SHANNON McWILLIAM HOLDS ON TO 2ND PLACE AT TROON

Linn Grant in action

Swede Linn Grant leads from Shannon McWilliam with one round to go at "Helen Holm"

Aboyne teenager Shannon McWilliam held on to second place with a second-round 70 for 139 in the Helen Holm Scottish women's open amateur stroke-play championship at Troon.

But the leader has changed from the first day's Alexandra Forsterling (Germany) to a young Swede with Scottish blood in her veins, Linn Grant.

Forsterling slipped from 68 to a 73 and is joint third on 141.

Grant leads McWilliam by two shots at the top of the leaderboard with scores of 71 and 66 for 137.

Linn is descended from a former Scottish club pro based in Sweden.

She had no bogeys in her superb, tournament-low 66 in which she birdied five par-5 holes - by reaching them in two shots and two-putting - and her other birdie came at the par-4 17th in halves of 34-32.

McWilliam, who finished third two years ago when only 15. In fact in the 2015 "Helen Holm," she led the field with only six holes to go but Royal Troon's last few holes were too much for her.

Older, wiser and stronger, Shannon would have finished her second round over Troon Portland on level terms with leader Grant but the Aboyne 17-year-old bogeyed the short 16th and the long 18th after birdidieng the first, ninth, 11th and 12th to be four under par for the round with three to play.

Grantown on Spey's Hannah McCook is a second Scot in the leading 10 with a round to go. Her rounds at Troon Portland have been very steady - 72 and 71 for 143.

Reigning Scottish champion Ailsa Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) was among those who failed to make the cut at 10-over-par 145.

Ailsa shot 76-85 for 161.

LEADING ROUND 2 SCORES
par 144 (2x72) SSS 77. CSS 76 76
137 L Grant (Swe) 71 66.
139 S McWilliam (Aboyne) 69 70.
141 A Wilson (Lurgan) 73 68, M Stark (Swe) 72 69, S Lamb (Clitheroe) 72 69, A Linner (Swe) 72 69, A Forsterling (Ger) 68 73.
143 H McCook (Grantown on Spey) 72 71, G Price (Bude and N Cornwall) 72 71.
144 C Ryan (Castletroy) 72 72
145 H Muse (West Lancs) 75 70, O Winning (Rotherham) 71 74.
146 A J Williamson (Royal Cromer) 74 72, G Clews (Delamere Forest) 73 73, A Fuller (Roehampton) 73 73, L Bailey (Kirby Muxloe) 72 74, A Krauter (Ger) 72 74, M Lewis (St George's Hill) 71 75.
147 B Wallin (Swe) 75 72, A Nobilio (Ita) 74 73, L T Hansen (Den) 74 73, H MacGarvie (Troon Ladies) 73 74, K Lund (Nor) 70 77.

SELECTED SCORES
148 C Goadby (St Regulus) 74 74 (T25)
149 T Mactaggart (Minto) 74 75 (T29)
150 G Paton (Royal Montrose) 76 75 (T37)
151 E Briggs (Kilmacolm) 75 76 (T46)
152 K Wright (Stranraer) 78 74, E Hale (Troon Ladies) 75 77 (T53).
153 J Mackintosh (Hazlehead) 75 78 (T58)
154 K McIntosh (Broomieknowe) 77 77 (T63)

MISSED THE CUT (154 and better qualified for final round)
157 C Taylor (Nairn) 82 75, S Wood (Drumpellier) 80 77, G Batty (Moffat) 79 78.
160 G MacDonald (Craigielaw) 78 82
161 L Duncan (West Kilbride) 81 80, A Summers (Carnoustie Ladies) 76 85.