Kim Metraux followed up a fantastic first day with a round of 67 (-5) to extend her advantage at the top of the leaderboard at the Dutch Ladies Open.
The Swiss star, who is searching for her maiden LET victory, led overnight after an opening round of 65 (-7) at Hilversumsche Golf Club.
Starting her second round on the 10th tee, Metraux rolled in a birdie on 10 before back-to-back bogeys on 11 and 12.
But the 29-year-old soon found her rhythm again with birdies on holes 13 and 17 to make the turn in one-under.
Metraux rolled in four birdies on her back nine for her round of five-under and to lead by five strokes with a total of 12-under-par.
“A bit of a rocky start today, I didn’t hit too many bad shots,” said Metraux. “It just happened pretty quickly, and I was able to turn it around and hit more fairways and greens after that. It was a bit quieter at the end of the round which was enjoyable.
“It was quite hot, especially at the beginning, but I went to university at Florida State so I got used to the warm weather and I enjoy that a lot more than cold weather, so it wasn’t too bad.
“I’m going to try to keep doing that and focus on my own game. I will try to keep going the same way I have gone the last two days, enjoy myself, focus on every shot that I have to hit, and we’ll see what happens.”
Metraux is the older sister of two-time LET winner Morgane, who won the Jabra Ladies Open earlier this year, and will see if she’s able to get some advice from her sibling.
The Swiss player added: “I might ask her a question! We’ll see, she’s also playing in the U.S. at the moment so we’ll have to see with the tee times, but if I can why not?!
“It would be amazing, and it would be a dream come true. One of my main goals in the last few years has been to win so that would be the best.”
England’s Liz Young and Singapore’s Shannon Tan are both in a share of second place on seven-under-par after 36 holes.
Young, who won the 2022 VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open, produced rounds of 68-69 on the first two days in the Netherlands.
The Englishwoman had two bogeys and five birdies on her scorecard to sit five shots behind Metraux.
“It has been good,” said Young. “I haven’t struck my irons as well as I wanted to or as well as I have been doing lately.
“I have been working on a few things and getting it right on the range but haven’t been getting it right on the course. I changed my putting setup at the beginning of the week and that’s really helped, and I’ve been holing some nice putts.
“It’s been going well the last few months; it’s definitely been going in the right direction. Things are coming together. I am working on some things with my swing and this week it’s been there on the range, but not quite on the course, so hopefully tomorrow it will be.”
After a steady start to the tournament, LET rookie Tan had an excellent second day shooting a 66 (-6) which included seven birdies and one bogey to climb up the leaderboard.
“I missed two greens today,” said Tan. “I didn’t miss a green yesterday. I could make a lot more putts today, they just went in. I had a couple of 30-footers where I just wanted to hit to the safest part of the green.
“I was fine having them on some holes where you just have to be smart but some of them it turned out well. The plan is always just to make fairways, greens, make putts, and move on.
“I didn’t play too well last week, but I feel like I left learning a lot from last week and know what I have to do. I saw what everyone else was doing great and I sorted out my short game.
“I didn’t chip much today, but I sorted that out and my wedge game. I had a couple of wedges in this week and got that sorted out which turned out well. I felt good after fixing and brushing up on some things.”
Germany’s Laura Fünfstück and Czechia’s Jana Melichova are one shot further back in a tie for fourth place on six-under-par.
It was a steady day for Fünfstück, who shot an opening 66, as she had three birdies and bogeys for a round of even par.
“I remember I said it felt easy yesterday, it was a bit more today, but to be fair I think I played really nicely,” said Fünfstück.
“I just couldn’t get it going on the greens. I had a few three-putts, I couldn’t really get the speed going. I left quite a few out there, so I feel a bit annoyed with my round today. There’s lots of positives as well, I’ll see how much I’ll be off the lead later on and go for it tomorrow.”
LET winner Melichova had a shaky start to the day with a double bogey on the fourth but soon made up for it with six birdies to move up the leaderboard.
“It was good,” said Melichova. “In the beginning, I wasn’t really confident off the tee, so that’s why the double bogey happened, but then I came back. The putter was on fire today which was absolutely great and that helped to get my confidence back. It was good golf today.”
Five players are in a share of sixth place with Nikki Hofstede, Perrine Delacour, Dorthea Forbrigd, April Angurasaranee and Nobuhle Dlamini all on five-under-par.
Austria’s Emma Spitz, who was playing in the first group of the day, made an ace on the par-3 14th holing out with a pitching wedge from 101 metres.
The cut fell at +1 with 68 players making it through to the final day of competition. Round three will begin at 7.35 am (local time) with the leaders teeing off at 11.40 am (local time).
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