladies European Tour, had four birdies against three bogeys and was only one shot off the lead before she drove her ball into the lake in front of the par-four 17^th green.

“It was a tough day,” said the 24-year-old from Bridgend, referring to the windy conditions. “It was a real grind out there and just had to get the ball in the middle of the green and two putts.”

With six birdies and one bogey on the card, Allen’s challenge could have been even better had she not double bogeyed the fourth.

“It was pretty solid apart from one hole but I’ve been putting well for a change, which was good,” said the 30-year-old Californian, yet to win, in her fifth season on the Ladies European Tour.

Frenchwomen Julie Greciet and Gwladys Nocera share fourth place on five under with Sweden’s Michaela Parmlid, while Esther Choe of the USA and Thailand’s Nontaya Srisawang are joint seventh on four under.

First-round co-leader Henrietta Zuel ended the day six shots off the lead amongst a group of eight players in a share of ninth at three under, while fellow first round co-leader Laura Davies is eight shots back going into the final round.

Meanwhile Britain’s rising star Charley Hull, aged 16, not only made the cut, but did so in style by three shots, wowing the crowds with a magnificent putt to save par on the 17^th green.

The eagerly anticipated final round gets under way at 8.30am at the Buckinghamshire on Saturday, with the prize giving scheduled for 5pm.

Fans of golf are being urged to get down to the quintessentially British parkland course to enjoy a scorching day on and off the greens.

Scores at the end of round 2:

135 - Ashleigh Simon (ZAF)  69 66

137 - Lydia Hall (WAL)  Beth Allen (USA)  68 69

139 - Gwladys Nocera (FRA)  69 70, Julie Greciet (FRA)  70 69, Mikaela Parmlid (SWE)  71 68

140 - Esther Choe (USA)  72 68, Nontaya Srisawang (THA)  70 70

141 - Lee-Anne Pace (ZAF)  68 73, Henrietta Zuel (ENG)  66 75, Marjet Van Der Graaff (NLD)  71 70, Stacy Lee Bregman (ZAF)  67 74, Stacey Keating (AUS)  67 74, Kirsty S Taylor (ENG)  70 71, Trish Johnson (ENG)  69 72, Rebecca Artis (AUS)  71 70

142 - Lisa Holm Sorensen (DNK)  71 71, Kiran Matharu (ENG)  69 73, Hannah Burke (ENG)  71 71

143 - Laura Davies (ENG)  66 77, Tania Elosegui (ESP)  71 72, Xi Yu Lin (CHN)  74 69, Diana Luna (ITA)  70 73, Clare Queen (SCO)  73 70, Connie Chen (ZAF)  72 71, Stefanie Michl (AUT)  72 71

144 - Charley Hull (ENG)  70 74, Tandi Cuningham (ZAF)  69 75, Frances Bondad (AUS)  72 72, Kylie Walker (SCO)  71 73, Joanna Klatten (FRA)  68 76, Sahra Hassan (WAL)  74 70, Felicity Johnson (ENG)  76 68, Rebecca Codd (IRL)  70 74, Lucie Andre (FRA)  72 72

145 - Sophie Walker (ENG)  73 72, Sophie Sandolo (ITA)  70 75, Caroline Martens (NOR)  72 73, Louise Larsson (SWE)  72 73, Melissa Reid (ENG)  69 76, Carly Booth (SCO)  71 74, Veronica Zorzi (ITA)  74 71, Stephanie Na (AUS)  74 71, Kyra Van Leeuwen (NLD)  71 74

146 - Carin Koch (SWE)  68 78, Elizabeth Bennett (ENG)  72 74, Rebecca Hudson (ENG)  75 71, Anais Maggetti (CHE)  75 71, Ursula Wikstrom (FIN)  74 72, Danielle Montgomery (ENG)  73 73, Cassandra Kirkland (FRA)  72 74, Stefania Croce (ITA)  75 71, Carlota Ciganda (ESP)  70 76

147 - Lynnette Brooky (NZL)  74 73, Holly Aitchison (ENG)  70 77, Alison Whitaker (AUS)  73 74, Caroline Afonso (FRA)  70 77, Jade Schaeffer (FRA)  74 73, Laurette Maritz (ZAF)  72 75, Zuzana Kamasova (SVK)  76 71, Celine Palomar (FRA)  76 71, Caroline Westrup (SWE)  73 74

Missed the cut:

148 - Rachel Bailey (AUS)  72 76, Jessica Yadloczky (USA)  77 71, Nikki Garrett (AUS)  76 72, Charlie Douglass (ENG)  78 70, Klara Spilkova (CZE)  70 78, Sophie Giquel-Bettan (FRA)  72 76, Elena Giraud (FRA)  74 74, Karen Lunn (AUS)  73 75

149 - Maria Ohlsson (SWE)  76 73, Elin Emanuelsson (SWE)  75 74, Claire Aitken (ENG)  75 74, Adriana Zwanck (ESP)  69 80, Florentyna Parker (ENG)  76 73, Margherita Rigon (ITA)  78 71, Mireia Prat (ESP)  74 75

150 - Marianne Skarpnord (NOR)  76 74, Linda Wessberg (SWE)  75 75, Rachel Jennings (ENG)  75 75, Dawn Shockley (USA)  70 80, Bree Arthur (AUS)  73 77, Sofia Harkonen (FIN)  76 74, Holly Clyburn (ENG)  75 75, Jenni Kuosa (FIN)  74 76, Elisabeth Esterl (DEU)  74 76

151 - Alexandra Vilatte (FRA)  76 75, Miriam Nagl (DEU)  76 75, Eleanor Givens (ENG)  74 77, Yu Yang Zhang (CHN)  77 74, Malene Jorgensen (DNK)  72 79, Charlotte Ellis (ENG)  75 76, Kym Larratt (ENG)  76 75, Sharmila Nicollet (IND)  74 77

152 - Liebelei Lawrence (LUX)  73 79, Maria Beautell (ESP)  75 77, Lynn Kenny (SCO)  73 79, Marieke Nivard (NLD)  75 77

153 - Piyathida Ployumsri (THA)  74 79, Lucy Williams (ENG)  75 78, Titiya Plucksataporn (THA)  77 76, Sara Djos (SWE)  76 77, Anja Monke (DEU)  74 79

154 - Rachel Drummond (ENG)  77 77, Amy Boulden (WAL)  76 78, Melodie Bourdy (FRA)  79 75, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA)  76 78, Suzanne Dickens (ENG)  79 75, Barbara Genuini (FRA)  73 81

155 - Mianne Bagger (DNK)  80 75, Carmen Alonso (ESP)  78 77, Steffi Kirchmayr (DEU)  71 84

156 - Julie Maisongrosse (FRA)  76 80, Georgina Simpson (ENG)  80 76

157 - Laura Cabanillas (ESP)  78 79

158 - Virginie Lagoutte-clement (FRA)  79 79, Xin Ying Wang (CHN)  81 77, Rachel Bell (ENG)  78 80, Caroline Rominger (CHE)  78 80

159 - Vikki Laing (SCO)  79 80, Monique Smit (ZAF)  80 79

160 - Tara Dayer-smith (ENG)  82 78, Becky Brewerton (WAL)  78 82, Chrisje De Vries (NLD)  81 79

161 - Danielle Mcveigh (IRL)  83 78, Mary Mattson (USA)  78 83