Chiara Tamburlini is well in the mix to become the first Swiss winner of the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open after a second round 68 (-3) moved the home favourite to five-under par, three shots adrift of leader Fatima Fernandez Cano.
With friends and family watching on, the Joburg Ladies Open winner got off to a shaky start when she hit her ball out of bounds on the par-4 14th. Making birdie with her second ball to salvage a bogey, Tamburlini would recover well with a birdie at the par-5 17th to go out in 36.
On to the front nine (Tamburlini’s back nine), the 24-year-old got things going carding birdies at the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd to soar into contention at Golfpark Holzhäusern. She would make a tidy up-and-down on her final hole, the par-4 9th, to complete the 68 (-3).
“It’s been a really solid week so far,” Tamburlini said. “Two good days. My goal was to just really enjoy myself. There were a bunch of people watching again today so I feel like I really achieved that. I had a blast out there and really kept fighting.
“I hit two balls out of bounds, birdied with the second ball once [on the 14th] and made eagle with the second ball the second time [on the 3rd]. That was a pretty good fight so I’m happy overall. The par putt on the last was a huge putt as well for momentum.”
All eyes have been on Tamburlini this week with the Swiss star teeing up as the highest ranked player in the Ladies European Tour (LET) Order of Merit (she sits fourth).
Also leading the Rookie of the Year race, Tamburlini took last week off to rest and recuperate following a patchy run of form – something she is now reaping the rewards of as she lurks in contention on home soil.
“I was confident about my game coming into this week,” she continued. “I was positive my [recent] form wasn’t about my game. With the Olympics not being in the picture anymore, that’s definitely helped. I took last week off and rested my wrist and my mind. That was good to have some time away which has given me the joy again this week.”
Three shots back, Tamburlini will play in the third final group tomorrow teeing up alongside India’s Tvesa Malik and England’s Rosie Davies at 9:28am.
“I’m extremely excited for tomorrow,” she said. “Of course I will be nervous on the first tee, but I feel like it’s a privilege to be in this situation. I know I can’t take it for granted because you never know how many situations like this you will get again. So I’m just going to enjoy it.”
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