Olivia Mehaffey played 24 holes in nine-under-par to move into contention at the Ladies Open By Pickala Rock Resort in Finland as amateur Sara Byrne moved into contention on her debut on the LET Access Tour in Sweden.

Tandragee star Mehaffey was four-over-par through 12 holes of her weather-delayed first round when play was suspended overnight.

But she came out with all guns blazing yesterday and picked up three birdies in the remaining six holes of her first round to open with a one-over 73 before making an eagle and eight birdies in a six-under-par 66.

Scores

“I just felt yesterday was such a long day,” said Mehaffey, who was tied 11th on five-under-par, six strokes behind Sweden’s Johanna Gustavsson.

“So many delays and hanging around waiting. My first round tee time was 6.50 pm so I didn’t finish until after 10 pm.

“So I  felt a bit tired and flat. I wasn’t playing badly yesterday, I just didn’t get up and down the few times I missed the green. I came out today just thinking about making birdies and giving myself chances and I managed to do that.”

Mehaffey got round two off to the perfect start with an eagle three from 40 feet and never looked back.

“I had 220 yards to go and I was between hitting a three-wood over the bunkers at the pin but the lie in the rough and it wasn’t great,” she said.

“So I said I would chase a four-iron down the left side between the bunkers. But I snuck it onto the front of the green and holed about a 40-footer!”

Meanwhile, Douglas amateur Sara Byrne goes into the weekend just seven shots behind Denmark’s Puk Lyng Thomsen in the LET Access Tour’s Vasteras Open By Elite Hotels.

Making her first appearance in a professional event, the recently crowned AIG Irish Amateur Close champion made five birdies and four bogeys in 16 holes to share sixth place on two-under par.

Byrne was three-under for her second round with five holes to play but dropped shots at the fifth and seventh (her 14th and 16th) before play was suspended.