Reid leads English Open on home turf

7/5/2008

England’s Melissa Reid shot a two-under-par 70 on the second day of the Ladies English Open at The Oxfordshire Golf Club to take a two shot lead into the final round.

The Derbyshire 20-year-old, who tied for the first round lead with four other players on 68, finished at six-under-par after 36 holes. Playing in strong winds, the Ladies European Tour’s leading rookie posted two birdies, two bogeys and an eagle at the par-five 11th hole for the second consecutive day.

Reid began her round with six straight pars and shot one birdie and one bogey on the front nine for an outward total of level par 36. She played the back nine in two-under-par after a birdie at the 10th, an eagle on the 11th and a bogey at the 13th.

Reid’s closest challenger for the title is 36-year-old Marina Arruti from San Sebastian in northern Spain, who had a 71 to sit on four-under. The last time that Arruti was in contention for a title was at the 1999 Austrian Open, which was her sole victory on the LET.

England’s Rebecca Hudson, who claimed the Tenerife Ladies Open a fortnight ago, finished the day in outright third position four shots off the lead on two-under-par after a 70.

Defending champion Becky Brewerton from Wales shot a three-under 69 and moved from tied 52nd into a share of fourth on one-under-par with Arricau, Japan’s Rui Yokomine and English duo Kiran Matharu and Lora Fairclough.

Foto: Zuzana Kamasová SVK

Leaderboard – Round 2:

1.  Mellissa Reid              ENG  68 70 138 - 6
2.  Marina Arruti               ESP  69 71 140 - 4
3.  Rebecca Hudson         ENG  72 70 142 - 2
4.  Becky Brewerton         WAL  74 69 143 - 1
     Rui Yokomine             JPN  72 71 143 - 1
     Kiran Matharu             ENG  70 73 143 - 1
     Stephanie Arricau        FRA  71 72 143 - 1
     Lora Fairclough           ENG  72 71 143 - 1
9.  Leah Hart                   AUS  71 73 144   E
     Lisa Holm Sorensen     DEN  73 71 144   E
     Ellen Smets                 BEL  75 69 144   E
     Claire Coughlan-Ryan   IRL  73 71 144   E
     Joanne Mills                AUS  68 76 144   E

20. Zuzana Kamasová       SVK  71 75 146 +2

Source: Ladies European Tour, Ota Doležal