Record Rounds for Walker

Scotland’s Kylie Walker fired a second straight round of eight-under-par 64 in scorching conditions at Golfclub Wörthsee to equal the all-time record for the lowest 36-hole total in a Ladies European Tour event.

At 128, 16-under-par, Walker led by three strokes over China’s Yu Yang Zhang, who shot a second round 67, with Dutchwoman Dewi Claire Schreefel a stroke further behind in outright third place.

The last woman to post a 36-hole total of 16-under was Gwladys Nocera at the Goteborg Masters in Sweden in 2008, before she went on to record the LET’s  lowest 72-hole winning total of 29-under-par.

Walker led after every round of the Deloitte Ladies Open in Holland two months ago, which she went on to win, but the level-headed Glaswegian, 27, said: “I’m not really used to being in this position. I led in Holland through the tournament but I haven’t thought about it. I just try to play one shot at a time.”

With six birdies on her front nine, Walker went out in 30. She picked up a stroke at the first and then a hat-trick from the fourth, before adding two more birdies on holes eight and nine.

After driving left into the trees on hole-12, she took her first bogey in 30 holes, but immediately recovered with a birdie on 13.  A pair of birdies followed on 15 and 16 and she dropped a shot on 17 but finished with a birdie on 18 for a back nine of 34.

She said: “I probably played a little bit better today because I had 10 birdies and two bogeys. I’m happy with how I’m playing and the score is looking good at the moment. We’ve got two more rounds and we’re really looking forward to the weekend.

“Going into the back nine today I was trying to beat my score from yesterday which was eight under, but I stumbled on 12 and caught a flier on 17 and ended up through the green. I made a couple of bogeys today, but I’ll keep playing the way I played today and see what happens.”

Zhang’s bogey-free 67 included five birdies, at the first, sixth, ninth, 13th and 14th holes. She said: “My putting was really good today. I hit it straight, so was on the greens and took the chances and made the birdies. I think it will be fun to play with the really good players on the tour and I’m really looking forward to it. Many people came to watch us and said good shot to us so I just really enjoyed the round. I think I will keep to my game plan, make birdies and go low.”

Schreefel’s 64 contained six birdies on the front nine, a bogey on 10 and three more birdies at holes 12, 15 and 16. She said: “It was a solid round of golf with nine birdies and tee to green I played solid so looking forward to the weekend. When you have a day like this, you just hit a few balls, a few putts to keep in the rhythm. I played well but nothing special. Looking at the course and if the weather doesn’t change much, it’s going to take a lot under par to win.”

England’s Charley Hull, who held a three-way share of the first round lead with Walker and Zhang, had four birdies in her first eight holes to reach 12-under-par, but was two-over on the back nine. She ended the day in a share of fourth with Frenchwoman Anne-Lise Caudal who won the 2012 German Open at Gut Hausern.

Hull said: “I hit my driver well today and I still holed quite a few long putts. I just couldn’t get it going after I made my bogey and double bogey. I flew the green with a great iron shot, hit it really well and the next hole I had the same yardage and couldn’t trust it and it came up a bit short and went in the water. I wasn’t a horrendous shot but it wasn’t a great shot. I’m taking the positives through to tomorrow. I’m hitting it well and putting well and its feeling solid, especially with my new stroke.”

On a second day of low scoring and high temperatures, with highs of 33C in the afternoon, a group of six players were at nine-under-par. They included the defending champion Carlota Ciganda from Spain and Germany’s Sophia Popov, who is playing in her first tournament as a professional.

The cut fell to one-under-par and 65 players will begin the third round at 8.45am on Saturday. The leading trio of Walker, Zhang and Schreefel start at 12.46pm.

Collated scores after round 2:

128 - Kylie Walker (SCO)  64 64
131 - Yu Yang Zhang (CHN)  64 67
132 - Dewi Claire Schreefel (NED)  68 64
134 - Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA)  65 69, Charley Hull (ENG)  64 70
135 - Carlota Ciganda (ESP)  65 70, Klara Spilkova (CZE)  67 68, Sophia Popov (GER)  68 67, Linda Wessberg (SWE)  70 65, Liz Young (ENG)  70 65, Celine Herbin (FRA)  67 68
136 - Sandra Gal (GER)  69 67, Sally Watson (SCO)  70 66, Rebecca Artis (AUS)  66 70, Amy Boulden (WAL)  68 68
137 - Holly Clyburn (ENG)  69 68, Vikki Laing (SCO)  68 69, Ariya Jutanugarn (THA)  68 69, Alexandra Vilatte (FRA)  72 65, Jia Yun Li (CHN)  70 67, Rebecca Hudson (ENG)  70 67
138 - Nicole Broch Larsen (DEN)  68 70, Nina Muehl (AUT)  70 68, Hannah Ralph (ENG)  69 69, Diana Luna (ITA)  68 70
139 - Gwladys Nocera (FRA)  69 70, Noora Tamminen (FIN)  72 67, Beth Allen (USA)  66 73
140 - Emma Cabrera-bello (ESP)  67 73, Nikki Campbell (AUS)  70 70, Valentine Derrey (FRA)  69 71, Kim Williams (RSA)  72 68, Lucie Andre (FRA)  69 71, Nicole Garcia (RSA)  68 72, Nikki Garrett (AUS)  70 70, Jade Schaeffer (FRA)  70 70, Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA)  70 70
141 - Charlotte Thompson (ENG)  68 73, Nontaya Srisawang (THA)  72 69, Ursula Wikstrom (FIN)  69 72, Patricia Sanz Barrio (ESP)  72 69, Tania Elosegui (ESP)  71 70, Steffi Kirchmayr (GER)  70 71, Florentyna Parker (ENG)  70 71
142 - Julie Greciet (FRA)  70 72, Nina Holleder (GER)  70 72, Mallory Fraiche (USA)  71 71, Margherita Rigon (ITA)  72 70, Isabelle Boineau (FRA)  71 71, Sahra Hassan (WAL)  72 70, Alison Whitaker (AUS)  68 74, Sharmila Nicollet (IND)  70 72, Cathryn Bristow (NZL)  72 70, Cassandra Kirkland (FRA)  72 70, Hannah Burke (ENG)  71 71, Louise Larsson (SWE)  69 73, Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA)  72 70
143 - Stefania Croce (ITA)  73 70, Laura Jansone (LVA)  69 74, Sophie Walker (ENG)  70 73, Karolin Lampert (GER)  71 72, Caroline Afonso (FRA)  75 68, Giulia Sergas (ITA)  70 73, Cheyenne Woods (USA)  71 72, Miriam Nagl (GER)  73 70
Missed the cut:
144 - Malene Jorgensen (DEN)  75 69, Felicity Johnson (ENG)  72 72, Kelsey Macdonald (SCO)  72 72, Rachael Taylor (SCO)  72 72, Christine Wolf (AUT)  71 73, Becky Brewerton (WAL)  70 74, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR)  72 72, Fabienne In-albon (SUI)  72 72, Veronica Zorzi (ITA)  72 72, Maha Haddioui (MAR)  71 73, Whitney Hillier (AUS)  72 72, Camilla Lennarth (SWE)  70 74, Ariane Provot (FRA)  67 77, Isabell Gabsa (GER)  70 74, Holly Aitchison (ENG)  70 74, Ann-Kathrin Lindner (GER)  73 71, Carin Koch (SWE)  75 69
145 - Heather Macrae (SCO)  74 71, Minea Blomqvist (FIN)  74 71, Caroline Martens (NOR)  74 71, Connie Chen (RSA)  71 74, Stephanie Na (AUS)  72 73, Olivia Cowan (GER)  72 73, Eleanor Givens (ENG)  71 74
146 - Henni Zuel (ENG)  73 73, Trish Johnson (ENG)  73 73, Marion Ricordeau (FRA)  76 70, Anjelika Hammar (SWE)  73 73, Lucy Williams (ENG)  73 73, Laura Cabanillas (ESP)  71 75, Elina Nummenpaa (FIN)  71 75
147 - Bree Arthur (AUS)  76 71, Julie Tvede (DEN)  73 74, Titiya Plucksataporn (THA)  74 73, Viva Schlasberg (SWE)  75 72, Carly Booth (SCO)  74 73
148 - Fiona Puyo (FRA)  72 76, Mireia Prat (ESP)  74 74, Anais Maggetti (SUI)  74 74, Georgina Simpson (ENG)  79 69
149 - Maria Salinas (PER)  74 75, Bonita Bredenhann (NAM)  73 76, Krista Bakker (FIN)  71 78, Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ)  73 76, Victoria Lovelady (BRA)  74 75, Julia Davidsson (SWE)  71 78
150 - Lauren Taylor (ENG)  74 76, Leigh Whittaker (GER)  77 73, Virginia Espejo (ESP)  75 75, Pamela Feggans (SCO)  73 77
151 - Rebecca Sorensen (SWE)  74 77, Josephine Janson (SWE)  74 77, Sophie Sandolo (ITA)  74 77, Ainil Bakar (MYS)  75 76, Chloe Leurquin (BEL)  75 76
152 - Adriana Brent (AUS)  77 75, Melissa Reid (ENG)  76 76
156 - Sophie Gustafson (SWE)  74 82, Tessa Teachman (USA)  78 78, Elisabeth Esterl (GER)  78 78
163 - Ana Larraneta (ESP)  81 82