Another unbreakable 18 holes from Lee-Anne Pace keeps the South African atop of the leader board, at 12-under, as the sun set on round 2 of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open.
The second day of the tournament was crammed with action, with India’s Aditi Ashok still in the hunt carding 66 to fall just one shot off the lead on 11-under, whilst Spaniard Luna Sobrón made history by setting a new course record with 62; finishing nine-under-par overall for a share of third place – a 73-place climb from yesterday.
Also shooting up the leader board to join Luna in third place was Sweden’s Camilla Lennarth at nine-under overall, who fired eight birdies to post a second-round score of seven under. Cheyenne Woods once again performed strongly with a round of six-under, including an incredible hole in one on the 6th hole, her first as a professional, to put her in third place overall.
Georgia Hall also shot an impressive 67 to finish at eight-under-par overall in joint fifth place with Florentyna Parker, Celine Herbin and Linda Wessberg.
Pace refused to crack under pressure, saying: “It feels great and I remembered the course better today but I struck the ball really nicely too. I hit the shots I wanted to hit and I hit it really close to the pin and made the putts.
Commenting on the days ahead, she added: “Tomorrow I’d like to start the way I did today, and be a bit patient, as patience helps you to do a lot. I had some chances which I didn’t take but in the end I’m pretty satisfied.”
Ashok was modest when asked about her round, focusing more on her technical game: “I feel I’m hitting the ball well enough, though I missed a couple of drives left but apart from that I struck the ball pretty well. My putting has been pretty good too, so I’m happy.
She added: “Still bogey free and everyone is mentioning it. I’m just focusing on hitting the fairways and letting the birdies happen.”
It was a tough day for Marianne Skarpnord as Norway’s rising star dropped to two under par, while fan favourite Carly Booth shot another 72 to finish agonizingly short of the cut going into day three. It was also a disappointing day for reigning champ Beth Allen, another not to make the cut, who immediately tweeted after her round: “What a world class event here at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club for FBMLO. Gutted to have put up such a terrible defense. #nextyear”.
His Excellency Aref Al Awani, General Secretary at Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), owner of the event, said: “Today has shown just how much can change in this exciting sport. It’s no surprise that with such a host of talent on the field, we saw impressive play that has teed up a thrilling weekend of world-class competition ahead. We can’t wait to see what the next two days bring.”
Marking the Emirates-wide celebration of UAE Flag Day, players showed their support by wearing flag pins on their caps, as well as each pin flag changing from tournament magenta to the national flag.
The Village was buzzing with visitors, as guests enjoyed refreshing cuisine, family fun and views of Saadiyat Beach Golf Club’s fairways basked in the Arabian sun. The Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open teed up more than just golf ahead of the weekend on day two at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, with visitors enjoying activities such as chipping challenges, the regions first-ever ‘paint golf’, and introductory beginners’ sessions in the popular tournament village, as well as culinary delights from Theo’s Point.
The Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open is free for the public to attend and runs until Saturday, 4th November, 2017 at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.
The Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open is sponsored by: FBMA, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, TDIC, Al Masaood, Etihad Airways, Marriott Downtown Abu Dhabi and Omega.
More information is available at www.fbmladiesopen.com, on Instagram and Twitter (@FBMLadiesOpen), and on Facebook.
About the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy – FBMA
The Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy (FBMA) is a not-for-profit Government entity of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Established in October 2010, the Academy is headed by its Chairwoman, H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Hazaa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and is dedicated to promoting and facilitating women’s sports in the UAE. The FBMA strives to make sports an element of daily life for UAE national women of all ages, backgrounds, and physical condition; to encourage Emirati women to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle, and to further instil the values of sport in the public consciousness of the UAE. The FBMA serves this significant mission by hosting a number of local, regional and international sports events; facilitating community activities; managing and developing local talent and through its education and research work. http://www.fbma.ae
About Abu Dhabi Sports Council
Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) was established in 2006 by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. ADSC is aligned to the emirate’s leadership vision to develop sport and youth activities. The Council promotes an effective, emirate-wide sports calendar that stimulates the desire to participate in quality sports among all Abu Dhabi residents and helps the talented and motivated reach their sporting potential. The Council also hosts and supports the staging of international world-class sporting events, including the annual Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, the Formula 1™ Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the ITU World Triathlon Series, the Gary Player Invitational, the Abu Dhabi Invitational, the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final, the Red Bull Air Race, the hosting of the Volvo Ocean Race round-the-world sailing epic and the Abu Dhabi Cycling Tour. We at ADSC firmly believe that sporting events deliver a host of benefits for the emirate and its residents. These span improved health and wellness, the building of community spirit, the discovering of local talent and the delivery of international exposure of the emirate as a world-class sporting events hub.
