Meghan MacLaren leads the first Jordan Mixed Open after shooting a second successive 65 at the Ayla Golf Club. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

MEGHAN MacLaren picked up where she left off by carding a second consecutive 65 and will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Jordan Mixed Open, on Saturday.

The Northamptonshire-based pro, who is a champion for the strength of the women’s professional game, has carded 15 birdies and only one bogey through two rounds as her game continues to personify her larger message to the golfing world.

Sitting on 14-under par, the 23-year-old from Wellingboro GC, will look to make history as the first champion in mixed professional golf.

A win would be her second victory of the year, and add to her Solheim Cup points total, after she successfully defended her Women’s NSW Open title in February.

Meghan, whose father David heads the Seniors Tour, said: “There’s a lot of other stuff going on, and I’m proud of the position all three tours have put themselves in, and proud for golf as a whole for this tournament.

“But tomorrow is going to be completely about my own game and trying to get the best score possible out there.

“It looks like a pretty even split with all the players making the cut, which would have been exactly what the tour representatives and the people setting the course up would have wanted, and with a player from each tour in the last group, they couldn’t have written it any better than that.

“I think it’s a testament to the amount of research that has gone into it and that the people running the tournament know about golf. This isn’t just some gimmick, like ‘oh let’s see if this works.’

“There’s been a lot of thought into it and I’m happy it’s playing out like this. I think that’s only going to be encouraging for the future.

“I think this shows that women’s golf has more than a leg to stand on, and if I can prove a point in that regard, then that’s an added bonus.”

“I work hard because I just love golf, it’s not really anything more than that. I guess working hard is just part of my make-up and it’s part of what makes me a good player.

“There’s something nice about when there’s not many people around and you know you’re putting work in, but it’s got to be work that is of benefit to you and not everybody does that.”

Two shots behind MacLaren on 12-under is European Challenge Tour player Daan Huizing, who signed for a second round 68. The Dutchman matched the Ayla Golf Club course-record on Thursday with his a 64 and will now chase his own place in history in tomorrow’s final round.

Dan, who won twice in his rookie season on the Challenge Tour in 2013, but has not won since, said: “There are a couple of things I need to smooth out but I’m happy with how I’m conducting myself and I’m in a good position for tomorrow.

“The goal is to go out and win the thing. That is what we play for and what we practise for.

“I managed my way around quite well and the putts were good. It was the total opposite breeze today from yesterday so every hole was playing differently.

“The par fives, which were down wind and playing easy yesterday were into the wind today. I’ll make some notes from that. I’ve seen the course from both directions now, so whatever happens tomorrow, I’ll be prepared.”

Joining MacLaren and Huizing in the final group is 2018 Staysure Tour Rookie of the Year, Paul Streeter. The 52-year-old from Lincoln signed for rounds of 66 and 70, which puts him in a three-way tie for third place alongside Challenge Tour players Jack Senior, from Lancashire and Wales’ Oliver Farr.

Since Streeter was the first of the three players to complete his second round, he has the honour of playing in the final grouping. As a result, one player from each cohort will engage in golf’s first three-Tour battle down the stretch as they all vie to become the inaugural winner of the Jordan Mixed Open.

Streeter, who won twice in his first full season last year on the over 50s tour, said: “Score-wise, it was as much as I deserved. I didn’t play great and struggled a bit off the tee. I struggled with the pace of the greens and had a couple of three putts out there. Overall, I’d take that.

“Beth Allen was brilliant to play with. She’s a great golfer. She shot a few over each day but she played so much better than that. I really enjoyed it.

“It’s nice to see the ladies play golf, because I think I knew one female professional golfer before this week, and they’re not in the league of what Beth is, so it was great to play with her and see what she does.”

A world-first, the Jordan Mixed Open sees 40 players from each of the Challenge Tour, the Staysure Tour and the Ladies European Tour to competing for the same trophy.

The 36-hole cut will  reduce the field to a total of 66 players for the final round. Of those 66 players, there are 20 representing the Ladies European Tour, 21 from the Staysure Tour and 25 from the Challenge Tour.

The even split of players, and the composition of the final grouping is yet another victory for the future of mixed professional golf.

The important collection of data continued on day two. Driving distances, approach shot distances, competitors’ club selections and individual hole scoring averages were recorded, and the growing data sample will once again inform the course set-up for the final round.

Challenge Tour players have been competing from approximately 7,100 yards, with Staysure Tour players playing from 6,601 yards and Ladies European Tour players from 6,139 yards. Adjustments are made each day based on wind direction and overall weather conditions.

The final round of the historic Jordan Mixed Open begins at 10:30 am BST, on Saturday, with the final grouping of MacLaren, Huizing and Streeter set to go at 14:16 pm UK time.

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Wellingboro’s Meghan MacLaren, who shot a superb 65 in the first round of the Jordan Mixed Open, at Ayla Golf Club. Picture by TRISTAN JONES

DAAN Huizing will forever hold a small place in history as the first overnight leader of the Jordan Mixed Open on eight-under par – but it was the LET’s Meghan MacLaren who did the most to make the unique format an instant success.

The Dutchman birdied half of the holes at Ayla Golf Club against only one bogey to card an opening round of 64.

The sublime score gave Huizing a one-shot advantage over two golfers from England — fellow Challenge Tour player Jack Senior and Ladies European Tour player Meghan MacLaren.

The first day at the Jordan Mixed saw the first use in the world of a format allowing men, women and senior golfers to compete in the same field.

MacLaren, who has been a vocal advocate for the strength of the women’s professional game, wasted no time in backing up her words.

She carded birdies on her first two holes and rode the momentum to post the early target of seven-under.

When the high winds forecast for the afternoon failed to materialise, several players, including Huizing, Senior and 2018 Staysure Tour Rookie of the Year Paul Streeter took advantage.

MacLaren, who successfully defended her Women’s New South Wales Open title last month, was delighted with her start.

She said: “If I’m going to write about it and talk about it all the time, then I’d better back it up with my golf.

“I’m delighted to do it in this tournament, particularly. Hopefully it will send a bit of a message.

“But any time you shoot seven-under in a tournament, you’re not going to be too far off the lead. Hopefully this means a few more people will be watching.

“Given everything I’ve talked about over the last few months, it is nice to back it up. But I didn’t want to put any extra pressure on myself. I’ve been saying to everybody that the girls’ standard of play will show if the course is set up properly.

“I’m just happy with how I’ve played and if that puts me near the top against the guys, then that’s just a bonus, really.”

Dutchman Daan Huzing tees off at the par five ninth in the first round of the Jordan Mixed Open, at Ayla Golf Club. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Huizing, who won the Lythan Trophy and St Andrews Links Trophy in 2012 before turning pro after playing in his second Eisenhower Trophy at that year’s World Amateur Team Championship, in Turkey, said: “It was a really nice round. I was hitting it nicely and made some nice putts to keep the round going as well.

“I enjoyed it. It was pretty chilled and it was good fun,” added the two-time winner on the Challenge Tour, whose victories both in his maiden season in 2013.

“It’s a different perspective to play with the seniors and play with the ladies. It was a nice, relaxed day, and I think being relaxed helped me play well.

“It will be interesting to see after three days what the findings are, but it was fun.

“We never see the seniors or the ladies because the tournaments are never together, and to hear what they do and how their Tours are, it’s good for us to hear because we normally just see the same guys every week.”

Streeter’s six-under 66 was the low-round among the over-50s contingent and placed the Lincoln golfer firmly in the mix with two rounds to go.

He said: “It was brilliant out there. I really enjoyed it. I think the tees were fairly good and I think we were very close to each other on most holes.

“A few were different but that also depends on how you strike it and the slopes you land on, but it seemed to work really well. It’s a great format and it’s something new for everybody.”

Senior, from Lancashire was also happy with his day’s work, saying: “I think you’ve got to enjoy this format, but it’s hard to know how it’s all going to pan out at the end of the week.

“I’m sure, though, that it will be a successful event and continue to be.”

The innovative tournament sees 40 players from each of the Challenge Tour, the over-50s Staysure Tour and the Ladies European Tour compete for the same trophy over 54 holes.

With the golfing community eager to see how the course set-up would play out, the opening round of the Jordan Mixed Open was a great success with players from all three Tours in contention and well-represented inside the projected cut line of even par.

Challenge Tour players played the first round from approximately 7,100 yards, Staysure Tour players from 6,601 yards and Ladies European Tour players from 6,139 yards.

The unofficial battle for low-couple is heating up with LET Order of Merit leader Marianne Skarpnord and her fiancée, Challenge Tour player Richard Green, combining for a two-under total, while married golfers Kyle Henry of the Ladies European Tour and Scott Henry of the Challenge Tour combined for a one-over total.

Mr Henry said: “I’m sure something along these lines would be great for both the guys and the girls.

“It’s been exciting, it’s been a definite atmosphere for all of us. It’s been good fun and its definitely something where a format along these lines is good for everybody.”

And Mrs Henry, who was prepared to wager some household chores on who would come out on top, added: “It’s been a really fun week and it’s just nice to be at a tournament together because usually the Tours are in different countries and sometimes different continents.

“Scott knew the course quite well, and I didn’t manage to get a practice round, so he was really good at giving me a few tips here and there on how to play the course smartly.”

Tournament officials collected data on driving distance, approach shot distance and club selection from every player who competed on day one and will incorporate their findings into the course set-up for Day Two to continue to ensure the fairest possible playing field for all competitors.

The second round of the Jordan Mixed Open presented by Ayla will begin tomorrow at 7:30 am local time before the 123-player field is reduced to the top 60 players and ties for the final day.

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