Norway’s Marita Engzelius produced another solid round of golf to take a commanding lead into the final day at the Terre Blanche Ladies Open in Tourrettes, France. The 30-year-old from Baerum mixed six birdies with three bogeys to sit three ahead of her closest challenger, Emma Nilsson of Sweden, with an eight under par total, 136.
Engzelius is enjoying being back in France and playing the Riou course, which enjoys magnificent views over the Provence Cote d’Azur.
“It’s great, this place is fabulous. I’ve been to France so many times, it’s been a while because we were here on vacation every summer when I was young and I called home and was like I’m in love with France, we need to come back.”
“I hit some good putts out there at the end. It was a little tougher for me today and I had some bad shots I had to recover from but all in all I’m happy.”
It’s a relaxed attitude that Engzelius plans to take into the final day and enjoy the position she has played herself into.
She will be chased by Nilsson, who added a second round of 70 to her first day 69. The Swede has enjoyed a solid start to her 2018 campaign in the co-sanctioned events she has played down in Australia and South Africa. The 24-year-old has also enjoyed recent success on LETAS, winning the season ending Santander Golf Tour LETAS El Saler in October last year.
Sitting in a tie for third place is seasoned LET player, Ursula Wikstrom, who was also a winner on LETAS in 2017, taking the EVLI Ladies Finnish Open in her home country. The Finn shot the low round of the day, 66, to take her to four under par for the tournament.
Spain’s Noemi Jimenez, who started the second day a shot behind Engzelius, got off to the worst of starts, bogeying the first and double bogeying the second hole. The 24-year-old rallied, fighting back to finish the day at even par, a -4 total and a tie for 3rd place.
Rounding out the top five is Czech amateur Jana Melichova, who received an invitation this week from the French Golf Federation through the LETAS Player Exchange Programme. Melichova recorded matching 71’s for a two round total of 142.
Fifty professionals and four amateurs made the cut, which fell at +6. Play will commence at 8.21am from both the 1st and 10th tees for the final round.
