Kirsten Rudgeley, Sara Kouskova and Virginia Elena Carta are all tied for the lead at the midway mark of the 2024 La Sella Open.
The trio of Rudgeley, Kouskova and Carta all finished the end of the second day on seven-under-par with two rounds to go at La Sella Golf Resort.
Australia’s Rudgeley followed up her first round of 68 (-4) with a 69 (-3) on day two which included six birdies and three bogeys.
The 23-year-old is staying at her uncle’s house this week as he only lives 15 minutes away from the course and is enjoying her time in Spain.
“It’s been good fun actually,” said Rudgeley. “Me and Harry [her caddie] are working really well [together], enjoying the golf course, just plotting my way around but it’s good fun.
“My uncle lives not far from here, but it’s nice to go back to his and feel like home and have your home-cooked meals and just relaxing instead of being in your hotel room and constantly thinking about golf.
“[On making 30+ consecutive cuts] It’s just good golf. If you try and win the tournament, you’re probably going to make the cut but if you’re thinking about making the cut then you’re probably not going to make it. Go for high and finish high.
“Same approach for the weekend as the whole week. Go home chillax and have fun with the cousins and rock up again tomorrow.”
Czechia’s Kouskova only had one dropped shot on her scorecard of 67 (-5) with a bogey on the eighth, but she rolled in birdies on the second, third, ninth, 12th, 17th and 18th holes.
“I was striking it really well yesterday too, but today it finally felt like it was all there and it felt nice and committed, but also easy with some pars,” said Kouskova. “It was very good work. I just like how I played.
“A little luck is always necessary especially yesterday, I think some of the shots were a little lucky but then I laid up into the water on nine yesterday which didn’t happen today. It was a lot of good work on par-fives especially and putting was great.
“I think I used all my opportunities that were there. The par putt on eight, I just left it a little bit short but it could have been a par as well. It was really good work.”
Italy’s Carta was one of the co-leaders at the end of the first round and had another solid day in Spain.
The 27-year-old had her only dropped shot of the day on 13 but also rolled in birdies on holes five, six and 16 to still be tied at the top at the 36-hole mark.
“It was definitely a little bit tougher today than yesterday, maybe a little bit more expectations as well,” said Carta.
“If yesterday I was patient, today I was even more. It was good, I waited and waited for something to go my way and then I had two birdies in a row. It was just rewarding for all the patience and Becky [Brewerton] totally agrees with that as well.”
Four players are in a share of fourth place at the end of the second round with Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom, Spain’s Blanca Fernandez, Japan’s Ayako Uehara and Germany’s Helen Briem all on six-under-par.
Wikstrom, who competed at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, backed up her 68 (-4) with a round of 70 (-2).
“It was definitely more windy, so it was a little bit more challenging,” said Wikstrom. “With the bermuda greens, they’re not as smooth in the afternoon so it wasn’t as easy to make the putts. It was pretty steady still and I managed to make a few birdies. It was okay.”
Spain’s Fernandez had a great second day firing a bogey-free 68 (-4) which included birdies on the second, third, seventh and ninth holes.
“The course was amazing,” said Fernandez, who turned professional in July. “The ball rolls good on the green and I putted pretty good.
“My game was solid. I missed some fairways, but I was able to recover those and then when I was hitting the fairway, I was getting birdies. I was bogey-free today, so I’m very happy with that.”
Three players are on shot further back with Poland’s Dorota Zalewska, Finland’s Emily Penttila and Spain’s Ana Peláez Trivino all on five-under-par in T8.
It was a great day for Zalewska as she fired an excellent 65 (-7) which included nine birdies and two bogeys to move herself up the leaderboard.
The Polish player said: “Everything was just in its place. I wasn’t playing wonderful golf, I think I was striking the ball yesterday much better than today. Everything in one spot, I made a few putts and here we are with seven-under. Everything was in one place which was great because I was waiting for that for nine months.”
The cut fell at level par with 62 players making it through to the final two days of action at La Sella Golf Resort.
Round three will begin at 8.30 am (local time) with the leaders teeing off at 10.20 am (local time) in Spain.
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