Allen misses cut at Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Open

Beth Allen lamented her “terrible” defence of the Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Open after missing the halfway cut as Lee-Anne Pace maintained her one shot advantage at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club yesterday.

American Allen, who won last year’s inaugural event by three shots, carded a second round 76 to go with her opening round 73.

Her five-over par score means she missed the cut by the sizeable margin of six shots.

“What a world class event here at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club for FBMLO. Gutted to have put up such a terrible defense. #nextyear”,” tweeted Allen, the 2016 Ladies European Tour (LET) Order of Merit winner.

It proved a more successful day for Pace, who followed up a first round 66 with an identical score to sit on 12-under, although her second round was bogey-free.

With two birdies on the front nine and four on the back, Pace continued her fine form in Abu Dhabi.

“It feels great and I remembered the course better today,” the South African said.

“I think there was less wind and it was a favourable wind as well. I struck the ball really nicely too. I hit the shots I wanted to hit and I hit it really close to the pin and made the putts.

“Tomorrow I’d like to start the way I did today, and be a bit patient, as patience helps you to do a lot. I had some chances which I didn’t take but in the end I’m pretty satisfied.”

After the first round, Pace was being chased by a six-player group all one shot back. That group has been reduced to one, with Indian teenager Aditi Ashok matching Pace’s bogey-free six-under par round.

“I feel I’m hitting the ball well although I missed a couple of drives, but apart from that I struck it pretty well,” Ashok, 19, said.

Among the group of three players two shots behind Ashok on nine under is Luno Sobron, who set a new course record of 62, beating the previous best effort of 64 held by Allen and Britain’s Georgia Hall.

Remarkably, her round included a bogey on the sixth hole, but that was offset by nine birdies and an eagle on the par-five 15th. The Spaniard’s 10-under par round catapulted her from joint-76th to joint-third.

“It’s a good year and I’m feeling very confident,” said Sobron, who could move into first position on the LET Rookie Rankings this weekend.

Joining Sobron in joint third are Camilla Lennarth of Sweden and American Cheyenne Woods, niece of Tiger Woods.

Woods went around in 66 with the highlight of her round being her first professional hole-in-one on the par-three sixth.