Sharmila Nicollet rallies to make cut in Morocco

Agadir (Morocco): Sharmila Nicollet rallied from a first round 75 to make her first cut on the Ladies European Tour outside India with a plucky display on Saturday in the weather-hit Lalla Meryem Cup.

Sharmila, who shot 75 on the first day added a second round even par 71 to make the weekend rounds. She moved up from 84th place to tied 59th after the second round. The third and final round will be played from two tees later on Saturday. Sharmila, who missed the cut in her opening event in New Zealand earlier in the season, was on the cutline that came at four-over in a competition that has been hit by bad weather and strong winds. Sharmila, who could not even start her second round yesterday, because of winds and shortened day, teed off from the 10th and dropped a bogey on par-3 12th. She recovered from that with a birdie on 17th. She again alternated between a bogey on first and birdie on second. A birdie on eighth gave Sharmila a cushion and despite a tense bogey on par-3 ninth, her closing hole in the second round, she squeezed into the final round. "It is indeed a relief to make a cut, because I was disappointed at missing out in New Zealand, where also I played in bad weather," said Sharmila. Marianne Skarpnord stayed in front after the second round. The Norwegian remained a stroke ahead of Jade Schaeffer while English rookie Eleanor Givens continued to impress on her professional debut by signing for a second round of four-under 67. She joined Finland`s Ursula Wikstrom and Sweden`s Carin Koch in a share of third place on five-under par. Wikstrom had a five-under 66 as did Australian Karen Lunn, who moved up into a share of sixth place on four-under with Carlota Ciganda, Linda Wessberg, Holly Aitchison, Sophie Giquel-Bettan and Marjet Van der Graaff. The cut fell to 69 players at four over par. PTI