England’s Georgia Hall kept her grip on the Ladies European Tour’s Lalla Aicha Tour School Final Qualifying after a fourth round of 70 at Al Maaden Golf Course in Marrakech on Saturday.
At 13-under-par, she moved six strokes clear of four other players on eight under: Danish amateur Nanna Madsen, Scotland’s Kelsey MacDonald, Louise Stahle of Sweden and Germany’s Sophie Popov.
However it was Bonita Bredenhann from Namibia who lit up the Samanah golf course in Marrakech with a nine under par 63 in the fourth round.
That was the lowest score recorded in the three editions of Lalla Aicha Tour School, since the LET qualifier moved to Morocco in 2012 and Bredenhann was all smiles after posting her career low round.
With nine birdies, on the second, third, fifth, seventh, 11th, 12th, 14th, 16th and 17th holes, Bredenhann moved 46 places up the leader board into a share of 10th position on four under par for the tournament.
“That’s my best round ever. I made nine birdies: four the first nine and five the second one,” said the 22-year-old from Windhoek.
“I was just hitting it in the right spots and very close and the putts were dropping so my lines were great. I only missed one green.”
Bredenhann’s second year on tour has been a struggle after she picked up a virus early in the season and she has also been playing through back pain, for which she will undergo surgery in January.
In a tie for 56th after the third round, she feared losing her tour card for 2015 as she was just inside the projected cut line to the leading 60 players and those tied after four rounds. However she is now well placed to retain her card, with the top 30 places and ties earning Category 8a status after Sunday’s fifth and final round.
After a 66 at Al Maaden on Friday, MacDonald followed up with a 70 at Samanah and she said: “After shooting 66 yesterday it was about trying to keep grounded, balanced and hit fairways and greens. I holed a few putts, so I just tried to keep a good rhythm and not get too excited. I’ll try for the same again.”
Popov followed her 66 with a 72 and said: “I’m definitely not happy with my round. It wasn’t playing that tough, it was a little breezy but I don’t consider it wind. I wasn’t hitting it well and I couldn’t make any putts. Even though I’m angry about an even par round, that’s probably a good sign.”
Moroccan Maha Haddioui is tied for sixth place with Frenchwoman Lucie Andre on six under par and she said: “It was really consistent and steady but I’m disappointed because I had my only bogey on 18 with a three putt. It was about hitting the fairways, greens and make the putt. At Q School, you have to be patient when the putts don’t go in. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. It’s about being consistent and that’s what I tried to do.”
The cut to the leading 60 players and ties fell to 64 players at six over par.
