(Porthcawl, August 23 2003) Stephanie Arricau from France carded a one under par 72 to take the halfway lead on five under par in the £400,000 Wales WPGA Championship of Europe in weather conditions more akin to a traditional British seaside summer afternoon.

Juul – former British amateur champion

Also battling for the seventh and final spot, occupied somewhat precariously at present by Scotland’s Mhairi McKay who missed the cut, are two Frenchwomen, Karine Icher, a rookie on last years team, who had a four under 69 and Ludivine Kreutz, the Italian Open champion, who carded a joint best of the day five under 68, which included six birdies on her back nine.

Icher needs a top 4 finish to creep into seventh spot if other results go her way, while Kreutz needs at least a runner’s up spot outright.

Somewhat surprisingly, none of the big names of women’s European golf are near the top of the board and the leading Briton is amateur star Becky Brewerton from Wales on one under par. The 21-year-old from Abergele had a one under 72 and confirmed her intention to turn professional in the near future.

Joining Brewerton is New Zealander Gina Scott and Raquel Carriedo from Spain, a former European number one and twice a Solheim Cup player who, like compatriot Larraneta, needs a win this week to make it a hat trick of trans-Atlantic battles.

Ten players are tied on level par including another rising Welsh star in Eleanor Pilgrim, who had a 74 and former top German amateur Martina Eberl, whose 70 included a hole-in-one at the fourth hole.