Norwegian golfer Marianne Skarpnord can now claim household bragging rights after equaling the lead at the women’s Oates Victorian Open thanks to her 5-under par result.
The triumph comes after an eventful 48 hours for her partner Richard Green who scored a world famous hole in one before claiming a tournament course record yesterday.
“He (Green) might be a bit down tonight after his game so I won’t be happy with that,” said Skarpnord.
She playfully added, “However, he’s just been seen by 15 million people this week so he needs a rest from the media.”
Skarpnord concluded her afternoon with a total of five birdies, an effort great enough to match Scotland’s Sally Watson.
The two internationals were then joined by first time professional Su Oh (Victoria) in the final group for day 2.
“I felt that my long game was a bit more solid than yesterday when I hit a couple of drives and irons off my target,” revealed Skarpnord.
“Today I putted really well on the front nine but, then all of a sudden on the back nine, I started to hit my birdie putts short which was upsetting.”
She added, “But I’m still happy because I didn’t have any bogeys today”.
When asked if she could take out the lead on Sunday, the 28-year-old responded with conviction.
“If I play like I did today I have a very big chance of winning it,” she said.
By Alex Tigani, Golf Victoria media