After setting the pace on day one, Linn Grant continued to put on a show at the Terre Blanche Ladies Open firing a second round of 66 (-6) to hold a six-shot lead.
The Swedish golfer held a two-shot lead overnight and picked up where she left off on day two in France.
It was another fast start for the 2017 European PING Junior Solheim Cup player, who had five birdies on her front nine to put her in pole position halfway through her round.
Although it wasn’t as much of a birdie bonanza on the back nine, only one dropped shot and two birdies in her last two holes put Grant at 10-under-par for the tournament.
“I started off with a birdie and I hit some really good shots, was really close to the pin a couple of times with my irons. I was -5 after nine holes which was really good and then I started thinking a little bit but managed to tie it all together at the end,” said Grant.
“I was aggressive when I could be and stayed smart even though there were times where I thought I could go for the pin, and I didn’t. Still smart but aggressive. I was better on the greens today, when I first came here, I thought it was a little bit intimidating but now I like it.”
With a six-shot lead heading into the final day, the 22-year-old is hoping to use a similar game plan and is ready for the battle.
Grant added: “It’s the same strategy for tomorrow, that is all I can do. If anyone comes up and challenges me, then I’m in for the run.”
In second place on four-under-par is India’s Amandeep Drall, who produced a second round of 69 (-3) to move up the leaderboard.
Drall is 13th in the Order of Merit after a consistent season with three top-ten finishes in her last five LETAS events.
And that good form has continued with the Indian golfer rolling in four birdies and one bogey in her second round.
“Coming into this week my ball striking was really good and I wanted to focus a little more on my putting. My ball striking has been solid, yesterday I missed just one green and today it was the same. I just need to keep calm on the greens,” said Drall.
“I’m really excited to be playing in the leading group tomorrow, especially on this tough course. It can be really brutal at times, but I’m really happy I put myself in a position to play in the final group and have a go at it and just stay shot by shot.”
A trio of players sit one shot behind Drall on three-under-par including Denmark’s Amalie Leth-Nissen, who was a member of Europe’s winning PING Junior Solheim Cup team last month.
“It has been great this week, it is a really nice course, good conditions and a great tournament. I love being here and I’m very excited to play my first LETAS event,” said the Danish amateur.
“I made a pretty good birdie on the second hole with a 16m putt, so it went from possibly a bogey to a birdie. I had some bad holes on 10 and 11, but then I made three birdies in a row and hit some great shots and putts which was nice.”
Leth-Nissen is joined on -3 by Belgium’s Charlotte De Corte and England’s Lily May Humphreys with France’s Isabelle Boineau in sixth place on -2.
Another French player is in the top ten as amateur Charlotte Charrayre fired a round of 68 to move up the leaderboard and sits T7 alongside Scotland’s Rachael Taylor, Czech golfer Sideri Vanova and England’s Gemma Clews.
Golf de Terre Blanche hosting the Terre Blanche Ladies Open has been a regular fixture on the LETAS schedule since 2010 and Agnes Sallandrouze explained what it means for the tournament to be a key part in the development of women’s golf.
She said: “It’s a big opportunity for young players to be able to play on a Championship course and to train in the Albatros Performance Centre. It was very important to support LETAS back in 2010. It was a moment when women’s golf needed a second Tour.
“In 2010 the field wasn’t full and since then it has always been one of the most successful events on LETAS. It is always a pleasure to be hosted by such an amazing and motivated team here in Terre Blanche. The FFG, LETAS and Terre Blanche team are working towards the same goal, which is to continue to develop women’s golf in Europe.”
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