Morning field makes move at ANZ Ladies Masters
IN: News | ALPG | ANZ Ladies Masters (2007) | Round Two | by Bruce Young | 09 Feb 2007
Perhaps even before the first round leaders had awoken from their sleep on day two of the ANZ Ladies Masters, their precarious first round lead was under fire.
The two golfers who had been so impressive late in yesterday's opening round continued on from where they left off. Sarah Nicholson and Tamie Durdin had both completed opening rounds of 67 late in yesterday's more difficult afternoon conditions and judging by the manner in which they started day two they were not about to let the early morning scoring opportunities pass by.
Before they had their chance to stake their claim however, another from yesterday's afternoon group, Lotta Wahlin from Sweden had made a move of her own with a birdie at the second and an eagle at the third to move to seven under and within one of the leader. 22-year-old Wahlin is in her second season on the LPGA Tour having finished 39th on the LET Money list in 2006. She would add another birdie at the 12th hole but by then, although she had joined the overnight leader Ahn at that stage, she was two behind the new leader, Tamie Durdin.
After her round Wahlin suggested she was not all that surprised by her effort. "This is a golf course that suits me as I hit it quite a long way and I actually played quite well in Sydney last week despite not making the cut. I have worked hard on my game over the winter in Spain and feel like my game is in good shape."
Durdin is one of the longer hitters in the female game and last year finished in 8th place in this event. Royal Pines is a golf course that tends to suit long hitters and Durdin was proving that yet again. An eagle at the third had her at seven under and when she had birdied the 8th, she had a share of the lead with the overnight leader, Ahn Sun Ju. Another birdie at the 6th followed and Durdin had the lead on her own and when she picked up what would be, for her, an automatic birdie at the 9th she had moved two ahead as she turned for home.
Nicholson birdied her third hole, the 12th of the course, and although she could only tread water over the next few holes, when she did eventually make another birdie at her 10th hole she was at seven under. Nicholson has no status to play anywhere in her first season as a professional golfer and so this was an opportunity to promote her game and she was making a good fist of doing just that.
Others from further back in the field were also making their mark on day two. Sweden's Linda Wessberg has played well in this event previously and comes off a season where she had her first victory on the Ladies European Tour at the Wales Open. She moved to four under for the day and seven under for the tournament when she birdied her fourth consecutive hole at the 10th and was challenging. She added another at the reachable par five 15th before a bogey at the par three 16th slowed her momentum. She finished at seven under.
Just as Durdin was looking to establish a commanding lead, the most difficult hole on the golf course, the 13th, was about to have its say. A double bogey there, after finding the bunker from the tee and then taking four form the green edge, had her back at eight under. She then trailed Wahlin by one and shared second place with Shin Ji Yai who was still half an hour away from teeing off at that point. Durdin went on to finish with 69 and trailed Wahlin by one as the morning field completed their rounds.
Durdin has played the Japan Golf Tour for the last few years and in 2006 finished 39th on their money list. She is a player good enough to have played collegiate golf at Pepperdine in the US and to have finished runner up at the USLPGA Tour School in 2000 before joining the LPGA Tour for two seasons.
"I did not really like it there as much as I thought I would and am really enjoying Japan. Money is not really the issue for me but rather winning but having said that the money in Japan is really good. I do like playing there."
Durdin is yet another client of Brisbane based coach Ian Triggs, who also has Karrie Webb and John Senden amongst those who use his services. This week she is using a man who has worked with Triggs and knows the way he does things as her caddy and it seems to be working out.
"The mental side of the game has always been an issue for me and having Sean McBride on the bag this week has been good."
From well back in the field Shin Ji Yai, who played so well last week in Sydney when 5th, was making her statement on day two. After making the turn in one under 34, she birdied her 10th eagled her 12th and birdied her 16th holes to move to five under for the day and seven under for the tournament.
Shin was the leading money winner on the Korean Ladies Golf Tour in 2006 and appears to be a young golfer with a bright future. She will again be contending this weekend it would seem and further confirming her status in the game. When she birdied her last hole to move to 9 under that became even more the case.
So as the morning field completed their rounds it was Wahlin one ahead of Tamie Durdin and Shin Jai Yai.
Photo - Anthony Powter
