Swedish stars Linn Grant and Maja Stark set up thrilling tussle for LET No 1

Swedish duo Linn Grant and Maja Stark look set for a thrilling Race to Costa del Sol title battle over the weekend in the LET’s season-ending Andalucia Costa Del Sol Open De Espana.

Swedish pair Linn Grant, left, and Maja Stark are set for an exciting battle over the weekend in the Race to Costa del Sol. Picture: Tristan Jones.

Grant, who leads her compatriot by just 69.77 points in the fight to be No 1, sits second at the halfway stage behind Spanish amateur Cayetana Fernandez after opening with two 68s at Alferini Golf near Benahavis.

However, more of the same could be required to remain at the top of the standings after the final putt of the season is holed as Stark is just two shots behind after a brace of 69s.

With Ireland’s Leona Maguire, the world No 11, also in the mix along with another Swede, Caroline Headwall, an exciting final weekend lies ahead in the €650,000 event.

Michele Thomson’s early move up the leaderboard on the second day, having birdied the first and fourth holes to get to four-under, was halted by a bogey-6 at the eighth.

The Aberdonian then went bogey-triple bogey-double bogey in a costly run from the 15th as she ended up signing for a 78.

Leaving her on three-over, Thomson sits a shot behind Kylie Henry, who also signed for a seven-over card that included back-to-back double-bogey 6s.

Laura Beveridge, who leads the race to be top Scot this season, posted a second successive 75 for a four-over aggregate as the tartan trio head into the weekend in the bottom half of the 75-player field.

On the men’s front, Liam Johnston opened the new DP World Tour season by making the cut in the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland in Brisbane.

The Dumfries man squeezed through on the mark after rounds of 69-74 as Australian Jason Scrivener (65-67) reached the halfway point leading by a shot from Open champion Cameron Smith (68-65).

In the weather-hit Joburg Open, Peebles player Craig Howe is also on course to start the new campaign on a positive note. On four-under with four holes to play in the second round at Houghton Golf Club, he’s comfortably inside the projected cut.

But, with Englishman Dan Bradbury leading in the clubhouse on 13-under, early exits are on the cards for both Marc Warren and David Drysdale after they completed 36 holes on two-over and six-over respectively.