The Canadian teenager Anna Huang has once again given a lesson in control and composure at La Sella Open. After a bogey-free first round, she mirrored the script with a flawless 66 (-6) in the second round to head into the weekend with -14 and a three-shot lead.
She started on the 10th, opened her hand on the 12th and 13th, and finished the first nine with a birdie on the 18th to approach her back nine at -3. In the second half, more of the same: birdies on the 4th, 7th, and 9th. Not a single blemish. Two days without bogeys at 16 years old and leading the tournament from the first minute. “I’m bogey-free and it’s a record for me,” explained the LET rookie with a smile. “The key here is fairway and green because the rough is tough. In the middle stretch, the wind picked up, but I played with it and not against it. I don’t want to think about winning; I prefer to play my game and not look too much at the scoreboard.”
Nadaud, in pursuit… and with a chip-in
At -11 sits second the Frenchwoman Nastasia Nadaud, who signed a 67 (-5) with a brilliant final stretch: chip-in on the 17th and birdie on the 18th. “I started poorly with three putts on the 1st, but I recovered quickly. The afternoon was windy and changeable, especially from the 10th to the 18th. Having Michele Thomson on the bag helps: she knows what a player expects and masters the wind. And yes, Nutella pizza is my guilty pleasure this week,” she joked.
Tan, solid; Iturrioz and Rudgeley join the chase
The Singaporean Shannon Tan occupies the third place with -7 after a textbook 68 (-4): many fairways and many greens. “Boring in a good way,” she summarised: yesterday she compensated with the putter; today, better ball striking and mid-range putts. Objective: have fun and repeat the plan.
Behind, with -6, are Nuria Iturrioz and Kirsten Rudgeley. The Balearic, champion at La Sella in 2023, soared with 66 (-6) and a streak of five consecutive birdies. “Yesterday putts slipped away; today driver and irons were sharp and being on the fairway is half the battle. I love being here: the course grows on me every year. It’s time for calm, as it will be a long week… and maybe tapas in the evening,” said the winner in Houston. The Australian Rudgeley also bogey-free (68): “Very smooth round. I missed where I had to, putted well and with Fabio on the bag the plan is to keep enjoying it.”
The pack and the cut
At -5 sharing the sixth position are Alessandra Fanali, Pia Babnik, Maddison Hinson-Tolchard and Lydia Hall. One shot further back, at -4 (T10), are Lauren Walsh, Alessia Nobilio, Kajsa Arwefjäll and Amy Taylor.
The cut was set at +2, with 61 players making it through to the weekend. Carolina López Chacarra (+1) made the cut in her first professional tournament in Spain with a score of 72 on Friday.
Saturday’s schedule
The third round starts at 8:30 (local time) and the featured match will tee off at 12:41. All eyes, once again, on Anna Huang, the bogey-free girl who has tamed the wind at La Sella and, for now, plays as if mistakes don’t exist.
