Puerto Rican Pacheco leads R and A Junior Open at Kilmarnock (Barassie)

FROM THE R and A WEBSITE

Puerto Rico’s Valeria Pacheco will take a one-shot lead into Wednesday's final round of the Junior Open Championship after carding a best of the day 71 at Kilmarnock (Barassie) Golf Club.

Despite the easier conditions compared to the opening day along the Ayrshire coast, there were still only three scores under par at a venue previously used for Open Final Qualifying.
Pacheco’s two-under round was enough to edge the 16-year-old in front on a tightly grouped leaderboard. Added to her opening 74, Pacheco’s one-under 145 aggregate leads by one from South Korea’s Hyunkyung Park, who has been the model of consistency with two level par 73s for 146.
“I really enjoyed the course today, I just felt really comfortable,” said a delighted Pacheco after her round. “It was less windy and slightly warmer which definitely made scoring easier for me.”
The leader traded a birdie at the seventh with a bogey at the next to turn in level par 36. The plus two handicapper dipped under par for the first time with a further birdie at the par five 12^th but the best was still to come when she eagled the 465-yard par five 16th.
“I hit my drive down the left side and into the rough but was able to hit a four-iron onto the green and made a good putt from 20 feet,” added Pacheco, feeling relaxed at the top of the leaderboard.
“I’m looking forward to the final round, we’ll see what happens.”
Park struggled off the tee towards the end of the front nine but kept her composure to remain competitive. The South Korean reached the turn in one-under 35, courtesy of three birdies against two bogeys. The back nine was less flamboyant with eight pars and just the one dropped shot at the 17^th.
Barassie is a heathland, links style course where there is definitely a premium on accuracy, especially off the tee. Portugal’s Pedro Lencart Silva also struggled to find the fairways on occasion but he too found a way to stay in contention with a 74 to be two off the lead.
“I struggled badly off the tee but I played well otherwise and that kept my card going. I had to scramble today and thankfully I managed to make a few birdies. Conditions were definitely easier today, not as windy,” explained the 16-year-old, who plays his golf in Miramar in northern Portugal.
Argentina’s Mateo Fernandez De Oliveira joined Lencart Silva in a share of third after carding a second round 73. The plus one handicapper’s round threatened to unravel after the turn when he started the back nine, double-bogey, bogey. However, he rallied well with three birdies in the last six holes.    
“It was a nice round apart from 10 and 11. I am happy the way I finished with three birdies in the last six holes. I started hitting the ball well and took advantage. The birdie at 18 was a bonus. I hit driver and pitching wedge into 10 feet and holed the putt,” said Fernandez De Oliveira.
First round leader Yifan Ji is also still in touch, despite a second round 76 dropping the Chinese player down the leaderboard, three off the pace and in a tie for fifth. Ji finds herself on the same 148 aggregate as her compatriot Guxin Chen (72) and American Garrett Barber, who shot a second consecutive 74.
Malaysian Ladies golfer Ashley Lau Jen Wen briefly held the early clubhouse lead after a second round 72 for a 149 total. Her round included an eagle three at the 12^th and five birdies against four bogeys and one double-bogey at the seventh.
The 36-hole cut fell at 24-over-par with 81 players from the starting field of 143 progressing into Wednesday's  third and final round.

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