Golf: Heather MacRae counts cost of second-round 76

By MARTIN DEMPSTER
Published on 15/12/2012 00:11

AFTER hardly putting a foot wrong in five rounds, Heather MacRae suffered her first setback in the battle for places on the Ladies European Tour next season.

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.