Lee-Anne Pace struggled the most in difficult conditions, despite improving for three birdies, the eight bogies and a double on day two combined for a seven-over par 79 with her first day 77, the cut ensuring no further play for her in Kent.
Laurette Maritz has been the most consistent over the past two days, trying circumstances showing in five birdies playing three bogies and two doubles for a repeat round total of 74.
But it was newly-signed New Star Rookie Stacy-Lee Bregman who continued to lead the African trio, though she too struggled, her even-par first round added to a two-over par 74 on Friday, to finish in a group of five, five off the lead.
“By the time I got round to the end I was starting to get a little numb,” she admitted. “It was very windy all day and made putting very difficult and obviously towards the end of the day the greens start getting a little bit bumpy and that made holing the four or five-footers tougher.
The Deal 34-year-old rolled in a long birdie putt at the last to take the joint lead and she added: “I’m very happy with that. The 18th is a tough hole and the putt broke a lot. I was just trying to nestle it in there close and luckily it fell in.
Pilgrim shot the best round of the day and she added: “I just got some putts in. I’m due so many that I think any time now is perfect. I had a couple on the front so I was minus two on the back nine and then minus two on the front. I was just keeping it in play. I wasn’t hitting it awesome but it’s not about that on a windy day anyway. It was just a case of controlling the ball.
“It was very windy out there and there’s not very much of me so I was gripping to the floor trying to stay up straight. I managed to do that. It was hard but you have to adjust your game. I had fun. I’ve got my sister back on the bag and we were having a good time. I didn’t expect to be leading, no way. I thought I might be around top ten but no idea that I was leading.”
Davies had taken the outright lead on four-under with six holes to play but came to grief with three bogeys in a row from the par-four 13th hole, before picking up a shot at last.
She said: “It was up and down for everybody. The wind was so horrible out there. I started sneezing, my eyes were itching and it really affected me and I dropped three shots on the trot. So I was glad to come back with one under from there.
“One over is a good round today to be honest – it’s not a bad score at all. It was hard. I’m one shot off the lead so I’m not disappointed.”
Nocera was pleased to have recovered her golf clubs after losing them whilst travelling from the US Women’s Open and said: “I don’t have many expectations but I will play my best tomorrow.”
Ladies English Open
Scores at the end of round two:
-3 – Cecilia Ekelundh (SWE) 67 74, Karen Stupples (ENG) 71 70, Becky Brewerton (WAL) 67 74, Eleanor Pilgrim (WAL) 73 68
-2 – Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 70 72, Laura Davies (ENG) 69 73
-1 – Louise Stahle (SWE) 71 72, Melissa Reid (Am) (ENG) 70 73, Martina Eberl (GER) 68 75, Danielle Masters (ENG) 71 72, Kirsty Taylor (ENG) 70 73, Lora Fairclough (ENG) 68 75
Par – Linda Wessberg (SWE) 66 78
+1 – Diana Luna (ITA) 74 71, Fany Schaeffer (FRA) 73 72, Joanne Oliver (ENG) 72 73, Johanna Westerberg (SWE) 71 74
+2 – Lisa Jean (AUS) 72 74, Lill Kristin Saether (NOR) 71 75, Stacy Lee Bregman (SA) 72 74, Marina Arruti (ESP) 70 76, Maria Hjorth (SWE) 72 74
+3 – Laura Terebey (USA) 76 71, Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) 72 75
+4 – Maria Boden (SWE) 73 75, Laurette Maritz (SA) 74 74, Sophie Sandolo (ITA) 72 76, Samantha Head (ENG) 73 75, Anja Monke (GER) 74 74, Trish Johnson (ENG) 72 76
+5 – Sara Beautell (ESP) 74 75, Rebecca Hudson (ENG) 73 76, Tania Elosegui (ESP) 74 75, Anna Tybring (SWE) 73 76, Eva Steinberger (AUT) 74 75, Leah Hart (AUS) 73 76, Helena Alterby (SWE) 74 75
+6 – Georgina Simpson (ENG) 74 76, Carmen Alonso (ESP) 73 77, Lynn Kenny (SCO) 76 74, Tullia Calzavara (ITA) 75 75, Suzanne Dickens (ENG) 74 76, Federica Piovano (ITA) 74 76, Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (FRA) 71 79, Ludivine Kreutz (FRA) 75 75, Minea Blomqvist (FIN) 72 78, Iben Tinning (DEN) 76 74, Karen Lunn (AUS) 72 78
+7 – Sofia Renell (SWE) 77 74, Mianne Bagger (DEN) 74 77, Anna Rossi (ITA) 76 75, Isabella Maconi (ITA) 71 80, Caroline Grady (ENG) 73 78, Lisa Holm Sorensen (DEN) 75 76
+8 – Emma Zackrisson (SWE) 72 80, Libby Smith (USA) 77 75, Stephanie Arricau (FRA) 73 79, Clare Queen (SCO) 73 79, Rebecca Coakley (IRE) 73 79, Veronica Zorzi (ITA) 74 78, Jehanne Jail (FRA) 73 79
Missed the cut:-
+9 – Cecilie Lundgreen (NOR) 74 79, Laura Cabanillas (ESP) 74 79, Cherie Byrnes (AUS) 80 73, Kathryn Imrie (SCO) 75 78, Margherita Rigon (ITA) 77 76, Elin Ohlsson (SWE) 79 74, Elisabeth Esterl (GER) 75 78, Lynn Brooky (NZ) 75 78, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 75 78
+10 – Shelley McKevitt (ENG) 73 81, Natalie Claire Booth (ENG) 76 78, Karen-Margrethe Juul (DEN) 76 78, Denise Simon (GER) 72 82, Christine Hallstrom (SWE) 75 79, Lara Tadiotto (BEL) 76 78
+11 – Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) 75 80
+12 – Maria Beautell (ESP) 80 76, Lisa Hall (ENG) 77 79, Nathalie David-Mila (FRA) 83 73, Nicole Gergely (AUT) 75 81, Danielle Montgomery (Am) (ENG) 79 77, Jenni Kuosa (FIN) 78 78, Melodie Bourdy (FRA) 75 81, Kirsty S Taylor (ENG) 75 81, Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) 79 77, Rui Yokomine (JPN) 76 80, Lotta Wahlin (SWE) 79 77, Ellen Smets (BEL) 75 81, Sarah Heath (ENG) 79 77, Lee-Anne Pace (SA) 77 79
+13 – Anna Knutsson (SWE) 79 78, Anna Rawson (AUS) 76 81, Kiran Matharu (ENG) 76 81, Felicity Johnson (ENG) 77 80, Stephanie Evans (Am) (WAL) 74 83, Nina Karlsson (SWE) 77 80
+14 – Naomi Edwards (Am) (ENG) 75 83, Stefanie Michl (AUT) 78 80, Elisa Serramia (ESP) 77 81, Joanne Mills (AUS) 79 79, Mette Buus (DEN) 78 80, Fame More (ENG) 77 81, Martina Gillen (IRE) 78 80, Claire Coughlan (IRE) 73 85, Carlie Butler (AUS) 86
+15 – Antonella Cvitan (SWE) 77 82, Anna Temple (USA) 77 82, Sophie Walker (ENG) 78 81, Sarah Tyson (Am) (ENG) 81 78
+16 – Frederique Seeholzer (SWI) 78 82, Jo Clingan (ENG) 81 79, Ana Larraneta (ESP) 76 84, Nienke Nijenhuis (NL) 79 81
+17 – Liza Walters (ENG) 76 85, Maria Verchenova (RUS) 81 80
+18 – Rikke Rasmussen (DEN) 82 80, Jade Schaeffer (FRA) 81 81, Elizabeth McKinnon (NZ) 83 79, Rachel Adby (ENG) 80 82
+19 – Barbara Paruscio (ITA) 80 83, Sophie Stubbs (Am) (ENG) 91
+20 – Sophie Hunter (ENG) 84 80
+25 – Nora Angehrn (SWI) 81 88
RTD – Corinne Dibnah (AUS) 75 RTD, Wendy Dicks (ENG) 83 RTD