England’s Liz Young and Marta Sanz Barrio from Spain fired second rounds of five under 68 and three under 70 respectively to share the clubhouse lead on five under par at the Helsingborg Open.
A bogey free round containing five birdies on the Vasatorps Tournament Course saw Young climb 31 places on the leader board and the 32-year-old from Hampshire put the performance down to her putting. “Yesterday I had 26 putts and today I had 27 putts when I reckon my year’s average is 31, 32, so it’s a massive improvement,” said Young,” a long hitter in her seventh year on tour.
“I was watching some men’s tournaments in America and how Speith and McIlroy putt and I noticed that their arms are a lot closer to their legs and a narrower stance, so I adopted that, because I needed to change it. A new grip and a new putter at the Open. I’ve been working indoors on the Huxley putting matt because the weather’s been a bit rubbish at home.”
Rookie professional Sanz Barrio started with three birdies in her first five holes but had two bogeys and two more birdies in a level par back nine. Yet to win a title on the Ladies European Tour, the 23-year-old from Madrid enjoyed a win at the Ingaro Ladies Open hosted by Elin Emanuelsson on the LET Access Series as an amateur in 2014 and she said: “I played really well today and made a couple of bogeys so I’m really happy to be holding the lead. I won an LET Access event in Sweden in August last year as well, so I’m really loving Sweden so far.”
As play continued under blue skies, Joanna Klatten of France was tied for the lead at five under par after 11 holes, with recent winners Hannah Burke and Beth Allen joined by Felicity Johnson and Malene Jorgensen in the clubhouse on four under.
Fellow Dane Nicole Broch Larsen who led by one overnight was also on four under par as she made the turn, with the defending champion Dewi Claire Schreefel in the clubhouse on three under. European Solheim Cup team member Caroline Hedwall was level par for the day through nine holes and three over par in total.
