Marina Joyce-Moreno is still in contention heading into the final round of the R&A U16 Amateur Championship at Enville Golf Club.
The Spanish-based golfer is on seven-over after a second round of six-over 78 but is still just three shots adrift of 36-hole leader Grace Crawford of Scotland.
Royal Tara’s Hannah Guerin is also in the mix on nine-over after a three-over 75 which was good enough to see her squeeze into the top-10.
If Joyce-Moreno comes up short on Sunday she will surely point to a torrid front nine on Saturday afternoon where she turned in 42 following a pair of double-bogeys.
The teenager who played a starring role on Ireland’s winning quadrangular side in Wales last week was six-over after six holes having thrown in double-bogeys on the par-3 2nd and par-4 6th while dropping shots on 3 and 5.
A brace of bogeys on 13 and 14 threatened to completely derail her chances but two birdies in her final three holes breathed new life into her hopes.
Meath woman Guerin also threw in a double-bogey with a six on the par-4 13th on her way to a 75. The Royal Tara junior started well with a birdie on the first before three successive bogeys in the middle of her opening nine saw her turn in 38.
After carding a double, Guerin finished well with four pars and a birdie on 16.
At five adrift of Crawford, Guerin will need a superb round and some help from Crawford who has gone from joint leader to outright after a second-round 75.
Once more it was a rollercoaster front nine played in almost identical fashion to Friday. Like her first round the West Links Junior golfer opened with a bogey and carded a hat trick of bogeys from the 4th to the 6th and birdied the 7th.
For the second day running she birdied the tenth but gave it straight back on 11 before closing with seven successive pars to lead on plus four.
Roscommon’s Olivia Costello is also well placed on eleven-over after a 75 to lie in 16th place.
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