Annabel Wilson and Canice Screene are safely through to the final round of the Ladies European Tour’s Hills Open after another tough day in Sweden.
Although the wind didn’t blow quite as hard as it did in Friday’s opening round, just nine players find themselves in red figures going into the final round.
Wilson remains best of the Irish after following her opening 72 with a two-over 74 to share 28th on +4, while Screene, who is also playing her rookie LET season, will see final-round action for the third time after battling to a one-over 72.
Olivia Mehaffey, Anna Foster and Sara Byrne all missed the cut.
Germany’s Leonie Harm and Sweden’s amateur Meja Ortengren share the lead with just 18 holes left to play at Hills Golf & Sports Club.
Harm produced the round of the day on Saturday, firing a bogey-free five-under-par to surge into the co-lead, alongside Ortengren.
Benefiting from slightly calmer conditions compared to the windy opening round, the 27-year-old German started on the 10th tee and delivered a composed second round with five birdies.
“It was an early alarm, and I was still tired from yesterday because it was so windy,” said Harm. “The course played really tough again today with some tricky pin positions, but I gave myself more chances and, fortunately, made the most of them with a hotter putter.”
Her mindset was simple: “I just wanted to stay in the moment, take it shot by shot. This course can sneak up on you quickly – one bad shot and suddenly you’ve got a double on the card. Patience is the only way around here.”
Harm spoke about nearly walking away from the sport last year before a chance encounter changed everything. “I was ready to end my career after India,” she recalled. “Then at the Aramco Team Series in Saudi Arabia, I met Scott Edwards, a coach, on the range. He asked if he could help, made a couple of tweaks, and suddenly my swing felt like mine again. I also went to see him last week to work on my putting, and that’s shown today.
“I just enjoy working on things and seeing improvements. That’s what I really love about this whole process of being a professional athlete.”
The German admitted the past two seasons had been mentally exhausting: “I worked harder than ever, but nothing improved – if anything, it got worse. I was on the verge of going insane and nearly quit. It’s been some turn of events and here I am again so I’m really glad for that stroke of luck.”
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