Nuria Iturrioz (-6) shares the lead at the Dutch Ladies Open with English player Mimi Rhodes (-6) and Italian Alessia Nobilio (-6) with 18 holes remaining. The three have reached the top of the leaderboard after impressive performances this Saturday at the Goyer Golf & Country Club.
For Rhodes and Nobilio —both rookies on the Ladies European Tour (LET)— it was another opportunity to showcase their talent in a highly competitive field. The young Brit raised on the Costa del Sol, leader of the Order of Merit, achieved six birdies on her card, positioning herself for what could be her third title this season, an outstanding achievement for a 23-year-old golfer.
“Today was a great day,” said Rhodes. “I played very solid golf. I started making putts early on the back nine, which helped me settle down. From there, I just kept the pace and enjoyed myself on the course.” Winner of two LET tournaments in 2025, she began the day one shot behind the leaders, Sofie Kibsgaard and Dorota Zalewska. Rhodes had a somewhat slow start in the second round but then strung together consecutive birdies on holes 7 and 8, followed by two more on 10 and 11, setting the pace for a very low round.
Rhodes returned home for a few days after the Aramco Korea Championship and saw her sister in the UK. “We went to London and took a day off from golf, which was great. We used some Korean skincare products and caught up on some sleep. I also met up with an old friend. We went for a run, had lunch, and took the tube, which I hadn’t used in a while. It was a nice way to unwind. Spending time with her was very enjoyable.”
The rookie assured that those days away from golf helped her a lot to face this week: “I got to know the course a couple of days ago upon arrival and really liked its look and design.” Before Korea, Mimi had been working a lot on her putting. “I came with a more open mindset, not putting too much pressure on myself. Today they started to drop.” She currently leads the Order of Merit with 1,046.88 points and acknowledges that this season is exceeding all her expectations.
“I never imagined my debut season would be like this. The support has been incredible: many people have reached out to me. It has given me a great confidence boost for the bigger events. I am really happy.” This week she is also enjoying family time in the Netherlands, with her brother and his fiancée present. “I picked them up at the airport and we passed through Amsterdam. We had dinner, although it was late, so we couldn’t explore much. But I did see the boats on the canals. I hope we can go back this afternoon.”
Meanwhile, Nobilio signed a bogey-free round to position herself as co-leader. Starting from the 10th tee, the young 23-year-old showed great composure in windy conditions, achieving consecutive birdies on both the front and back nine. “It was a great day,” said Nobilio. “I hit some really good shots and made putts when I needed them. The main thing was that I had a lot of patience with the wind, and I’m proud of that.”
After struggling with inconsistency last season, being in contention holds special value for her. “I had some issues with my game last year, so being here in contention means a lot. Mimi and I are good friends —we’ve played a lot together in junior categories— so I’m excited for tomorrow.” She is no stranger to the Netherlands, having visited several times. After landing on Monday, she even made a trip to Amsterdam. “We always end up looking for Italian restaurants wherever we go,” she commented with a laugh.
The third leader at -6 is our Spanish player Nuria Iturrioz, who signed one of the best rounds of the day: 66 strokes. She also started from the 10th tee, the four-time LET winner closing her round with a spectacular streak of five birdies in the last seven holes. “It was a good day. The course has many trees, so it’s tricky. You have to think a lot about the distances. I made more putts and trusted the process,” she commented.
Iturrioz has been working on improving her wedge play and mental approach, especially after suffering an injury earlier in the season. “I couldn’t practice much before Korea, so I used that time to work on my mindset. I’m trying to improve every day in all aspects of my game.” She is also enjoying her time in the Netherlands: “I love Amsterdam. It’s very green, and seeing bicycles everywhere is great. This is my fourth time here, and I really like it.”
The also Spanish and Mallorcan Luna Sobrón (-5) has been the player who advanced the most in the standings, signing the course record of 65 strokes. She started the day at +2 and moved up to fourth. “Everything went very well. The putter was on fire, especially on the eagle. I’m going to keep going step by step, enjoy it, and keep doing what works.” Also in contention is New Zealander Momoka Kobori (-5), who signed a solid 68 (-4).
“It was quite tough out there with the wind, but I managed to avoid high numbers on the card and convert some birdies. It was difficult to judge the conditions and play smart. I’m excited for what’s coming tomorrow.” Kobori has worked intensely in the pre-season, and her consistency in the first two rounds has been a confidence boost. “It was a bit frustrating at the start of the season, but these last two days have been very solid. I’m really excited for tomorrow. Being in a position with possibilities is great, as I haven’t been in this situation recently. It’s very good to see that I can put together good results, and hopefully, I can have fun tomorrow and see what happens.”
The leaderboard is very tight, with three players tied for sixth place: Maha Haddioui (Morocco), Sofie Kibsgaard (Denmark), and Ginnie Ding (Hong Kong), all at -4 after 36 holes. “I feel like I left some shots out there, especially with how I finished yesterday, and a bit today too,” said the 36-year-old player. “But I’m really enjoying the course and its design. I love it when a course is demanding and makes you think. It’s been great to see how the work is starting to pay off.” Haddioui thanked her support team for keeping her game and mindset in good shape this week. “Having my mental coach here has been a great help, and I’ve also been working very well with my swing coach. Having determination with each shot and maintaining the right mindset has made a big difference. I’m not putting extra pressure on myself. I’m going shot by shot.”
The third and final round of the Dutch Ladies Open will begin tomorrow morning at 9:05, with the leaders teeing off at 11:06. A total of 70 players made the cut, which was set at +4.
