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| Lisa Hall in second |
The Swede set the course alight, posting eight birdies, a double bogey and an eagle with six birdies on the back nine. She played the front nine in 35 and came home in 29 with 26 putts.
“I played well today, a lot better than yesterday,” said Gustafson, who won the Ladies European Tour’s order of merit in 2000 and 2003.
Gustafson, who has won 20 tournaments across the world, began her day in the best possible fashion with birdies at the first and fourth holes but she undid her work with a double bogey at the par-four seventh hole, where her second shot flew the green and she chipped and two putted. However she quickly recovered with an eagle at the par-five ninth, where she hit a four-iron to 15 feet and holed the putt.
That built some momentum for a spectacular back nine and Gustafson birdied holes 11, 12, 14, 16, 17 and 18 coming home with her longest putt from 35 feet at the 14th. She rounded the day off by sinking a six-footer at the last.
It was an incredible performance but not surprising considering that the Swede finished second in August’s Weetabix Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes. This is her third visit to Europe this season. She also played in the Evian Masters, where she tied for 19th and she ranks third on the New Star Money List with €156,273 from two events.
Gustafson decided to play this week’s tournament ahead of a trip to watch The Ryder Cup matches next week at The K Club in Ireland.
She is going with her new husband Ty Votaw, the former LPGA Tour Commissioner who now works for the US PGA Tour and she said: “It fitted in nicely and I’m not missing any tournaments in America.”
Gustafson will be supporting her home continent in the matches but when asked who her husband would be backing, she said: “He tries to remain pretty neutral. I’m just going to go along for the ride!”
Stoke-on-Trent’s Hall, who tied for the first round lead with Arricau and Northampton’s Suzanne Dickens, continued to impress in her second round.
She was one-over-par on the front nine after a bogey at the sixth hole, but hit a good approach shot in on ten where she made her first birdie of the day. That gave her the momentum to record three further birdies on holes 12, 16 and 17.
“I missed a lot of chances on the front nine but then I started to make some putts on the back nine,” said Hall, who turns 39 this month.
“This time last year I had no intention of playing any more professional golf so I’m just delighted that I am. It’s a great job to have.”
She finished third in the Deutsche Bank Swiss Open in May, having received a sponsor’s invitation and since then she has not missed a cut. She now lies 31st on the New Star Money List with over €51,000 from eight appearances and will comfortably keep her card to play in Europe next year.
