Local knowledge helps Murray lead by three

Laura Murray is on course to win the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre Ladies Open title for the second year in a row at Murcar Links.

The Paul Lawrie GC player from Alford, playing in the final group of the day, posted a three-over-par 74 to take a three-shot lead into the final round.

Kelsey MacDonald (Carrick on Loch Lomond), American Beth Allen (Falkirk) and Sarah Attwood (Gog Magog) had been the long-time joint leaders on 77 on a day when one player had a 10 at the long fourth and there were triple bogeys galore.

Murray made the most of her local knowledge and the fact that the wind dropped when her group were playing the last few holes.

"I've played this course so many times I could probably get round blindfolded. I know the places I should be in from tee and, just as important, I know the places that I don't want to end up," said Murray who missed the cut on her LET debut in Morocco last week.

"I holed out well and that helped, nothing very long but the 18^th was a good example - I sank a four or five-footer for a three, my only birdie of the day."

But Murray is certainly not counting her chickens as far as the £2,250 first prize is concerned.

"There are a lot of good players in this field and three strokes is not an unassailable lead over a course like this."

Pre-tournament favourite Trish Johnson, the former Solheim Cup player, and a winner last year at Kingsbarns on her only other appearance on the Ladies' Tartan Tour, had a 78.

"I thought the course was playing very long because the fairways are soft and there is little or no run. That's not a criticism of the course. I think it is a cracking lay-out and I would love to play Murcar Links in the summer when it would play like a links," said Johnson.