Second round leader Veronica Zorzi

(MADRID – Friday 2nd October 2009) – Italy’s Veronica Zorzi takes a two stroke lead into the final round of the Madrid Ladies Masters.

The 28-year-old from Verona soared ahead with an eight-under 65, including three eagles, at the third, fifth and 18th holes, after two sunny days at Club de Golf Retamares.

“Unbelievable. It’s never happened before,” said Zorzi, aiming for a third Ladies European Tour title after back-to-back wins at the Open de France in 2005 and 2006.

“This morning I was a little bit nervous so I said to myself, “Just concentrate on your target and play to your target.””

Zorzi is playing with a shoulder injury but added: “Right now it’s pretty good so I feel positive.”

She started the day in a tie for third but finished at 13-under-par.

She bogeyed the first hole but hit a rescue to three feet from 198 yards at the par-five third hole setting up her first eagle.

She birdied the sixth then struck a five-wood to the fringe at the par five seventh before chipping in for eagle. She birdied holes 10, 13 and 15, before dropping her second shot of the day at the 16th.

A rescue from 209 yards to 23 feet past the pin at the 18th saw her finish in style as she rolled in the putt for her final eagle.

Spain’s Emma Cabrera-Bello shot 67, improving from equal third to outright second at 11-under-par.

She hopes to follow in the footsteps of her brother Rafael, who fired a final round of 60 to win the recent Austrian Open on the European Tour.

“You never know. He tells me shot by shot, stick to your routine and if it’s your day to shoot 60 it will come,” said the 23-year-old from Gran Canaria, yet to claim her first professional victory.

“On this course you can go very low. That’s going to be the whole thing tomorrow. The one that shoots less will win because even those three or four shots away can go six or seven under and they have a big chance. It’s not only about Veronica Zorzi and me.”

First round co-leader Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa followed a 67 with a 71 and shared third with England’s Rebecca Hudson (70) on eight-under-par.

Frenchwoman Anne-Lise Caudal and Spain’s Azahara Muñoz, playing in her first tournament as a professional, both shot 68 and shared fifth at seven-under with Germany’s Bettina Hauert (69).

Muñoz, 21, from Malaga, combined seven birdies with two bogeys and said: “I am loving being here with all the best players and having a good week so hopefully I can go out there tomorrow and play like today.”

The British Ladies Amateur Champion, who has a degree in psychology from the University of Arizona, added: “I just want to go out there and enjoy myself. I have nothing to lose so I will try to play my best.”

There was no cut due to the limited field of 42. Final round play starts at 9am local time on Saturday, with the leaders out at 10.35am.