(Arras, France June 11 2004) Sweden’s Ǻsa Gottmo made hay despite the sun failing to shine as she took the outright lead after two rounds of the €275,000 Arras Open de France Dames at Le Golf d’Arras.

Asa Gottmo

“I was really pleased with my score,” said the 40-year-old from Johannesburg, whose best finish this year was a tie for tenth in Portugal.

“Some of the holes out there were really tough and played very long. Today was all about getting your head down and grinding it out and never giving up.

“What happens at the weekend depends on the weather but I’m just going to knuckle down and hit the ball and see what happens.”

England’s Lora Fairclough leads the British charge and sits in a five way tie on two under par.

The 34-year-old from Chorley, near Manchester is receiving coaching from Scot Kendall McWade, who runs a golfing school called ‘Instinctive Golf’. And according to Fairclough, a four time winner on the LET and former Solheim Cup player, McWade’s program ‘does what it says on the tin’.

“It really helps you get out of a mechanical way of thinking about the game,” said Fairclough, who had five birdies and two bogies in her 69.

“When you were a kid learning the game, you didn’t have to think about what you were going to do, you just get up and hit the ball and that’s what I’m trying to achieve now, playing golf without having to think too much about it.

“I’ve been out here a long time and all I’ve ever done is think about my swing this system is helping me change that.

“So far, my season has been a bit up and down but there are signs of light at the end of the tunnel after the work I’ve done and I’m dead chuffed with the way I played today…although there are still the odd few moments of planet Zod-ness at times!”