(Playa de Las Americas, May 2 2003) Although Welsh amateur sensation Becky Brewerton is playing in her first professional event outside the UK, the 21-year-old from Abergele looked every part the seasoned campaigner as she upstaged Europe’s top women golfers and snatched the halfway lead at the €200,000 Tenerife Ladies Open at Golf Las Americas.

Jackie Kebbel

Aided and abetted by her father Steve on bag duties, Brewerton’s talented display of powerful driving, accurate iron play and smooth putting continued into her homeward nine, adding further birdies at the fourth and seventh to post the early lead, which she held on to until the end of another warm, spring-like day in the Canary Islands.

“It’s all a bit much,” grinned Brewerton, who if she was a professional and went on to win this event, would bank €30,000.

“I don’t normally do that kind of thing, I usually make a load of pars and maybe a couple of birdies and as for the money I could have won, I don’t want to think about it!

“There’s no pressure on me this week as an amateur and it must to be totally different when you are playing for money. It’s tempting to turn professional now, but I’m going to stick to my plan and go to qualifying school later on in the year.”

Tadiotto is grateful just to be able to play golf after undergoing an operation to remove a benign tumour from her hand. Having spent eight months out of the game, the 32-year-old was delighted to with her return to the Tour and hopes to improve on her 7th place best finish.

“After eight months out, I’ll take that,” laughed Tadiotto. “I am so motivated again now that I can play and it’s really exciting to be out here.

“I’ve been playing well, my long game is good and I’m really happy with this today.”

And Kebbel, who has never finished higher than a tie for 37th place has recently been attending a sports psychologist and her powers of concentration paid dividends as she breezed around in 67 strokes.

“I concentrated really well out there,” said the 34-year-old. “I’m not thinking of the win yet, there is a long way to go, but it would be fantastic and would really set me up nicely.”

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