Hudson sets the pace in Wales

England’s Rebecca Hudson fired a seven-under-par 65 to take the halfway lead at the S4C Wales Ladies Championship of Europe.

The 28-year-old from Doncaster carded eight birdies and one bogey to finish on a nine-under-par total of 135, three strokes clear of a trio of players on six under.

Among them is South Korean teenager Amy Yang, who at one stage threatened to challenge the course record of 11 under par, set by England’s Kirsty Taylor in 2005.

The 18-year-old, who is the Ladies European Tour’s youngest member, fired five birdies on the back nine, which she played first, and then another four on the front nine.

However, she double-bogeyed the ninth after pulling her tee shot and signed for a seven-under 65 to finish three shots adrift of Hudson.

Yang shares tied-second with France’s Gwladys Nocera and Australian Joanne Mills.

First round leader Lisa Holm Sorensen made a charge and had reached eight-under with three holes to play but finished bogey, bogey, double-bogey to sign for a one-over 73.

The Dane, who held a one-shot lead at the start of the day, dropped back to five under for the tournament after facing driving rain as her round drew to a close.

She is joined in tied fifth by fellow Dane Iben Tinning, and English duo Kirsty S Taylor and Georgina Simpson.

It was a mixed day for the seven Welsh players taking part at Machynys Peninsula Golf Club.

Only two – Becky Morgan and amateur Breanne Loucks – managed to qualify for the weekend’s play, with Wales’ Solheim Cup hope Becky Brewerton among those missing out after a second round of 74.

Heavy rain greeted the players unfortunate enough to tee off towards the end of the day, although it did not affect early-starter Morgan, the highest-placed homegrown player in the field at two under-par.

The 32-year-old from Abergavenny mixed five birdies and two bogeys to finish the day on 69, moving into the red following yesterday’s first round of 73.

And Loucks, from Wrexham, put in another solid performance to score 73 for the second day running, finishing the round on two over par.

Brewerton had a day to forget. Her two-over 74 took her to six over for the tournament.

She will now have to sit out the weekend and cross her fingers that she can keep enough points to qualify for The European Solheim Cup team – the women’s equivalent of the Ryder Cup, that takes place in a month’s time in Sweden.

Brewerton had been hoping for a top-10n finish to help cement her position in the European top five and ensure selection for next month’s match play competition against the United States.