Pamela Pretswell one off lead in new LET event in Spain

Pamela Pretswell watches a tee shot en route to a second-round 67 in the Mediaterranean Ladies Open. Picture: Tristan Jones

Pretswell, the top Scottish player on the circuit over the last two seasons, has Spaniard Nuria Iturrious in her sights at Club de Golf Terramar, near Barcelona, after two solid opening rounds.

The 27-year-old dropped just two shots in her first-day 68 before reducing that by one as she added a 67 for a seven-under-par halfway total, one behind home player Iturrios (69-65).

“Today was really solid,” said Pretswell, who is making just her third start of the season after opting to take an extended break instead of heading out to Australia at the beginning of the year.

“My only bogey came from not getting up and down and I holed a few putts, so it was a good round.”

As the former Curtis Cup player bids for her breakthrough win on the LET - she finished second in the Czech Republic last year - it could be a case of beware the golfer feeling under the weather.

“I’ve had a cold for the last few weeks that’s not disappeared, but I’m happy to be back in the warm weather,” added Pretswell.

Henry, a two-time winner when she was still Kylie Walker, had left herself in danger of an early exit after an opening 75.

But she jumped more than 70 spots into a share of 14th after a superb 64 that contained an eagle and seven birdies.

“The conditions were great this morning and it was nice and calm. I was hitting the ball nicely and rolling in the putts,” said Henry.

“It’s a fairly scoreable course, but they are putting the pins in tricky conditions, so you need to put your ball in the right spot.

“Yesterday was pretty rotten. I was pretty ill and struggling with my hay fever, which was so bad I had to keep a towel in my hand the whole time because I was constantly sneezing and my back was pretty tight from all the sneezing.

“I had a pounding headache and it might have been the wind, I don’t know. I was much better today and I’m really happy to come back the way I did today.”

Sitting alongside Henry on three-under are two of her compatriots, Sally Watson (69) and Gemma Dryburgh (72).

All eight Scots in the field made the cut, with Kelsey Macdonald, who is backing up her good effort in last week’s Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco, next best in joint-30th after scores of 69-72.

Michele Thomson (74-68) is tied for 39th while Carly Booth (74-70) and Vikki Laing (73-71) are alongside each other in joint-60th.