Home favourite Maja Stark holds a two-shot lead heading into the weekend at the Creekhouse Ladies Open, after a sizzling round of 65 (-7) on day two in Sweden.
The 21-year-old – who is playing in just her third LET event – rattled in a resounding eight birdies in her final eleven holes to skyrocket up the leaderboard and set the pace at the midway mark.
It was a remarkable turn of fortunes for the Swede, who started her day six shots off overnight leader Chloe Williams in Åhus after a level-par first round, before shooting her lowest ever score as a professional to steal a march on her rivals.
“I really didn’t think I’d be leading heading into the weekend,” Stark said. “I missed a short birdie putt on the first and continued to two putt, so I just decided to see what happens.
“After a made that bogey I told myself to get a grip, then after getting an easy birdie on the next hole they just kept coming.
“ I was always terrified that something was going to go wrong, but I dared to swing anyway and slowed myself down when I wanted to speed up.”
“I keep doubting myself but then I hit -7 and that’s my best score ever in a competition of this calibre, so I’m going to try to be confident now.”
After starting her day on level-par, Stark’s luck didn’t look to be changing in the early stages of Friday’s play, with a bogey on her seventh hole of the day leaving her a shot over regulation.
But after birdies on 17 and 18 to turn her day around, she continued to be in red-hot form with the putter from holes one to nine, as she sank six birdies on her way back to the clubhouse – and needed just 30 shots to do so.
It was only on holes three, four and six that Stark didn’t pick up a shot in a scintillating couple of hours’ play, with the recent PGA Championship By Trelleborgs Kommun champion continuing her excellent form on course.
And with a target on her back heading into the weekend, Stark is keen to keep her head in the game and grab a first LET victory on home soil.
“I’m just going to carry on doing what I was doing today, and see what happens,” she continued.
“I’ve thought about winning for a number of weeks, so it’s not anything new, but it would be incredible winning out here, especially as it’s at home in Sweden as well.”
Stark’s nearest challengers heading into Saturday are compatriot Linn Grant, and American talent Alana Uriell, who both sit two shots back on -5 after 36 holes.
Grant – who competed alongside Stark in the 2017 Ping Junior Solheim Cup – was three under par for her day, after recovering from an early bogey with back-to-back birdies on the turn.
The 22-year-old then picked up two more shots on the way home to put her in contention with two rounds to play, with two Swedes in the final group on Saturday.
Alongside them will be American talent Alana Uriell – who is performing admirably in her first ever LET event – with a second round score of 68 (-4) putting her in the mix after 36 holes on the Swedish East coast.
Uriell has a grandmother from Gothenburg, and on her first visit to Sweden she has caught the eye around the course, with an eagle on the 13th the standout from a remarkable day of golf for the 25-year-old.
“Today was a good day for me, I saw a lot of shots clear in my head, and the eagle gave me momentum heading down the back and I was hitting the ball really good,” she said.
“It feels magical to play here, and although my grandmother isn’t around anymore I feel like I sense her when I’m here, and a lot of my family live here too, so it just feels right.
“The conditions out here are so good, the greens are rolling so good and the views are amazing, so it’s just an amazing time being out here.”
There are a trio a further shot back on -4 after Friday’s action, with overnight leader Chloe Williams failing to keep up her high standards from Thursday with a disappointing round of 74 (+2).
The Welshwoman looked well set for a place at the top of the standings once again with four holes remaining – as she sat on -8 overall and two under par for her day, but back-to-back double bogeys saw her slip down the rankings in the final stages, but she will be eager to make amends over the course of the weekend.
Race to Costa del Sol leader Atthaya Thitikul also sits three shots off the lead after her four birdies were cancelled out by four bogeys to go round in the regulation 72, while Lydia Hall rolled in four birdies and a single bogey to put herself in a tie for fourth-spot.
Hall said: “It was nice, I played solidly yesterday and gave myself a lot of chances, so maybe it could have been better, but I’m happy with the 69 heading into the weekend.
“I love it here in Sweden, we’ve got a fantastic golf course here – it’s incredible and the surfaces are great – so if you pick the right line you can’t really go wrong.
“My form is good and now it’s all about keeping momentum going over the weekend and seeing what score we can post.”
Becky Brewerton and Steph Kyriacou sit a further shot back on -3 after rounds of 69 (-3) and 73 (+1) respectively, while Carmen Alonso sits alone in ninth on two shots under par.
Rounding off the top ten are Felicity Johnson, Laura Gomez Ruiz and Sanna Nuutinen, with all three one shot into the red heading into what promises to be an eye-catching weekend of action in Sweden.
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