Date: March 15, 2014
Author: ALPG/LET

Na Leading Aussie

South Australian Stephanie Na is the leading Australian heading into the week-end of the Lalla Meryem Cup in Agadir. Na has posted rounds of 72 and 68 on the par 71 layout at Golf de l Ocean to be at two-under-par at tied for 14th. Na uis six shots adrift of defending champion, Ariya Jutanugarn. Jutanugarn fired a bogey-free five-under-par 66 in the second round to grab a two stroke lead heading into the weekend. After a rollercoaster opening round of 68, which included 10 birdies, two bogeys, a double and a triple, the 18-year-old from Bangkok rediscovered her form with the driver and reeled off five birdies at holes four, six, seven, 14 and 16. Today I played pretty good and my driver was a lot better, said Jutanugarn, who is playing in her third tournament of the year after taking eight months out through injury. My game was a lot better than yesterday in general. Today my putting was not very good, but it was okay. Yesterday my putting was a lot better than today. It’s very nice to play here because having won here it makes me a lot more confident. Jutanugarn sits two clear of 15-year-old French amateur Mathilda Cappeliez, who had a tournament low seven-under 64 and Germany s Nina Holleder, who fired a second successive round of three-under-par 68. England s Laura Davies, the French pair of Gwladys Nocera and Sophie Giquel-Bettan and first-round co-leader Sophie Walker are all on five-under-par. Meanwhile Lee-Anne Pace, Rebecca Hudson and Nobuhle Dlamini are a stroke further behind on four-under-par. New Zealand s Cathryn Bristow and NSW s Adriana Brent are at even par and tied for 26th position. Victorian Alison Whitaker was the only other ALPG member to make the cut, she is tied for 49th at two-over-par. The cut was made at three-over-par and 67 players will contest the week-end. Unfortunately for Sarah Kemp and Stacey Keating they missed the cut by one shot. Maggie Yuan finished well back in a share of 118th position.