DEFENDING CHAMPION HEDWALL LEADS BY TWO SHOTS

           CAROLINE HEDWALL in action today
 
NEWS RELEASE FROM LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
By BETHAN CUTLER
Caroline Hedwall was on course to retain her Austrian title as she led by two shots going into the final round of the UNIQA Ladies Golf Open presented by Raiffeisen.

Playing in her first tournament for two months, the 23-year-old Swede shot rounds of 67 and 66 to end on 11 under par after 36 holes, with Australian rookie Alison Whitaker two strokes behind.

Hedwall won four tournaments on the Ladies European Tour in 2011 before being named rookie and player of the year but has been out with a hip injury for the last eight weeks. 

Her short game practice is paying off at Golfclub Fohrenwaldh in Wiener Neustadt, where she is defending the title she won last year by four strokes.

She reeled off six birdies on a second day of beautiful weather in lower Austria and said: “I’m playing very solidly. I shot better than yesterday and yesterday was good so I’m very happy. I’ve been working hard and I’m having a lot of fun.” 

She played relatively conservatively during her second round, with her mother Yvonne pulling her trolley.

“I haven’t actually gone for the greens today. I’m hitting my wedges so well I’m just looking to hit the fairways, get a good approach shot and I gave myself a lot of birdie opportunities today and made a lot of putts so I’m very happy. I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing. If I can shoot five or six under tomorrow it will be hard to beat,” she said.

Whitaker managed to stay in touch with the Solheim Cup player with rounds of 67 and 68 and will be trying to improve on her season-best tie for 11^th in Holland as she contends for the first time in an event on the LET.

The 26-year-old Melbournian, ranked 87^th on the order of merit, said: “It’s good to see some balls go in the hole and see some hard work pay off. It’s been a bit of a grind this season so it’s good to get a little momentum going.

“Yesterday I had a good ball striking day and today was a bit scrappier but I just really committed to being comfortable off the tee. If I wasn’t feeling driver then I just committed to three-wood and made some smart decisions out there so I think as long as I can keep committing to my shots then hopefully tomorrow will be a good day.”

England’s Melissa Reid had a tidy 67 to share third with Thailand’s Nontaya Srisawang on six under par. Reid had six birdies in her first 12 holes but dropped shots at 12 and 13 before recovering with a birdie on 17. With ties for third in this event the last two years and having won in Prague earlier this year, she will be one to watch on Sunday.

Srisawang is also a threat as she enjoys playing in the heat which reminds her of her home in Chiang Mai. The 24-year-old second year LET player had five birdies and one dropped shot in a 68 and was sticking to her game plan of hitting fairways and greens.

England’s Laura Davies, a three-time winner of this event in 2007, 2008 and 2010 shot 69 to finish in a group of six players at five under, along with the 2009 event champion Linda Wessberg.

Having played with Hedwall for the first two rounds, Davies felt that she would be tough to catch. “It’s up to Caroline really. She’s six ahead of me. To be behind someone that’s playing that well tomorrow won’t be easy,” she said.

Austrian hopes will rest on Stefanie Michl’s shoulders as nation’s only player to make the cut at level par. Meanwhile, England’s Hannah Burke was disqualified after signing for the wrong score.

SECOND-ROUND TOTALS

 

133 - Caroline Hedwall (SWE)  67 66

135 - Alison Whitaker (AUS)  67 68

138 - Nontaya Srisawang (THA)  70 68, Melissa Reid (ENG)  71 67

139 - Joanna Klatten (FRA)  71 68, Laura Davies (ENG)  70 69, Mikaela Parmlid (SWE)  68 71, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA)  69 70, Linda Wessberg (SWE)  70 69, Stacy Lee Bregman (ZAF)  69 70

140 - Trish Johnson (ENG)  69 71, Anais Maggetti (CHE)  71 69, Laura Cabanillas (ESP)  70 70, Veronica Zorzi (ITA)  74 66, Carly Booth (SCO)  71 69, Julie Greciet (FRA)  72 68, Beth Allen (USA)  70 70

141 - Line Vedel (DNK)  73 68, Jenni Kuosa (FIN)  70 71, Elizabeth Bennett (ENG)  72 69, Lisa Holm Sorensen (DNK)  70 71

142 - Margherita Rigon (ITA)  73 69, Louise Larsson (SWE)  71 71, Rebecca Artis (AUS)  69 73, Rebecca Codd (IRL)  72 70, Jessica Yadloczky (USA)  71 71, Carin Koch (SWE)  72 70, Henrietta Zuel (ENG)  71 71, Sophie Walker (ENG)  74 68

143 - Kym Larratt (ENG)  71 72, Anja Monke (DEU)  73 70, Caroline Afonso (FRA)  73 70, Anna Scott (ENG)  75 68, Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (FRA)  71 72, Stefania Croce (ITA)  69 74, Felicity Johnson (ENG)  72 71, Titiya Plucksataporn (THA)  71 72, Klara Spilkova (CZE)  68 75, Stacey Keating (AUS)  68 75

144 - Alexandra Vilatte (FRA)  70 74, Kyra Van Leeuwen (NLD)  73 71, Jade Schaeffer (FRA)  76 68, Frances Bondad (AUS)  71 73, Sophie Giquel-Bettan (FRA)  71 73, Chrisje De Vries (NLD)  72 72, Liebelei Lawrence (LUX)  74 70, Gwladys Nocera (FRA)  72 72, Sahra Hassan (WAL)  72 72, Stefanie Michl (AUT)  70 74, Becky Brewerton (WAL)  73 71, Marjet Van Der Graaff (NLD)  74 70, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR)  72 72

MISSED THE CUT

 

145 Charlotte Ellis (ENG)  71 74, Rebecca Hudson (ENG)  72 73, Fabienne In-albon (CHE)  77 68, Lucie Andre (FRA)  70 75, Lynnette Brooky (NZL)  72 73

146 Clare Queen (SCO)  73 73, Georgina Simpson (ENG)  74 72, Mireia Prat (ESP)  74 72, Elin Emanuelsson (SWE)  75 71, Sophie Sandolo (ITA)  73 73, Stephanie Na (AUS)  71 75, Connie Chen (ZAF)  75 71, Esther Choe (USA)  73 73, Caroline Masson (DEU)  73 73, Eleanor Givens (ENG)  71 75

147 Barbara Genuini (FRA)  73 74, Caroline Westrup (SWE)  76 71, Cassandra Kirkland (FRA)  75 72, Sharmila Nicollet (IND)  72 75, Valentine Derrey (FRA)  76 71, Ashleigh Simon (ZAF)  74 73, Sarah Schober (AUT)  75 72, Holly Aitchison (ENG)  77 70, Caroline Martens (NOR)  75 72, Julie Maisongrosse (FRA)  74 73, Nikki Garrett (AUS)  75 72, Carlota Ciganda (ESP)  74 73, Malene Jorgensen (DNK)  72 75, Celine Palomar (FRA)  73 74

148 Miriam Nagl (DEU)  75 73, Dawn Shockley (USA)  75 73, Vittoria Valvassori (ITA)  77 71, Tania Elosegui (ESP)  73 75, Lee-Anne Pace (ZAF)  76 72

149 Martina Eberl-Ellis (DEU)  74 75, Anja Purgauer (AUT)  76 73, Carmen Alonso (ESP)  74 75, Lydia Hall (WAL)  76 73

150 - Alessandra Averna (ITA)  74 76

151 - Jacqueline Hedwall (SWE)  74 77, Ursula Wikstrom (FIN)  77 74, Marieke Nivard (NLD)  76 75

152 - Marlene Krejcy (AUT)  77 75, Danielle Montgomery (ENG)  73 79

153 - Steffi Kirchmayr (DEU)  79 74, Vikki Laing (SCO)  77 76

154 - Eva Steinberger (AUT)  78 76, Elisabeth Esterl (DEU)  84 70, Nicole Gergely (AUT)  78 76

155 - Laurette Maritz (ZAF)  76 79, Nina Muhl (AUT)  78 77

156 - Rachel Bailey (AUS)  76 80

157 - Caroline Rominger (CHE)  81 76, Maria Beautell (ESP)  79 78

161 - Nicola Wolf (AUT)  79 82

DQ - Hannah Burke (ENG)