Taylor, the 2003 LET rookie of the year, currently lies at ninth in the New Star Money List after a blistering start to the season and she is hoping that her laid back attitude will pay off this week. She admitted that she got ahead of herself in April’s Tenerife Ladies Open where she held the third round lead heading into the final round.

“I got a bit stressed in Tenerife but I’m just taking it slowly from now on. What will be, will be. It’s been really tough for two days so it’s been nice to play well in the wind and rain,” she said.

Ireland’s Rebecca Coakley and Italian Sophie Sandolo shared fourth position at level par after Sandolo had a 72 and Coakley had a 73.

Playing in her fifth season with the LET, Denmark’s Carina Vagner had her first hole-in-one at the 145-yard par-three third hole today after pitching a five-iron two feet from the hole before it trickled in. She would have won a convertible Volkswagen Beetle had she aced the 14th, but the 26-year-old from Hundested was delighted nonetheless as she finished in a tie for 44th position on six-over-par, two shots clear of the halfway cut, which fell at eight-over-par.

Johnson, the overnight leader, had a 76 and slipped back into a tie for sixth place on one-over par total alongside French women Gwladys Nocera and Ludivine Kreutz, England’s Laura Davies, Sweden’s Cecilia Ekelundh and Denmark’s Amanda Moltke-Leth.