After opening with a bogey-free 67, Lauren Walsh ground out a three-over 75 on day two of the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed and squeezes into the weekend by the bare minimum at Vasatorps Golfklubb.
Three bogeys in her opening four holes undid much of the good work she’d accumulated over the first 18 holes and with it looking as though -2 would be the cut off point, she knew that she couldn’t afford to slip any further down the leaderboard as she goes in search of a healthy payday in what is a unique tournament where the men and women play alongside and against one another.
From here, it was a case of one step forward, one step back as a birdie at 15 was cancelled by a bogey at one, a birdie at three was given back on the next, and her final birdie of the day which came on the sixth was coughed back up on eight, leaving her in need of a closing par to see weekend action.
She duly delivered, and though all chances of a maiden professional victory appear to have slipped by the wayside, she’ll have the opportunity of making a leap up the leaderboard with an early Saturday tee time.
Sebastian Söderberg will take a three-stroke lead into the weekend after carding a second round, six-under-par 66.
The Swede, who has two runner-up results and a third-place finish in his last four starts, remains bogey- free in Helsingborg after carding four birdies and an eagle to reach 15-under-par.
Söderberg held a six-stroke lead after completing his second round in the morning, but was reeled in in the afternoon by a resurgent Scott Jamieson, the Scotsman carding a seven under par 65 to sign for a 12 under total.
“It was quite different to yesterday,” said Söderberg who had the benefit of an early start on day two. “I had a stretch in the middle for eight or nine holes where it felt like I was saving par on every hole. But I played really well the last seven or eight holes.
“I was hitting a lot of loose drives and missing the greens. I didn’t give myself a lot of opportunities. But I started hitting the driver well again on the back nine, that was nice. The putting was still solid. Obviously the short game, getting up and down on these greens (was key).
“I felt like it was a lot more gettable today . The wind definitely dropped and we only had one hole of rain. It was playing a little bit easier, but you still have to hit some solid shots to get close to some of the pins.”
One stroke further back is Frenchman Julien Guerrier, who surged up the leaderboard after carding the low round of the day, an eight under 63.
Past champion Linn Grant, who made history at this tournament two years ago as the first female winner of a DP World Tour event, shares fourth place on nine under par. She is joined on that number by compatriots Jens Dantorp and Jesper Svensson, as well as Spaniard Jorge Campillo.
“It was an up and down day,” said Grant, “but I managed to collect myself after those three bogeys and just see the positives and I said to Jonathan if we can make five birdies going in, it would still be a good day.
“I think it was a combination of some so and so shots and the weather. We were going on and off with the rain jackets. I didn’t really get into the game, so it was a mix of that and from there on I felt like I could only do better.
“Coming off yesterday, I said that every hole out here feels like a birdie opportunity and when you know that you just have to shake those bogeys off and say stop now because we don’t want to go any further with this and just try to switch my mindset onto not being scared of making bogeys and being more aggressive.”
A total of 42 DP World Tour members and 26 Ladies European Tour members made the cut in the innovative event, which sees 78 men and 78 women go head to head on the same course for one prize fund and one trophy.