Rookie Torres shares lead

– Puerto Rican trailblazer Maria Torres (above) overcame a shaky start in the second round to emerge as one of four joint halfway leaders in the final major of the season, the Evian Championship yesterday.

The first golfer from Puerto Rica to play on the US LPGA Tour, and the first to compete in a women’s major, Torres couldn’t stop smiling after a 69 despite a disheartening bogey, bogey opening.

The 23-year-old was joined at the top by South Korea’s Lee Mi-hyang and two Americans, Amy Olson, who is still awaiting her first win after five years as a professional, and Mo Martin, the 2014 women’s British Open champion.

Olson shot 65, while Martin and Lee both had 66 to make it into a tie at the top on eight under par 134.

The quartet led by one from Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, who added a 70 to her opening 65. The round of the day was a 64 from Angela Stanford – she was in the next group on six under.

Setting out in the rain, and starting at the tenth, the rookie Torres dropped shots on her two opening holes, but a three at the par four 12th settled the nerves and more birdies followed at the 14th, 16th and seventh.

“It wasn’t the best start,” she admitted. “But then I thought ‘Okay. We can handle this and there are still 16 holes to play’ and I got on a roll again with the first birdie.

“It is so awesome just to be here and I keep learning every day. Opportunity – that’s the word to sum up my position going into the weekend.”

This is just her second major – she missed the cut at the lPGA Championship in June. –

Evian