ALFORD PLAYER LAEADS BY ONE AT MACDONALD CARDRONA

LAURA  ON TRAIL OF ANOTHER

 PAUL LAWRIE LADIES TOUR WIN

Laura Murray, one of the most successful players in the two years of the Paul Lawrie Ladies' Tour, has given herself an excellent chance  to add another victory on the domestic circuit to her CV.

At the halfway point in the latest 36-hole tournament at the Macdonald Cardrona Hotel and Golf Resort, near Peebles, the Alford player from the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre stable, is leading with a pat 73 despite a double bogey 6 at the second.

Funnily enough, Laura's closest rivals, Lisa Shervill (74) and Gemma Webster and Kiran Matharu (both 75) also had double bogeys on their cards, perhaps a tribute to the late course designer Dave Thomas. .

Long-hitting Murray birdied three par-5 holes, the first, sixth and 14th, the short ninth and the par-4 18th in halves of 36 and 37. Bogeys at the 16th and 17th kept the door open for her challengers over the final 18 holes.

Former England amateur international Shervill, who lives at West Kilbride, had her double bogey 6 at the 14th. She birdied three par-5 holes - the sixth, 12th and 17th.

Glasgow's Webster had her best round for some time, despite double bogeys at the third and eighth. She countered with birdies at the fifth, sixsth, 14th, 16th and 17th.

Former English women's amateur champion and past Curtis Cup player, Kiran Matharu from Leeds had three double bogeys -at the seventh, ninth and 17th - but also notched an eagle 3 at the sixth and birdies at the second, fifth long 12th and 14th.

FIRST-ROUND SCORES

Par 73. Players are from Scotland unless stated otherwise

73 L Murray

74 L Shervill (Eng)

75 G Webster, K Matharu (Eng)

77 E Taylor (Eng), C Austwick (Eng) (am), M Thomson, K McNicol, J Turner.

78 A McKechin (am)

80 J Wilcox (Eng)

82 K Scott

83 H Searle (Eng)

84 A Bain, J Ferrie

87 K Crooks (Eng), L Harvey (Eng)

88 R Watton (am)

89 R Tully (Eng)

ends