Golf: Heather MacRae counts cost of second-round 76

Playing in the final stage of the circuit’s Qualifying School in Morocco after coming through last week’s pre-qualifier, the Dunblane woman slipped from joint-fourth overnight to joint-59th following a second-round 76 at Al Maaden in Marrakech.

She was one-under after four but then dropped four shots in the space of five holes, the main damage being caused by a double-bogey 6 at the eighth, before coming home in one-over.

Pamela Feggans and Vikki Laing are now the leading Scots, the duo sitting in a tie for 43rd on two-under after carding 70 and 73 respectively on day two. Ayrshirewoman Feggans did her good work at the start and finish, opening with a birdie then signing off with three on the spin, while Laing slipped back after dropping three shots in her final four holes.

Lying a shot behind them is Kelsey MacDonald after the 2010 Scottish Women’s champion followed her opening 71 with a 72 at Amelkis.

Katy McNicoll, the other Scot in the field, jumped up to 80th after a 71, four shots better than her first-round effort, at Amelkis.

It included six birdies, though the gloss was slightly taken off her day’s work by a double-bogey 7 at the 15th.

Spaniard Virginia Espejo leads the hopefuls by one after firing a six-under 66 at Al Maaden Course to move to ten-under.

Swedish pro Camilla Lennarth (65) and English amateur Emily Taylor (66) are her nearest challengers with three rounds to go.

Cheyenne Woods, Tiger’s niece, is handily placed on five-under after a second-round 68, with England’s Holly Clyburn leading the way amongst the three GB&I Curtis Cup team members in the field on four-under.

Former Helen Holm Trophy winner Danielle McVeigh is on the same mark after an eight-birdie 66 at Al Maaden.