3rd Hacienda del Alamo Women's & Girls' Festival

Tournament Controller Lee Harrington with four lasses from Lancashire - Gillian Gardiner, Linda Marr, Audree Lee and Linda Wilson.

Hayley Davis leads by five with one round

to go in Hacienda del Alamo Ladies Open

Nothing is ever a cast-iron certainty in golf and Hayley Davis, 17-year-old Ferndown, Dorset girl international, will not be counting her chickens even though she leads by five strokes with one round to play in the Hacienda del Alamo Ladies Open at the five-star Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort in south-east Spain.

Hayley followed up her unofficial "record" score of 66 - preferred lies prevented the score being recognised - with a level par 72 over the testing Dave Thomas-designed course for a 36-hole tally of six-under 138.

Davis, pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency at last year's British girls championship where she reached the quarter-finals, had one eagle (at the fourth) and four birdies (at the third, ninth, 15th and 18th). On the debit side, she had six bogeys, at the first, seventh, 10th, 14th, 16th and 17th.

Two of her nearest challengers, Welsh cap Amy Boulden (Maesdu), 16, and Scottish international Kesley MacDonald (Nairn Dunbar), 19, both shot second-round 69s today for 143 and 145 respectively.

Amy had five birdies (at the first, second, fourth, 13th and 16th) and two bogeys (at the 11th and 18th).

Kelsey had an eagle at the fourth and five birdies (at the third, ninth, 10th, 15th and 18th). She also had bogeys at the first, fifth, eighth and 16th.

The pair, who tied for the lowest 36-hole final total Murcia Ladies Open earlier in the week (Amy won that title on the lower second round), were able to make up three shots apiece on leader Davis - but, to turn around, respective deficits of five (Amy) and seven (Kelsey), they will need to shoot something special in Saturday's final round ... and hope that Hayley scores in the mid-70s or higher.

Alongside Kelsey MacDonald in joint third place is the 2008 English women's champion Hannah Barwood, the 19-year-old Knowle player.

Hannah actually lost ground on Hayley Davis by returning a 75 for 145.

Fifth placed Charlotte Ellis (Minchinhampton) also had a 75 for 146.

Current English women's champion Charlie Douglass (Brocket Hall) had to retire from the tournament with an upset stomach.

One category ended with the second round - and Kam Cheema, from the quaintly named Redlibbets club, near Sevenoaks in Ken, was the winner with a total of 60 Stableford Points.

Playing off a handicap of 22, Kam improved by 10pts on her first effort with a splendid bag of 35pt today.

Runner-up, beaten by 12pt, was Linda Marr from Fleetwood. Playing off 17, she had 48pt in all after scoring 22pt in the second round.

Local player Marilynn Pearce, a 19-handicapper, finished third with a total of 47pt made up of 25 and 22.

England Under-18 squad player Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham), Lancashire's youngest-ever women's county champion, is six shots clear of Holly Robinson (Co Sligo) at the head of the Under-18s scratch field. Emily, only 15 but competing above her age group, had a 73 today for 147.

Holly had a 77 for 153.

In the Under-16s, it looks all over bar the shouting but who was it that said "nothing is ever a cast-iron certainty in golf?" Fourteen-year-old Amber Ratcliffe from the Royal Cromer club in Norfolk is ten shots clear of the field after a 77 for 151.

Her nearest challenger is 15-year-old Megan MacLaren (Wellingborough) on 161 after an 81.

Megan's mother Mary, incidentally, a four-handicapper at Wellingborough, has twice broken 80 in the two rounds of the Hacienda del Alamo Ladies Open.

Alice Hewson (Berkhamsted) is lying third on 164 after an 83.

Weather note (from Tournament Controller Lee Harrington): Friday's weather at Hacienda del Alamo was wet to begin with. Play was delayed an hour because of heavy rain but once the players got out there, the rain stopped and the rest of the day remained dry, although a cold wind got up later on. The course is still in great condition, considering the week's weather.