Laura Beveridge feels at home wearing five layers in LET Q-School final

Feeling as though she was playing in the North-East Alliance helped Laura Beveridge resuscitate her LET card bid with the day’s joint-best score in the Q-School final at La Manga in Spain.
Laura Beveridge was delighted after carding a five-under 66 - the joint-best score of the day - in the second round of the LET Q-School final at La Manga. Picture: LETLaura Beveridge was delighted after carding a five-under 66 - the joint-best score of the day - in the second round of the LET Q-School final at La Manga. Picture: LET
Laura Beveridge was delighted after carding a five-under 66 - the joint-best score of the day - in the second round of the LET Q-School final at La Manga. Picture: LET

The former Scottish Women’s Amateur champion had started disastrously in the five-round battle as a nine-over 82 on the South Course at the Murcia venue left her sitting in a tie for 118th spot.

But, after switching to the North Course, it was quite a transformation for Beveridge in the second circuit, which saw her make six birdies in signing for a brilliant five-under 66.

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The welcome turnaround catapulted the Scot into a share of 39th spot in an event offering 20 cards, with Hannah McCook and Hazel MacGarvie the best-placed among the Scots after 36 holes in joint-22nd.

“I had a lot of fun out there,” said Beveridge, who has her husband and coach, Keil, on the bag. “That was the main goal of the day because I know I already had a lot to do after my first round.

“We were focusing on shot-shaping a fair bit especially with the wind – you have to be really creative.

“It is like home from home because I have got five layers on, and I play in the Winter Alliance back home every Wednesday and it is like playing in that.”

The two-time St Rule Trophy winner picked out her birdie at the par-4 18th as the pick of the bunch.

“It is tough because the wind is hard off the left and it’s not really helping or hindering,” she said. “I hit 5-wood off the tee and didn’t hit it that great so I left myself 195-pin. But I hit a cracking 4-iron up to 18 feet and rolled it in for a birdie - that was nice.”

On a day when Jane Turner moved in the opposite direction as she followed an opening 70 with an 81 to slip outside the top 60, McCook carded a two-under 71 on the South Course to sit alongside MacGarvie (73) on two-over.

“It was all pretty solid,” said McCook of her effort. “It was windy as everyone is finding it, but, thankfully, I have been in Scotland for a while, so I have got used to it.

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“It doesn’t make it any easier, but I have got used to it. I stayed patient and let it happen – it was very nice, actually.”

McCook, who has overcome a “mental and physical battle” following hip surgery earlier in the year to give herself a chance of securing a seat at the top table in European women’s golf, is now looking to kick on in the third round.

“I have played good golf on both courses but scored better on the South, so hopefully I can finally find that round on the north that I have been getting close to,” said the 28-year-old from Grantown-on-Spey.

As England’s Meghan MacLaren moved into the lead on six-under, Heather MacRae dug deep for a one-under 71 to sit just inside the top 50 on five-over.

Tara Mactaggart, with a 72, also broke par with a gutsy response to her opening 80, but, on eight-over alongside Clara Young, she still has a fight on her hands to get in the card hunt.

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