Martina Gillen signed for a three over par round at Ladies European Tour Final Qualifying School on Thursday to finish in 37th place at La Manga and eleven shots off the leader Caroline Hedwall of Sweden.
Team Ireland’s Gillen started with a bogey on the tenth and dropped a further four shots by the time she reached the turn in 41 to slip down the leader board. However two birdies on the 3rd and 4th improved the card for a finish of 76.
Danielle McVeigh improved on the opening round 81 with a six over par card dropping six shots on the day – with not one birdie – to sign for a final score of 77 in 87th place on 14 over par with a huge task now of making the cut.
Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall established a three stroke lead after the second round after posting a two-under-par round of 71 on the North course at the La Manga Club in Spain after Wednesday’s opening round of three-under 70 on the South Course.
The 2008 World Amateur champion finished on a five-under-par total ahead of Jaclyn Sweeney of the United States and Adriana Zwanck from Spain.
Sweeney fired second round of four-under 69 on the South Course, while Zwanck had a 71. Spain’s Belen Mozo and Stacey Keating from Australia were the only two other players under par overall.
Hedwall hit all 18 greens and said: “I played really well. I didn’t miss a single green so it was solid. I could have made a few more putts but I’m pretty pleased with how I played.”
She was level on the back nine after cancelling a bogey on 14 with a birdie on 15 but then made an eagle on the par-five third hole after hitting her three-wood to five metres and sinking the putt.
The two-time European Individual champion explained: “It was pretty windy when I teed off but they had the same conditions yesterday, the first groups. It was simple I think. I’m really solid from tee to green and I try to make as many putts as I can.”
The 2010 NCGA champion and Player of the Year is seeking one of the 30 full LET cards on offer this week after leading her field at the pre-qualifying stage.
As an amateur, she led Sweden to victory at the European Team Championships in 2008 and most recently at La Manga Club this summer.
She played on the Ladies European Tour at the Finnair Masters this year where she tied for eighth, before making the step up to the professional ranks on 29th October.
She has two more rounds to negotiate before the nerve-wracking fifth and final day on Sunday 19th December when the top 30 players will earn their full card for next season’s tour in category 8a.
After four rounds, there will be a cut to the leading 50 players and ties. Those in positions 31 to 50 and ties will earn an exemption status in category 11a with limited tournament starts.
