HEATHER BLOOMING IN THE SPANISH WIND

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Heather MacRae, pictured, is in with a great chance of scoring her second win this season in the Ladies European Tour's developmental circuit, LETAS. Heather, winner of the Paul Lawrie Scottish Ladies Open Tour championship in October, leads the Costa Blanca Ladies Open by two strokes with one round to go.

After two very windy days at the venue near Alicante Airport - there was a 2hr suspension of play today when the wind got up to 70kph -  MacRae is in the pole position with a seven-over-par tally of 151 made up of rounds of 77 and 74.

The Gleneagles professional staff player's  nearest challenger is Therese Larsson (Sweden) with 75 and 78 for 153.

MacRae recovered from a double bogey 5 at the short third with a string of pars before bogeys at the 10th and 14th. Then she surged clear of her fellow strugglers in the difficult conditions with a birdie 4 at the long 15th and a birdie 2 at the short 16th.

The Gleneagles professional staff player's  nearest challenger is Therese Larsson (Sweden) with 75 and 78 for 153.

Musselburgh's Vikki Laing is lying joint third, one of six players on 154. She has had scores of 79 and 75, highlighting her second round with birdies at two long holes, the par-5 11th and 15th..

Alford's Laura Murray (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) moved up to a share of 12th position with a 73, the best second-day score by anyone in the field of 60-odd, and 10 shots better than her first effort. She is on 156.
All the other Scots were on the wrong side of the 158 cut figure

Ayrshire's Pamela Feggans (Doon Valley), in joint 31st place, missed out by one stroke with a 159 total (77-82).
Gemma Webster from Glasgow shot 80-81 for 161 and joint 41st place.

Nairn's Kelsey MacDonald (Robert Rock Academy) shaved 14 shots off her first-day effort with a second-r0und 74 for 162 but nussed out by four strokes.

Katy McNicoll from Carnoustie retired after a first-day score of 84 in the high winds.

COSTA BLANCA LADIES OPEN

Font del Llop Golf Resort, Alicante, south-east Spain

LEADING SECOND-ROUND TOTALS

Par 144 (2x72)

151 Heather MacRae (Sco) 77 74

153 Therese Larsson (Swe) 75 78

154 Vikki Laing (Sco) 79 75, Marion Ricordeau (Fra) 80 74, Kiran Matharu (Eng) 80 74, Isabella Ramsay (Swe) 78 76, Mireia Prat (Spa) 77 77, Maria Beautell (Spa) 76 78

OTHER SCOTS' SCORES

156 Laura Murray 83 73 (T12)
SCOTS WHO MISSED THE CUT

159 Pamela Feggans 77 82 (T31)

161 Gemma Webster 80 81 (T41)

162 Kelsey MacDonald 88 74 (T45)

Retired - Katy McNicoll 84 ret.

REPORT FROM LET ACCESS SERIES

Macrae Battles for Lead in Spain

Scotland’s Heather Macrae (74) took the lead in the CostaBlanca Ladies Open after passing a tough test on a fateful day in which the wind was again the protagonist, at least until well into the morning.

Proof of this is that the competition had to be suspended for two hours due to wind

in the area reaching up to 70 kilometers per hour.

Once play resumed it was Macrae, used to the tough windy conditions, who stormed into the lead with a two round score of +7, (151) and a two shot lead over Sweden’s Therese Larsson (+9) at Font del Llop Golf Resort, near Alicante. " The truth is I've been very lucky because I had only played two holes at the time of the suspension when the conditions were very hard. Then everything was easier. For tomorrow I prefer wind, I played well with it for the last two days and I'm used to it. "

Maria Beautell (78) and Mireia Prat (77) share third place with four other players, Sweden’s Isabella Ramsay, Kiran Matharu from England, Scot Vicki Laing and Marion Ricordea from France, all at 10 over par (154).

Prat requires a strong finish tomorrow to guarantee her place at the top of the final LET Access Series Order of Merit with one event remaining, the Mineks Ladies Classic, played at the National Golf Club, near Antalya in Turkey next week.

The young Spanish player is already assured of her place on the Ladies European Tour next season. “On the first nine I was plus five but on the second nine a lot better when the wind dropped. Tomorrow I hope the wind dies down, and it’s a normal day and the best player will win. My game has not changed for having my LET card, tomorrow I hope to have fun and if we get wind it will just be tougher.”

The cut for the final round fell at 14 over par (158) with 26 professionals and one amateur scheduled for play on Wednesday. Play begins at 9.00am.