Áine Donegan had a day to remember as she carded a 66 to soar into first position with eighteen holes to play of the Ladies European Tour pre-qualifier.
The 23-year-old is one of the favourites for a card at Lalla Aicha Q-School having had a prolific collegiate career at LSU.
She was also a member of the GB & I squad which won the 2024 Curtis Cup – a side which included LET winners Lottie Woad and Mimi Rhodes as well as Sara Byrne and Lorna McClymont. Donegan carded seven birdies on Thursday to move to eight-under par, five shots clear of the next best score.
“The round today went well, pretty similar to yesterday just with less mistakes,” the Irishwoman who has Alps Tour bound Sam Murphy on the bag said. “I played really solid. I’ve found the Q-School experience really good so far. All the LET staff have been great as well. I’m looking forward to another round tomorrow.”
In solo second spot sits Finland’s Katri Bakker on three-under par following rounds of 70-71. The 24-year-old is the sister of Krista Bakker who competed on the LET for half a decade.
English duo Lianna Bailey and Jess Baker share third on two-under par. Another Englishwoman, amateur Chantal El Chaib, is in fifth place alongside Switzerland’s Vanessa Knecht, Scotland’s Louise Duncan and South Africa’s Gabrielle Venter.
The top-19 and ties qualify for the final stage, the full leaderboard can be found here.
Northern Ireland’s Olivia Mehaffey is one shot behind in second place at PalmGolf Marrakech Ourika, after a round of 69 which included six birdies and three bogeys.
“I played the par-5s nicely today,” said Mehaffey. “I hit three of them in two. Then I hit two wedges to two feet which was fun.
“I have the same plan for tomorrow as the first two days really. Just focusing on each shot and the same strategy on course. Having played Q-School before you know what to expect, it definitely helps having the experience of knowing what the week involves and managing the emotions of it.”
South Africa’s Caitlyn Macnab is in outright third place on five-under-par after rounds of 70-69 on the first two days. Sweden’s Corinne Viden fired the round of the week with a flawless 66 (-6) to move into T4 alongside Ireland’s Canice Screene.
The top-20 and ties progress to the final stage, the full leaderboard can be found here.
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